Abstract

CONCEPT OF SHODHANA – A REVIEW BY RASA SHASTRA

Vir Kirti*, Rinky Jatav, Chandra Bhan Singh, Yogesh Kumar and Ajay Kumar

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Abstract

Shodhana, which means cleansing and converting the poisonous medicine in to the purified form. Shodhana is procedure necessary for every drug before taking it for adding in any compound or subjecting it for further processes. In Ayurvedic system the name shodhana occurs in different contexts. In Kayachikitsa the word shodhana signifies the treatment aspect by which doshas are eliminated from the body. In Rasa Shastra, it is purification or washing out the unwanted or undesired impurities of the substance and is the basic procedure. Shodhana is a swatantravidhi and is the very first step of aushadha samskara. Shodhana in Ayurvedic Rasashastra plays a major and powerful role through which increases the therapeutic efficacy of a drug. Though the concept of shodhana is in practice since ancient times, its importance has enhanced after the development and incorporation of Rasa Shastra in Ayurvedic system of medicine. The process of shodhana to be adopted depends upon the material for which shodhana to be done. This relies upon the source of material, its chemical composition, impurities and its natural properties. By shodhana process many material changes are elicited both physically and chemically. Hence an attempt has made to recollect all the evidences related to the shodhana procedure.

Keywords: Shodhana, Procedure, Importance.