Mercury or Parada (पारद)

Courtesy: Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "mercury." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 20, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/science/mercury-chemical-element.

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.” It is also called Quick Silver, as it appears like silver having the property of flowing.

According to Ayurveda 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.

परिचयः ॥ Introduction

Parada (mercury-Hg) is one of the important core ingredients in Rasa (metals and minerals) Aushadhi (medicine). Most of Rasa formulations have mercury as an important ingredient. It is evident that raw mercury has many toxic effects such as severe gastrointestinal irritations, peripheral circulatory collapse, metallic taste in mouth, excessive salivation, inflammation of gums, etc. But Mercury has therapeutic qualities similar to that of ambrosia. Mercurial medications prepared from purified Mercury can readily treat even Asadhya rogas (incurable diseases). Thus, Parada (Mercury) is the heart of Rasasastra. Recent world wide discussions on hazardous nature of Mercury have led to the global ban on Mercury. through the Minamata Convention, a global treaty on Mercury.

The rasa (taste), Virya (potency) and Vipaka (taste at the end of digestion) of Mercury has been quoted as similar to ambrosia in Rasarnavam. Mercury possesses all the qualities of Animadi astaguna (eight qualities) which are required for the accomplishments of human life. There is no other thing in the earth than Mercury to attain salvation. It imparts glory to human body by eradicating old age according to the text Rasendra mangalam by Kaviraja H. S. Sharma. Mercury is regarded as a heavy metal that contains a variety of impurities and has poisonous and harmful effects on the body if it is not well purified.

पर्यायाः ॥ Synonyms of Parada used in Ayurveda

According to Rasatarangini, the alternative names used for Pārada are

रसो रसेन्द्रः सूतश्च रसेशश्च रसेश्वरः । चपलो रसराजश्च पारदश्च शिवाह्वयः ॥ १ ॥ rasō rasēndraḥ sūtaśca rasēśaśca rasēśvaraḥ | capalō rasarājaśca pāradaśca śivāhvayaḥ || 1 ||

The synonyms for mercury include rasa (रसः) rasēndraḥ (रसेन्द्रः) sūta (सूतः) rasēśa (रसेशः) rasēśvaraḥ (रसेश्वरः) capalā (चपलः) rasarāja (रसराजः) pārada (पारदः) śivāhvayaḥ (शिवाह्वयः - used in the sense of all the words meaning Shiva). The names given also explain the characteristics of the metal mercury. In Rasatarangini, we find the explanation of what each term means in its usage.

रसनादभ्रकादीनां धातूनां कीर्तितो रसः । अभ्रकाद्यधिराजत्वाद्रसेन्द्र इति कथ्यते ॥२॥ (Rasa. Tara. 5.2) rasanādabhrakādīnāṁ dhātūnāṁ kīrtitō rasaḥ | abhrakādyadhirājatvādrasēndra iti kathyatē ||2||

Because mercury dissolves ('eats' or'engulfs') the maharasas such as Abhrakadi (mica) rasas etc, gold etc dhatus, it is called Rasa. As it is superior among Abhraka etc, it is called Rasendra.

देहलोहभयीं सिद्धिं सूतेऽतः सूत उच्यते । स्वभावाच्चपलो यस्मात् ततोऽसौ चपलः स्मृतः ॥३॥ (Rasa. Tara. 5.3) dēhalōhabhayīṁ siddhiṁ sūtē’taḥ sūta ucyatē | svabhāvāccapalō yasmāt tatō’sau capalaḥ smr̥taḥ ||3||

As it brings about wellbeing in the body and is used in the preparation of gold etc dhatus, it is called Suta. By nature, it is mobile/moving hence called Chapala.

आतङ्कपङ्कमग्नानां पारदानाच्च पारदः। अभ्रादिरसराजत्वाद्रसराजः स्मृतो बुधैः ॥४॥ (Rasa. Tara. 5.4) ātaṅkapaṅkamagnānāṁ pāradānācca pāradaḥ| abhrādirasarājatvādrasarājaḥ smr̥tō budhaiḥ ||4||

That which uplifts beings enmeshed in the dirt called roga/illness it is called Pārada. As a king (superior by qualities) among Ambhraka etc great aushadhis it is called Rasaraja.

ऊत्पत्ति इतिहासश्च ॥ Origin and History

Parada has been referred to as having divine origin, associated with the deity Shiva or Hara in ancient literature (Rasa Ratna Samucchaya 1.61-68). On the mountains of Himalayas, Shiva and his consort Parvati, engaged in intense sensual activities with a desire to win over the other. Devatas desired that Shiva and Parvati produce a son who could kill Tarakasura, but those activities caused a great disturbance upsetting the three worlds. However, seeing the brilliance of the raja and virya (of Parvati and Shiva) that was very powerful, sent Agni to cause a disturbance in the divine sensual activity. Agni went into the caves in the form of a pigeon and seeing him Shiva with great shyness realized that it was not a bird but was Agni and stopped the activity. By then the semen ejaculated which Shiva flung upon Agni. Unable to bear the tejas of the virya, Agni entered the waters of the Ganga. Soon Ganga was unable to bear the divine tejas which heated up the waters, so she washed ashore both Agni and the virya of Shiva. Due to the blemishes of the virya, metals of various kinds materialized on the banks of Ganga. At five places, where the virya dropped from Agni's mouth, there sprung five deep wells each having one of the five kinds of Parada.

