CRITICAL REVIEW ON PARADA SAMSKARA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO ASHTASAMSKARAS

Rasa shastra is the branch in Ayurveda which deals with the use of Parada and other rasadravyas. Purification and samskaras are important processes on these dravyas in order to improve their efficacy and potency. Asamskarita shuddha Parada does not possess the desired potency; it needs to undergo special procedures named as Parada Ashta samskar. Parada Ashta Samskaras as Swedana, Mardana, Murchhana, Utthapana, Patana, Rodhana, Niyamana and Dipana are meant to make parada combine easily with other rasadravyas and also enhance its own properties. Each samskara specifies aims and objective of the method. In classical Ayurvedic texts, total Ashtadasha means 18 samskaras of parada are mentioned of which first eight samskaras are meant for Dehavada i.e. potentiating mercury for therapeutic purpose. The aim of each shodhana samskar is as follows : Swedana does Dosha Shithilikarana ( Loosening of the Doshas ), Mardana is Bahirmala vinashanam ( eradicate the Bahya Mala ), Murchhana is Nashtapishtatva karakam ( coversion of mercury from natural form to Pishta / Kalka form ), Utthapana is Swarup Aapadanam ( Regains its lost natural form ),in Patana samsakar, Parada gets rid of Naga, Vanga etc Doshas, Bodhana is to remove Klaibyatva of Parada ( Impotency of Parada ), Niyamana is to remove Chapalatwa i.e. Niyantrana, Deepana is to make Parada Grasarthi or Bubhukshita i.e to boost up its appetite. Hence, the literature study is focused on first Ashta Samskaras.