Uparasa and Gandhaka

MADHURA PHADTARE

UPARASA


-... /
R.T.- Raasayanik Sutra
Rasahridaya tantra- Mahrasadi che satvapatana
Useful for mercury and its operations
No of uparasa- more than 8 , 20,21,22
Aanandakandakar 48- kach, lavan , kshar etc

UPARASA
Sr.
No
.

Name of
Drug

Rasar
nava

Gandhaka

Kharpa
r

Gairika

Tuttha

Kasisa

Varata
k

Kankshi

Shanka

Talaka

Tankan
a

Manashila

Hingul
a

Anjana

Rajava

Ras
Rasen
Hriday dra
tantra Chuda
mani

Sauvir

Rasa
Praka
sh
sudha
kar

Rasa
ratna
samm
uchha
ya

Rasa
kama
Dhenu

Gandhaka

Mythological Origin
Synonyms
Physico-chemical properties
Varieties
Availability
Shodhana
Druti
Pharmacological Properties
Dose and Anupana
Formulations

INTRODUCTION
Gandhaka is included in uparasas varga in rasa text. Stands
next to Mercury in importance and its importance is revealed in
various procedures like jarana etc.
In nature native Sulphur is available in very small quanttity. It
is generally found in mineral form compounded with Iron,
Copper, Lead, Mercury, Silver and other metals. It is also
found in following animal and vegetable products.
A)Jangam- Eggs, Blood, Milk, Bile etc
B) Udbhija-mustard, carrot, garlic
C)Parthiv-makshika , vimal,hartal, manahsheela

Availability
Free Volacano
Combined 1) Sulphide Iorn pyrite ,copper
pyrite ,galena, sinnebar
2)Sulphate - ferrous sulphate ,
copper sulphate ,Gypsum

FREE STATE- SULPHUR

SULPHUR CAVES

Water sources from

Himalaya

COMBINED STATE-COPPER
PYRITE

IORN PYRITE

GALENA

Synonyms
Bhavnatmaka- Gauripushpa
Upama- Balivasa , balivatsa
Swabhav arshak- Ati gandha ,
Krurgandha
Karya darshak Shulbari
Gunadarshaka- Pamari , Kushtari

PHYSICO- CHEMICAL PROPERTIES

OF GANDHAKA
Latin name- Sulphidum
Symbol- S
Atomic number-16
Atomic weight-32
Hardness-1.5-2.5
Melting point-119C
Boiling point-444.8C
Specific gravity-1.9-2.1

 At 160oC
Sulphur atoms form chains,
liquid becomes more viscous & dark brown.
At 180oC
brown & viscous Sulphur liquid.
At 200oC
Sulphur chains shorten.
At boiling point (445oC)
viscous Sulphur becomes fluid again.
Into the cold water (0oC ~ 20oC)
liquid Sulphur rubber-like plastic Sulphur

VARIETIES OF GANDHAKA
According to Rasendrachudamani

1- Rakta- sukatunda (parrots beak)- used for Alchemy

2- Pita- sukapicha- (parrots tail) used for Rasayana purpose
3- Sweta- khatika- used for lauh marana
4- Krishna- black alleviates old age and death

Other classification ( called by these names in market)

Amalasara gandhaka- crystal sulphur
Nenua gandhaka- roll sulphur

PLASTIC SULPHUR
A form of rubber-like Sulphur
- produced when molten Sulphur is rapidly poured into cold
water. (It is only produced with red molten Sulphur that
contains S8 chains.)
The S8 chain Sulphur cools too rapidly to allow the chains to
reform into crowns and they lose energy while parallel to one
another. This creates a structure with the chains all aligned
but only held by the Van der Waals forces.
Plastic sulphur is unstable at room temperature, as the S 8
chains slowly return to S8 crown molecules. The rubber-like
structure gets more brittle as the crystals are slowly formed

Yellow solid (20C ~ 25C)

Yellow liquid (113C)

Dark & extremely viscous liquid (118 C)

Runny liquid at boiling point (445 C)

PLASTIC SULPHUR

Grahaya lakshanas of gandhaka

 Gandhaka which is yellow coloured like of

Parrots tail (green yellow), lusturous as
butter, smooth, hard and oily, is considered
best for processing into medicines.

Grahya gandhaka

Rasa tarangini
Nirmal
Rajanisamprabha
Navaneeta komala

Praptisthana
Italy- Sisily valcano
Japan ,texax , spain
India- asam, bihar rajsthan ,

IMPURITES OF SULPHUR
Two types of impurities are seen in Gandhaka1) Stones (due to contact with earth)
2) Poison (due to contact with other metals and
minerals present in nature).
Hence the purification of gandhaka is must
before being administered into the body.

CONSEQUENCES OF USING IMPURE

GANDHAKA
If impure gandhaka is taken it causes skin
ailments, burning sensation, giddiness and
pitta diseases.
It also harms the appearance, strength and
potency of body. Therefore it is purified
before being used for therapeutic purpose.

PURIFICATION OF GANDHAKA

A small pit is dig first according to the size

of the pot

 Earthen pot is taken and filled with milk. Amount of

milk taken should be upto the neck of the pot.
A vessel having more height is more suitable because
it facilitates enough time for melted gandhaka to
travel down the pot and get cooled down.
Approx 4 litre of cow milk was taken for this
method.

A double layered cotton cloth is tied at the mouth of pot

and is fastened at neck.

 Gandhaka is powdered in Siktaakruti and is

spread over the cloth.
Gandhaka must be spread in heap like form
around the mid portion of cloth. Otherwise if
spread around the periphery melted gandhaka
may ooze out through the corners leading to
wastage

 In Rasendra sara sangraha laghu puta is mentioned for

this process.
Uplas were broken in small fragments and arranged
properly over the sarava.
Uplas were burned completely and than subjected to
self- cooling.
After self cooling ash collected over the sarava is
cleaned

 Appratus is taken out from pit carefully

Sandhi bandhana is removed, carefully remove the cloth
tied over the mouth of the vessel.
Milk is removed and gandhaka from the bottom of the
vessel is collected.
It is cleaned with hot water until it gets completely free
from milk.

 MODIFICATION OF PROCESS
Although classics have mentioned to perform
this method by digging a pit, it can also be
performed by taking a large iron vessel (kadai)
filled with sand and keeping the pot carefully
in centre of iron vessel and rest of the process
is performed as mentioned.

Formulation

Gandhakadruti
Gandhaka Taila
Gandhaka Rasayan
Gandhaka Drava
Gandhaka Vati

Gandhaka Druti

THANK YOU !