Lecture Note: “Use of Rasaushadhis in Panchakarma Practice” (Part -3)

“Use of Rasaushadhis in Panchakarma Practice” (Part -3)

Dr. Gopi Krishnan sir
based on the lecture available at Using Rasushadhi in Panchakarma Practice

 Basti Dravya does have the therapeutic property in local action. Once it has been considered Vatasthan it is going to have its effect all over the body. So this is another example where I had a case of bilateral intraventricular bleeding in the brain of a four days neonate wherein the reflexes were being altered possibly because of a birth injury. Neonate had a hematoma of big size causing compression effect. Dimension of hematoma was left 9 into 7 and right 8 into 4. Parents of the neonate were not willing to craniotomy or surgical removal of the same. So we have given drugs in the form of an enema and a very small concentration was being given through the Ryles tube as well. The patient was a new-born baby therefore administration of a drug in the form of an enema was very difficult. Investigations of the patient suggestive of resolution of hemorrhage and diminished eventually. Every five days or weekly brain scanning was done to assess the size of the hemorrhage and every time it used to turn smaller and smaller. It turned more hypo echoic. The hematoma size is being reduced and it started to resolve eventually, it came out to be almost two cc in size measuring. It turned out to be very much normal and the hemorrhage was resolved. Later on, the child’s reflexes started to appear. The child ultimately survived and improved without any surgical intervention.

Another therapeutic to be considered is Nasya Karma. The use of Rasaushadhies through Nasya Karma is a rare practice. Shwaskuthar Rasa has been mentioned in the textbook of Bhaishjya Ratnavali for  Nasya Karma . So either of the techniques can be adapted for the administration of Rasaushadhies.

Significance of Rasoushadhis to treat Asamyak Kriya or Vyapada of Panchakarma 

 Rasaushadhies can be used to treat Asamyak Kriya or Vyapada of Panchakarma. After Vamana or Virechana patient feels Durbal (weakness). Durbala is an essential component of Samyak Shuddhi Lakshanas. Ashtang Sangrah Uttarsthana suggested the use of certain drugs to treat Durbalata (weakness).

शिलाजतुक्षौद्रविडङ्गसर्पिर्लोहाभयापारद ताप्यभक्षः l
आपूर्यते दुर्बलदेहधातून् त्रिपञ्चरात्रेण यथा शशाङ्कः ll

– अ.सं.उ

The drugs like Shilajit, Madhu, Vidanga, etc enlisted in the above verse have been indicated in case of weakness. In my practice, I use to prescribe Bhasma of these drugs on the day of Vamana or Virechana. A similar set of drugs is also useful to treat weaknesses developed after Panchakarma procedures.

स्वल्पा हि मात्रा विपुला गुणाश्च सध्यो हि तद्दीपनपाचनं च l
यस्यास्ति तं चेन्न भजन्ति मर्त्यास्ते पुर्वजन्मार्जितपापमूढा ll

– रसे.चू १/३३.

Another reference from Rasendra Chudamani explains that Rasaushadhies are going to do the Deepana and Pachana immediately. Therefore the person’s Agni is being stimulated, it has been well maintained or well normalized. Because there is an alteration in Agni and also a sort of physical exertion in an individual during the Pancha karma. When the patient has gone to Shodhan Karma therapy because he has vitiation at Agni and Dhatu levels. Here vitiation of Agni should not be considered alone at Jatharagni but it could be also present at Bhootagni or Dhatwagni level.

So this is an important phenomenon of Deepana and Pachana. The treatment protocols are very much important. You can maintain the Agni by Deepana and Pachana qualities by which the person can be converted into, a strong personality including Agni by which Doshik levels and Dhatu levels turns to be normal or balanced that is Swastha Lakshana.

 In case the of Vaman Vyapada given set of Vamanhar drugs can be useful.

