Shodhana (Purification of metals used in ayurvedic medicines)

Shodhana 

(Purification of metals used in ayurvedic medicines)

Sodhana is the first norm to be completed during Ayurvedic drug formulation. So it has got unique importance. Most of the substances can not be used internally in natural form, for example while eating fruits, we remove the skin, seeds etc. while using vegetable we boil them, fry them and then they are used. The same process are also being used during drug formulations.

The food or any drug which normal person can easily digests or assimilates, is not possible for the patients. According to the principles, all disease occurs due to Mandagni, it clearly shows the digestive power of Rugna is very much disturbed so the Rugna can not digest the routine food substances also. Naturally this lowered digestive power lowers resistance power also. That is why while preparing drug, we must prepare a drug which will be easy for administration, easy for digestion, easy and quicker for absorption and drug action will be up to our expectation. So that it will be more beneficial to the patients. And all the processes which will make the

drug ready with above properties comes under Sodhana and Marana, in which Sodhana is the first step to do.

In Ayurveda Sodhana has great importance. Some people consider pancadha Sodhana with Pancakarma but this is not correct. Sodhana includes Vamana, Virecana, Niruhabasti, Sirovirecana and Nasya. While portraying the importance of Suddhikarana. Acarya Caraka has told that ‘Just as a cloth can not be painted well unless it is thoroughly washed - similarly body must be internally purified in diseased condition before medication is given.

The raw drugs utilized for manufacturing of medicament must also be subjected to purification. In Rasasastra where the raw material are utilized, they are mainly from ores, minerals and animal origin, Sodhana is unavoidable.

CONCEPT OF SODHANA

The raw materials contain many undesired qualities which are deleterious to the body and which should be removed through Sodhana.

The undesired qualities are as follows :-

Presence of toxic substance.

Presence of visible or invisible impurities.

Hardness of the substance.

Presence of heterogenic qualities.

Presence of adulterants.

Presence of unwanted substance.

Types of impurities :

In modern chemistry, three types of impurities are described:

1. Physical impurity

2. Chemical impurity

3. Natural impurity

Definition :

u(dOT]ri[PF] siÛ< (k\yt[ p[Pvi(dkm`.

ml(kμC_i y[ yRt& Si[Fn> t(dhi[μyt[.. (R.T. 5/12)

Most of the raw material used in Rasasastra are obtained from the earth. So there is every chance of impurities, toxicity and unwanted qualities to large extent. So, Sodhana is a combination of processes which removes unwanted part from the drug, which control the unwanted effect or toxic effect (if any in the drug) or remove those effects and enhances the properties of drug which make the drug suitable for desired action. It is not possible to describe Ayurvedic meaning of Sodhana in single word because it converse so many meanings.

The meaning of Sodhana word as follows :

To cleanse	To Distil	To sort	To peel
To clarify	To Dehydrate	To stream	To dehusk
To purify	To shift	To filter	To wash

Aim of Sodhana :

There are so many aims of Sodhana and is different from substance to

substance, some of them are given below:

Drugs                                      Aim of Sodhana

Bhallataka                               To make it ‘Nirmala’

Kanksi                                     To make it ‘Nirjala’

Bhanga                                    To make it ‘Nirmada’

Gunja                                      To make it ‘Nirvisa’

Lasuna                                     To reduce ‘Ugrata’

Guggulu                                  To reduce ‘Stickiness’

Importance of Sodhana :

Without Shodhana Samskara, Rasasastra is handicapped as no medicament can be prepared without the prior removal of impurities. That is why Sodhana of every substance utilized in Rasasastra is described at the very beginning. Even common substance like alum when administered in impure form give rise to several disease and upon the administration of the same in purified form, they produce marvelous therapeutic results.

Poisons when used incautiously, readily spread throughout body and cause deleterious effect which may cause even death. This is due to the qualities of Visas like ‘Vyavayi’, ‘Tiksna’, ‘Asu’, etc. The cautious utilization of Visa in small quantity after proper purification acts as “Amrta” that is, it has very good clinical efficacy.

Rasa Vagbhatta and Rasa Madhava have clearly mentioned the detrimental effects of impurities of Swarnadi Lohas. (R.R.S. and A.P.). However, in Rasendra Cudamani and Rasa Prakasa Sudhakar it has been mentioned that pure gold does not require to undergo Sodhana process. (R.C. and R.P.S.).

