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Pārada (Samskrit: पारदः), as mentioned in various Rasashastra texts of ancient India, means Mercury in English. It is a chemical element with atomic number 80 and chemical formula 'Hg (Hydrargyrum)'. Mercury (Hg), a metallic chemical element belonging to the zinc group (Group 12 [IIb] of the periodic table), is the only elemental metal that is liquid at room temperature. Mercury is silvery white, slowly tarnishes in moist air, and freezes into a soft solid like tin or lead at −38.83 °C (−37.89 °F). The chemical symbol Hg derives from the Latin ''hydrargyrum'', “liquid silver.”<ref name=":3">Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "mercury." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 20, 2024. <nowiki>https://www.britannica.com/science/mercury-chemical-element</nowiki>.</ref> It is also called Quick Silver, as it appears like silver having the property of flowing.

Pārada (Samskrit: पारदः), as mentioned in various Rasashastra texts of ancient India, means Mercury in English. It is a chemical element with atomic number 80 and chemical formula 'Hg (Hydrargyrum)'. Mercury (Hg), a metallic chemical element belonging to the zinc group (Group 12 [IIb] of the periodic table), is the only elemental metal that is liquid at room temperature. Mercury is silvery white, slowly tarnishes in moist air, and freezes into a soft solid like tin or lead at −38.83 °C (−37.89 °F). The chemical symbol Hg derives from the Latin ''hydrargyrum'', “liquid silver.”<ref name=":3">Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "mercury." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 20, 2024. <nowiki>https://www.britannica.com/science/mercury-chemical-element</nowiki>.</ref> It is also called Quick Silver, as it appears like silver having the property of flowing.

According to Ayurveda [[Rasashastra (रसशास्त्रम्)|Rasashastra]], ''Rasa (रस)'' is the term used to denote Parada. Mercury is one of the metals which attracted wide attention of ayurvedic chemists and physicians.<ref name=":2">Sekhar Reddy, P. ''A textbook of Rasashastra''. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Orientalia (pp.72-)</ref>  

According to Ayurveda [[Rasashastra (रसशास्त्रम्)|Rasashastra]], ''Rasa (रस)'' is the term used to denote Parada. Mercury is one of the metals which attracted wide attention of ayurvedic chemists and physicians.<ref name=":2">Sekhar Reddy, P. ''A textbook of Rasashastra''. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Orientalia (pp.72-126)</ref>  

== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

== परिचयः ॥ Introduction ==

== स्वरूपम् ॥ Characteristics ==

== स्वरूपम् ॥ Characteristics ==

Mercury is available in native and ore forms. Mercury is the only elemental metal that is liquid at room temperature.  Mercury is silvery white, slowly tarnishes in moist air, and freezes into a soft solid like tin or lead at −38.83 °C (−37.89 °F). It boils at 356.62 °C (673.91 °F).  It is a rather poor conductor of heat but a fair conductor of electricity. It alloys with copper, tin, and zinc to form amalgams, or liquid alloys. An amalgam with silver is used as a filling in dentistry. Mercury does not wet glass or cling to it, and this property, coupled with its rapid and uniform volume expansion throughout its liquid range, made it useful in thermometers.<ref name=":3" />

Mercury is available in native and ore forms. Mercury is the only elemental metal that is liquid at room temperature.  Mercury is silvery white, slowly tarnishes in moist air, and freezes into a soft solid like tin or lead at −38.83 °C (−37.89 °F). It boils at 356.62 °C (673.91 °F).  It is a rather poor conductor of heat but a fair conductor of electricity. It alloys with copper, tin, and zinc to form amalgams, or liquid alloys. An amalgam with silver is used as a filling in dentistry. Mercury does not wet glass or cling to it, and this property, coupled with its rapid and uniform volume expansion throughout its liquid range, made it useful in thermometers.<ref name=":3" /> Mercury is a silver white liquid metal with a slight bluish tinge in thin films. It transmits ultra-violet light.

According to Ayurveda texts<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><blockquote>अन्तसुनीलो बहिरुज्ज्वलो यो मध्यान्हसूर्यप्रतिमप्रकाशः । शस्तोऽध धूम्रः परिपाण्डुराश्च चित्रो न योज्यो रसकर्मासिद्धौ ॥ (Rasendramangala and Rasendrasara sangraha 1.9)<ref name=":2" />

According to Ayurveda texts<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":1" /><blockquote>अन्तसुनीलो बहिरुज्ज्वलो यो मध्यान्हसूर्यप्रतिमप्रकाशः । शस्तोऽध धूम्रः परिपाण्डुराश्च चित्रो न योज्यो रसकर्मासिद्धौ ॥ (Rasendramangala and Rasendrasara sangraha 1.9)<ref name=":2" />

