Abstract

NANOTECHNOLOGY AND ALCHEMY IN MEDIEVAL SIDDHA TRADITIONS –A REVIEW

Devaki R.* and Santhosh Kumar R.

Abstract

Globally in present days, Nanotechnologies are spectacularly alike, particularly alchemy. It exhibits two features. The first face matches the real results of old medieval alchemy in that nanotechnology, as a method of materials science, has already produced a variety of new and improved products. The term Rasayana is also used by the Rasa Siddhas to designate their alchemical “Work in two parts” with its dual emphasis on transmutation and bodily transubstantiation. In this alchemical context, rasa is a term for fluid metal mercury, the mineral hierophany of the vital seed of the phallic God Shiva. In the ancient Siddha period, Siddhars found the transformation of an atom present in things and they made them act in a calm way for many creative works. The activity of the atom for producing creative works is done through those spiritual powers, herbs, kuligai, guru, chunnam, etc, by them. Nanotechnology is an important field of concept for future scientific research (Feynman, 1960). Nanotechnology research can be expanded for the promotion of engineering, communication technologies, biology, chemistry, physics, robotics, and the fields of medicine. In present days, for example, instrumental analysis of the polyherbal Siddha formulation Ashuwathi chooranam (AC) such as FT-IR, XRD, SEM, and ICP-OES has been done. The ultimate goal of targeted drug delivery is to evolve clinically useful formulations and the size of these nanoparticles also determines the mobility, circulation, and migration of nanoparticles upon administration. Formulations with nanoparticles are highly advantageous.

Keywords: Nanotechnology, Siddha Alchemy, Medieval, FT-IR, SEM, XRD, and ICP-OES.