Changes

[[File:Mercury Element.png|thumb|383x383px|Courtesy: Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "mercury." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 20, 2024. <nowiki>https://www.britannica.com/science/mercury-chemical-element</nowiki>.]]

[[File:Mercury Element.png|thumb|383x383px|Courtesy: Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "mercury." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 20, 2024. <nowiki>https://www.britannica.com/science/mercury-chemical-element</nowiki>.]]

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>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-)</ref>  

Parada has been mentioned in Atharvaveda

Parada has been mentioned in Atharvaveda

== Types of Parada ==

== Five Types of Parada ==

In Rasaratna samucchaya,<ref name=":6" /> we find the following synonymous terms Rasa, Rasendra, Suta, Parada and Mishraka described as the five kinds of Parada.<blockquote>रासो रसेन्द्रः सूतश्च पारदो मिश्रकस्तथा । इति पञ्चविधो जातः क्षेत्रभेदेन शम्भुजः॥  (Rasa. Ratn. Samu. 1.68)<ref name=":6" /> rāsō rasēndraḥ sūtaśca pāradō miśrakastathā | iti pañcavidhō jātaḥ kṣētrabhēdēna śambhujaḥ|| </blockquote>Their qualities are also well described in the above text  (Rasa. Ratn. Samu. 1.69-75)<ref name=":6" />

In Rasaratna samucchaya,<ref name=":6" /> we find the following synonymous terms Rasa, Rasendra, Suta, Parada and Mishraka described as the five kinds of Parada.<blockquote>रासो रसेन्द्रः सूतश्च पारदो मिश्रकस्तथा । इति पञ्चविधो जातः क्षेत्रभेदेन शम्भुजः॥  (Rasa. Ratn. Samu. 1.68)<ref name=":6" /> rāsō rasēndraḥ sūtaśca pāradō miśrakastathā | iti pañcavidhō jātaḥ kṣētrabhēdēna śambhujaḥ|| </blockquote>Their qualities are also well described in the above text  (Rasa. Ratn. Samu. 1.69-75)<ref name=":6" />

{| class="wikitable"

{| class="wikitable"

== स्वरूपम् ॥ Characteristics ==

== स्वरूपम् ॥ Characteristics ==

== Pharmacological Actions ==

== Pharmacological Actions ==