Sodhana was that much important since ages that, a complete detail of the characteristics of the impure substance is given. How the impurities are removed is also described fully. The effect on body of the pure form of the substance is also described to the fullest extent. So in this way a Rasasastri can never fail in his endeavor of Sodhana.

As told earlier Sodhana of Ayurveda does not literally means purification of modern chemistry. It means something more than mere purification. ‘Sendriyatva” is brought about after Sodhana and this quality is of utmost importance for it is to be utilized internally as medicine. And that is why though now a days we are having 99.9% pure metals from the market, still they can not be utilized without Sodhana. Sodhana is an essential process as far as ayurvedic pharmaceutical preparation is concerned.

Objective of Sodhana :

􀂹 To make metallic substance suitable for Marana (Incineration).

􀂹 To remove physical and chemical impurities.

􀂹 To make metals, minerals free from toxicity.

􀂹 Transformation of attributes.

􀂹 Regulation of physico-chemical attributes.

Type of Sodhana :

Sodhana can be classified into two types.

􀂹 Samanya Sodhana.

􀂹 Visista Sodhana.

1. Samanya Sodhana

Samanya Sodhana is meant for the purification of common impurities found in a group (Varga). i.e. Maharasa, Uparas, Sadharanarasa or Sudha Varga etc. of substances. The common impurities are found in all the elements of that group and the removal of which is through Samanya Sodhana.

2. Visista Sodhana

In any group of substances, there are common impurities which are present in all the substances of the group. These are removed by Samanya Sodhana. However each substance of the group may have different types of impurities. These are the uncommon impurities which varies from substance to substance. Such uncommon impurities are peculiar to the substance, therefore special procedure and techniques are used for the removal of these impurities. This is called Visesa Sodhana. Thus after Samanya Sodhana, Visesa Sodhana is performed, to remove the impurities peculiar to the substance which can not be removed by Samanya Sodhana.

The various chemical and physical properties of the substance should have been understood by ancient Acaryas before selecting the Dravyas which would cause Visesa Sodhana. After Visesa Sodhana, there is considerable physical changes in the chemical structure of the substance under Sodhana such that it is rendered soft, fragile and suitable for incineration.

Thus, both Samanya and Visesa Sodhana are essential for any pharmaceutical preparation and can not be avoided.

Method of Sodhana :

Dhavana - Washing

Nirmajjana - To dip into liquids

Nirvapana - Heating a metal and dip into liquids

Pacana - Digestion by giving heat

Patana - Distillation

Bhavana - Trituration with liquids

Swedana - Heating by vapours or

directly by liquids

Sodhana procedure :

According to procedure, Sodhana can be divided into following types:

*Swedana *Patana *Nirvapa *Suryatapasthapana

*Mardana *Dhatapa *Pralepa *Sosana

*Murcchana *Avapa *Bharjana *Praksalan

Drugs used for Sodhana :

SnehaVarga	Amla Varga	Ksaya Varga	Katu Varga	Tikta Varga	Ksaya Varga
Tail,Ghrta	Takra,Kanji Nimbu, Amalaki	Gomutra Kulatha Surijiksara Kaddalikanad	Nirgundi Bhrngaraja Haritaki	Vasa Swarnaksiri Sirisa	Kancanara Bibhitaka

           

In Rasarnava it is given that during purification of metal, Ksara dravyas are used for eliminating external impurities. Amla Rasa Dravyas are used to introduce “Prabodhana” in the metal, to irradiate inertia in the metal. Visa Dravyas and Sneha Dravyas are used to produce softness in the metal.

Sodhana Yantra :

There are several equipments used for Sodhana procedure. Among these Dolayantra, Urdhava Patana yantra, Adha Patana yantra, Tiryaka Patana yantra, Khalva yantra etc. are important. Besides these Kataha, Sarava, Sthalika, Darvi, Sandasani, Angara Kosthika, etc are also used in Sodhana procedure and are necessary equipments.

Shudha-ashudha Pariksa :

In text there is no direct reference of Suddhi Pariksa of Sodhita Dravyas. The Asuddhi present are described and how they can be removed is also elaborated. But after the Sodhana the Acaryas were directly utilizing the drug internally or externally on patients. The good effect of the drug which were alleviating the disease was an indirectly means of testing the purity. However some times ill effects were produced due to some impurities remaining even after Sodhana or when given in Asudha form. How their ill effects are to be checked is described in detail by the ancient Rasasastri.