The Rasaprakasa Sudhakara is an important Sanskrit text of Rasasastra (Indian Alchemy, Pharmaceutics and Therapeutics) in 13 chapters. Its author is `Yasodhara Bhatta' who has written this important text in about 13th cent. AD. It dealt mainly with the drugs of mineral origin, their varieites, qualities, properties, pharmacetical processing techniques and their therapeutic and alchemical uses including about 100 selected Rasa preparations, various groups of herbal drugs useful for mercurial processes/operations and potentiation purposes, certain gold- and silver-making processes, a few apparatuses, heating techniques/systems and the devices.
The author of the text has collected the subject materials from many previous and contemporary texts and has also made many original contributions based on his own experiences. He has presented these materials in a well classified and very systematic manner. As the author has recognised Rasa (mercury) as a main drug amongst the many drugs of mineral origin from the point of view of Alchemy and Therapeutics. Hence the major part of the text is devoted to deal Rasa (mercury), its processing techniques and the preparations.
The text has dealt almost all the important aspects of Rasasastra and may be considered as an important text book for this subject from the point of view of the students, scholars and the vaidyas. In this text more emphasis is given on the practical aspect and the author has tried to include only such things and the subject materials which are very clear and without any confusion and controversy. Further as far as possible he has described only such methods and processing techniques which are practically done by the author himself or have been experienced by the other scholars many times.
Historical Background of Rasasastra The development of Rassastra is marked more or less from ancient times i.e. from the times of Caraka and Susruta samhitas. The use of metals and minerals for the therapeutic purposes was however very much limited till Vagbhata's time and their use was in Ahjanabha (Collyrium like fine powder form only). The developed pharmaceutical processing techniques like sodhana, Marana, Jarana, Murchana and Druti etc. were not developed and found mentioned during that time. In absence of these developed pharmaceutical processing techniques the use of metals, minerals and mercurials could not be made frequent in the therapeutics because in ancient times their conversion in suitable pharmaceutical forms was not easy. And as such in ancient times only a few metals and minerals which were not harmful and non toxic to the body tissues and organs are in therapeutic use. Generally in this period the herbal and the animal origin drugs are frequently used in therapeutics because their pharmaceutical processing was found comparatively easy and these may not require much sophisticated processing techniques and equipments.
The use of drugs of mineral origin in therapeutics requires thorough processing and in absence of developed pharmaceutical technology they could not be used in therapeutics. However, because of their understanding that these drugs are likely to reduce some unwanted toxic effects alongwith their desired therapeutic effects, many scholars started their efforts to develop many new sophisticated pharmaceutical techniques to convert these into suitable pharmaceutical forms so that these could be absorbed into the system easily and produce their therapeutic effects without producing unwanted toxic effects in the body. These scholars succeeded in their efforts to a great extent and thus a new branch of knowledge with reference to pharmaceutical technology and the therapeutics came into existence and became known as Rasasastra in about 8th/9th cent. AD.
It may be pointed out here that though, the development of highly sophisticated pharmaceutical technology for the drugs of mineral origin might have been started even earlier to 8th cent. AD however no literature earlier to 8th cent. AD on Rasasastra could be traced out so far. It may also be added here that even the impact of this development could not be seen on Astanga Sangraha' and `Astanga Hrdaya' of Vagbhata belonging to 6th/7th cent. AD. Thus, on the basis of the literary evidence the date of the development of Rasasastra could be fixed as early as 8th/9th cent. AD only. The development process of Rasasastra and its techniques was continued till 17th cent. AD. And during this period the number of scholars have written number of texts on Rasasastra which included the descriptions of different processing techniques, equipments, apparatuses and heating systems, techniques and devices etc. and also number of Rasayogas (Rasa preparations) of the therapeutic importance. The Rasaprakasa Sudhakara' is one of such text which has been taken up for detailed study and for English translation through the present project.
Rasasastra and Its Concepts The term Rasasastra' is composed of two words i.e. Rasa and ,Sastra. In general the word 'Rasa' represents for may things, however in this context it might have been used for two meanings i.e. according to first meaning 'Rasa' is an absorable form of drugs' and as per the second meaning 'Rasa' means `Mercury' which is also in liquid form at room temperature and which possesses the capacity to make other metals to be soluble or dessolvable in it and to make these similar to it (mercury) i.e. in liquid (rasa) form.
The second word `Sastra' means the Science or the Knowledge thus the technical term Rasasastra' means the science or the knowledge which teaches us to convert the drugs, irrespective of their nature (i.e. Herbal, Mineral or Animal) into Rasa like form means in an absorbable form and according to this meaning Rasasastra' is a Pharmaceutical science or it is an Ayurvedic Pharmaceutics.
Further as per the second meaning the term Rasasastra' is to denote a science or the knowledge related to mercurial processings, operations or the preparations and their therapeutic uses.
It is imporatnt to mention here that in the context of Rasasastra two terms denoting concepts are generally referred to i.e. Lohavedha' Rasavada Dhatuvada and Dehavedha or Rasayanavada. Actually these are the two objecties of Rasa sastra as said by sri Govinda Bhagavat pada in his text Rasahrdaya Tantra' viz.
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