रासो रसेन्द्रः सूतश्च पारदो मिश्रकस्तथा । rāsō rasēndraḥ sūtaśca pāradō miśrakastathā | (Rasa. Ratn. Samu. 1.68)

They are Rasa, Rasendra, Suta, Parada and Mishraka.

The metal mercury was known to the Indians since ancient times. The Chinese and Egyptians considered it as a magic substance. Prof. J.A. Brown was the scientist who grouped this fluid metal among metals. The English name of this metal is based on the planet Mercury which is named after a swift messenger in Greek mythology.

Parada has been mentioned in Atharvaveda

Five Types of Parada

In Rasaratna samucchaya, we find the following synonymous terms Rasa, Rasendra, Suta, Parada and Mishraka described as the five kinds of Parada.

रासो रसेन्द्रः सूतश्च पारदो मिश्रकस्तथा । इति पञ्चविधो जातः क्षेत्रभेदेन शम्भुजः॥ (Rasa. Ratn. Samu. 1.68) rāsō rasēndraḥ sūtaśca pāradō miśrakastathā | iti pañcavidhō jātaḥ kṣētrabhēdēna śambhujaḥ||

Their qualities are also well described in the above text (Rasa. Ratn. Samu. 1.69-75)

Five types of Mercury are mentioned along with their qualities

S. No	Types of Mercury	Color	Properties
1	Rasa (रसः)	Rakta varna (Red)	Devoid of all impurities, rejuvenative. Devatas overcome aging and remain eternal. Rare in existence.
2	Rasēndraḥ (रसेन्द्रः)	Syava varna (Grey)	Devoid of all impurities, rejuvenative, rooksha and capable of quick movement. Nagadevatas use this to remain young and deathless. Rare in existence.
3	Sūta (सूतः)	Peeta varna (Yellowish orange)	It contains some impurities and needs 18 samskaras to purify it. Consuming the purified Suta makes the body strong like a metal.
4	Pārada (पारदः)	Sveta varna (White)	It cures all diseases and is very fluid-like. It contains some impurities and needs 18 samskaras to purify it. Consuming the purified Suta makes the body strong like a metal.
5	Mishraka (मिश्रकः)	Mayura chandika chaya (mixed color)	Contains impurities, needs 18 samskaras

Acharya Saranagadhara mentions synonyms classified based on their name, form, action, metallic state, etc. Synonyms related to

1. Dehavada include Amritam, Dehada, Rasayanasreshta, Parada, Mrityunashana, Jaitra etc.
2. Dhatuvada include Divyarasa, Rasa, Rasendra, Rasaraja, Suta, Sutaraja, Siddhadhatu, Rasadhatu etc.
3. Darshanikata include Jiva, Divya, Achinta etc.
4. Gunas include Ananta, Amara, Kalikanta, Sukshma, and Soubhagya
5. Svarupa include Chanchala, Mahateja, Chamara etc.
6. Daivatva include Trinetra, Harabeejam, Shiva, Shivaveerya, Skanda, Harateja, Rudraja, Deva etc.

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 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.

Mercury Poisoning

In the early 1950’s fishermen and their families around Minamata Bay in Japan were stricken with a mysterious neurological illness. The disease produced progressive weakness of the muscles, loss of vision due to visual cortex lesions, impairment of cerebral functions especially cerebellar ataxia, eventual paralysis and in some cases coma and death. It was soon observed that Minamata seabirds and household cats, which like the fisherfolk subsist mainly on fish, showed signs of the same disease. This led to the discovery of high concentrations of mercury compounds in fish and shell-fish taken from the bay, and the source of mercury was traced to the effluent from a factory.

Since then there have been several other alarming incidents in other parts of the world: Iraq, Pakistan, Guatemala, Sweden, North America and Canada. Mankind has become acutely fearful of mercury in the environment. The alarm is understandable; mercury or quicksilver has always been regarded as being magical, in part because of its unique property as the only metal that is a liquid at ordinary temperature. The uncompounded element in liquid form is not a poison; a person could swallow upto a pound or more of quicksilver with no significant adverse effects. Certain compounds of mercury have been used safely for thousands of years. There is evidence that cinnabar or mercuric sulphide (HgS) was mined in China, Asia Minor, the Cyclades and Peru at least two or three millennia ago. Hippocrates is believed to have prescribed mercury sulphide as a medication.

By the Middle Ages, when alchemists had synthesized chlorides, oxides, and various other inorganic compounds and mixtures of mercury, its use in medications began to spread. Calomel (mercurous chloride, HgCl) came into wide use as a cathartic, and in the 16th Century mercury compounds were introduced as a treatment for syphilis.

In agriculture, corrosive sublimate (HgCl2) is used to disinfect seeds and to control many diseases of the tubers, corns and bulbs (including potatoes), and also to protect a number of vegetable crops. Corrosive sublimate is toxic, causing corrosion of the gastrointestinal tract leading to bloody diarrhoea, injury to the kidneys, ultimately leading to death from renal failure.

What causes concern to environmentalists at present is the alkyl compounds—methyl and ethyl mercurials. The alkyl mercury compounds can cause congenital mental retardation, cerebral palsy and chromosomal abnormalities. The chemical basis for these effects is mercury’s strong affinity for sulphur, particularly for the sulphydryl (S-H) groups in proteins (for which arsenic and lead have a similar affinity). Bound to proteins in a cell membrane, the mercury may interfere with a number of enzymes systems essential to cellular metabolism and alter the distribution of ions, change electrical potentials and thus interfere with the movements of fluid across the membrane. There are also indications that binding of mercury to protein disturbs the normal operation of structures, such as mitochondria and lysosomes within the cell.