* Oxide Ore

* Oxide Ore

** Monotroydite (HgO)

** Monotroydite (HgO)

== रासभेदाः ॥ Types of Parada ==

== रासभेदाः ॥ Types of Parada ==

parpaṭī pāṭanī bhēdī drāvī malakarī tathā | andhakārī tathā dhvāṁkṣī vijñēyāḥ sapta kaṁcukāḥ ||</blockquote>

parpaṭī pāṭanī bhēdī drāvī malakarī tathā | andhakārī tathā dhvāṁkṣī vijñēyāḥ sapta kaṁcukāḥ ||</blockquote>

# Bhedi (tearing)  

# '''Bhedi (tearing)'''

# Malakad (causing impurities)  

# '''Malakad (causing impurities)'''

# Dravi (liquefying)  

# '''Dravi (liquefying)'''

# Dhvanksi (causing darkness of skin)  

# '''Dhvanksi (causing darkness of skin)'''

# Parpatika (producing scales on the skin)  

# '''Parpatika (producing scales on the skin)'''

# Patanakari (rupturing)  

# '''Patanakari (rupturing)'''

# Andhakari (causing blindness)

# '''Andhakari (causing blindness)'''

According to modern chemistry Kanchuka layer is formed by the oxidation of impure metals present in the impure mercury. On contact with oxygen in the air, these metallic impurities form a film on the surface of mercury exposed to air.<ref name=":2" />

According to modern chemistry Kanchuka layer is formed by the oxidation of impure metals present in the impure mercury. On contact with oxygen in the air, these metallic impurities form a film on the surface of mercury exposed to air.<ref name=":2" />

=== Harmful effects of consuming impure Mercury ===

=== Harmful effects of consuming impure Mercury ===

Ayurveda Prakasa and Rasatarangini enumerates the harmful effects of unpurified mercury which has the above mentioned doshas. <blockquote>नागाद् व्रणं भवेत्कुष्ठं वङ्गात्तापोऽग्निदोषतः । मलाज्जड्यं तु चापल्याद् बोजनाशो विषान्मृतिः ।॥८॥ nāgād vraṇaṁ bhavētkuṣṭhaṁ vaṅgāttāpō’gnidōṣataḥ | malājjaḍyaṁ tu cāpalyād bōjanāśō viṣānmr̥tiḥ |||8||  

Ayurveda Prakasa and Rasatarangini enumerates the harmful effects of unpurified mercury which has the above mentioned doshas. <blockquote>नागाद् व्रणं भवेत्कुष्ठं वङ्गात्तापोऽग्निदोषतः । मलाज्जड्यं तु चापल्याद् बोजनाशो विषान्मृतिः ।॥८॥ nāgād vraṇaṁ bhavētkuṣṭhaṁ vaṅgāttāpō’gnidōṣataḥ | malājjaḍyaṁ tu cāpalyād bōjanāśō viṣānmr̥tiḥ |||8||

 

गिरेः स्फोटोऽथ मोहश्च ह्यसह्याग्नेः प्रजायते । एतैर्दोषैर्विहीनञ्च रसेन्द्रमिह योजयेत् ॥ ९॥ girēḥ sphōṭō’tha mōhaśca hyasahyāgnēḥ prajāyatē | ētairdōṣairvihīnañca rasēndramiha yōjayēt || 9|| (Rasa. Tara. 5.8-9)<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>

गिरेः स्फोटोऽथ मोहश्च ह्यसह्याग्नेः प्रजायते । एतैर्दोषैर्विहीनञ्च रसेन्द्रमिह योजयेत् ॥ ९॥ girēḥ sphōṭō’tha mōhaśca hyasahyāgnēḥ prajāyatē | ētairdōṣairvihīnañca rasēndramiha yōjayēt || 9|| (Rasa. Tara. 5.8-9)<ref name=":1" /></blockquote>

=== Transmutation of metals ===

=== Transmutation of metals ===

Kramana samskara is the process of transmutation of less valuable metals into more valuable metals such as gold, silver, etc. with the help of Vyavayi bheshaja drugs, and shuddha parada. It can be defined therapeutically as a process which helps in metensomatosis of the sapta [[Dhatus (धातवः)|dhatus]] - Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Medha, Asti, Majja and Shukra to make this human body immune to physical and pathological attacks.<ref name=":2" />

Kramana samskara is the process of transmutation of less valuable metals into more valuable metals such as gold, silver, etc. with the help of Vyavayi bheshaja drugs, and shuddha parada. It can be defined therapeutically as a process which helps in metensomatosis of the sapta [[Dhatus (धातवः)|dhatus]] - Rasa, Rakta, Mamsa, Medha, Asti, Majja and Shukra to make this human body immune to physical and pathological attacks.<ref name=":2" />

=== Mercury Poisoning ===

=== Mercury Poisoning ===