So these drugs can be given to the patient to control Vamana. When the Vaman drug is working in excess and causing more weakness in the patient then I termed it ‘Visha’. Because it is an unwanted substance now and it is causing the problem for the patient. One of the causes of Vaman Vyapad is due to use of Vamana drugs without proper assessment of Sharir Bala and Agni Bala. Following drugs can be given to the patient to reduce Vishatva. 

Certain times it happens like a patient has taken the Vamana or Virechana Dravya, but he did not achieve a classical Vamana or Virechana. There is some amount of drug which has been left out in the body or total Shuddhi has not been achieved in an individual. So in that patient to digest Avashesh Aushadha given already for conducting the Shodhana Kriya can be neutralized by giving Visha Doshaghna set of drugs. Similarly, we have another set of drugs from this category is given below.

Drugs mentioned in the above table can be given for the patient to see the Vishaghna property or Avashesh Dosha which are being left out in the body and are also to be ruined off or else it’s going to form a new disease. It’s going to evolve back into the patient’s body in the form of a new disorder that should not happen.  Similarly, another set of drugs to reduce the toxins in an individual is enlisted in the following table.

Once the toxic state has been eliminated then Rasaushadhies can be used in Paschata Karma phase.

Rasoushadhies in Paschata Karma of Panchakarma :

• During Samsarjana Krama /Immediate after procedures
• After Samsarjana Krama

During the Samsarjana Krama administer the Rasa drugs as per the clinical indications in normal dosage form based on the Doshik levels. Normally the medicines are said to be contraindicated immediately after the Shodhan Kriya just because the reason the Agni is not set back to its normal position.  If you give Leha Kalpana or Chyvanprasha then the body’s Agni is unable to digest it because  Agni is not established back to its normal condition. So in those conditions, you should prescribe Rasaushadhies because a very small dose is required to perform its action. Dose like 65mg and 125mg are very small and have a quick response. Because of the application of Puta Samskaras, it is having  Agnitulya attributes within it. Also, it doesn’t need much Jatharagni to digest it and sends it to the metabolic factory in the body. So instead you can give this Rasa Dravya wherein excellently in those clinical pathologies can be manipulated in the case of Avshesha Dosha left out in the body after Shodhan Karma. The Deepan Pachana set of drugs can also be administered during the Samsarjana Krama because the Agni is to be maintained well so that they can add up more treatment protocols to the patient eventually. The Deepana Pachana set of drugs that can be used is enlisted below.

A set of the drug for Pachana Karma are given in following table.

The whole index of Rasashastra is covered in Deepan and Pachana Dravya because of the reason wherever you give the Puta Karma the Agni  Tatva that is becoming in build quality in that and it is definitely to show the Deepana and Pachana in individual. Added to that whenever the specific Doshas in an individual is still present in the patient or where the person was being suffering till now for which you have conducted the Shodhana then antagonistic to those Doshas can be given now as a treatment protocol.

 A set of drugs having specific Doshaghnata that can be used during Samsarjana Krama are enlisted below.

Vata Pitta Kshayagna

Similarly, a set of drugs to achieve Pittahar,Kapha Vatahara, and Kapharodhak has been mentioned in this video presentation. Various stages of illness as per Doshik configuration can be treated with a given set of drugs.

After Samsarjana krama set of drug to be used according to specific Karma

• Rasayana
• Vyadhihara chikitsa

 The drugs can be selected from the individual chapters of the textbook of Rasashastra based on individual disease profiles and given to the patients as Vyadhihara Chikitsa. Specific drugs having Vyadhi hara property from the individual chapter of Rasashastra should be selected. Rasayana set of drugs explained in textbooks is Makshika, Shilajita, Tuttha etc.  Vyadhihar Chikitsa should be specific to Rogvata Chikitsa.

Rasayana Drugs

Probable mode of action?

स रसः क्रमते देहे सिद्धियस्सम्भवन्ति हि l
रसायने तु याः प्रोक्ता मूलिका देहसिद्धिदाः ll

आ.क.अमृ४/५०

 The probable mode of action wherein the drugs can be seen whether given it in the form of Vamana or Virechana or either form has been explained in a textbook by Anand Kanda. An analogy of all overspread of oil dropped on water has been used to explain the probable mode of action. Similarly, the drugs which are being given to an individual spread all over the body then show benefit to the individual. When Rasaushadhies are being mixed with herbal drugs (Moolika) can show Deha Siddhi in an individual.

Various forms of Rasaushadhies at different levels of Panchakarma practice

• Poorvakarma: we have given Dosha Utkleshkar Bhasmas to an individual to increase the respective Doshas .
• Bahirparimarjana Chikitsa in the form of Snehan and Swedan  with Rasaushadhies
• Shodhan Karm: We have adopted the drugs for the Snehan and Swedan and through them, we have channelized the given drugs into the Pancha Karma practice in the form of Vaman Dravya, Virechan Dravya  Basti Dravya.
• Panchkarma Vyapad:

 Once the person has landed up into Panchkarma Vyapad or complication, to arrest vitiated  Dosha a set of drugs has been enumerated.

• Management of Agni: Agni of the patient is definitely to be concerned at the prime outset. A set of drugs for Deepan and Pachana has been discussed wherein it will separate the Agni including the Jatharagni, Bhootagni, and
• Samsarjana Krama: Rasaushadhies can be used to achieve the best therapeutics of the Rasa
• Rasayana and Vyadhishamana:

Rasaushdhies can be used as Rasayana or Vyadhishamana property.

  Panchakarma itself is a very strong weapon for clinical practice, but in case we fortified this with Rasaudhies that would become the best protocol.

Concept of Pancha Mahabhoota

It is very much important for us to note even the concept of Pancha Mahabhoota. We are trying to remove the Doshas through Vamana or Virechana through the liquid media. We need certain substances which can alter this. They should have that inbuilt qualities within the drugs like the Rasaushdhies which are made up of the Prithvi Mahbhoot because they are found in the earth’s crust and they’re named as heavy metals. So they are having a sort of Prithvi and Jala Tatva. then later on with Agni Sannikarsha and we have included lots of Agni Guna with it. We have treated it with several Puta Samskaras by which you have given a sort of Akasha Tatva in the drug. Based on this particular phenomenon, the drug has attained Prithvi, Apa, Tejas, Vayu, and Akash Gunas.

 All the Pancha Mahbhootas have been attributed. Certain Guna which is being achieved by

• Its origin in the earth’s crust
• During the Shodhan
• During the Marna
• Use with Anupana
• The combined effect of many drugs
• the way of the treatment protocol
• Specific Aushadha Sevan Kaal to target the specific type of Doshas in the body.

 The most outfit, the way how we can target more is through the Jala Tatva. Just because of this reason the body is made up of at least 72% of water, 12% of Prithvi, and 6% of other phenomena. I don’t deny the importance of the other Maha Bhootas. But it is a form of a Jala Rupa which is coming out through the Vamana, Virechan, or Basti. Also, it is a sort of Jala which is coming out in the form of Nasya or Raktamokshana. Everything is a form of Jala Tatva so try to target this by which you can detoxify 72% of the body. So this is one such ideology, where you can detoxify the body at a higher extent, at a very convenient extent to provide maximum benefit to the patient. It’s not about a particular phenomenon or a method of principles. It is one such attitude, how we can develop or modulate the science as per the present day requirement or the way how we understand the science. I am utilizing all these Rasaushdhies basically into all my Pancha karma practices in my routine clinical protocols. I’m using it in all sorts of treatments.  I’m finding an excellent response. I do find many times that they have a tremendous response even in emergency practice. I give it in the form of a sublingual tablet mainly the Pottali Kalpnas which can be given a quick response that can be seen in most patients. So these are a few of the phenomena that we need to understand for the Rasaushdhies into Pancha karma practice, and that’s what we need to understand. The protocols like this Rasaushadhies into the Panchakarma where it can be analyzed or understood or can be adopted into various aspects of the clinical practice.