Mercury or Parada (पारद)
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.”[1] 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.[2]
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.[3] 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.[4]
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.[4]
पर्यायाः ॥ Synonyms of Parada used in Ayurveda
According to Rasatarangini[5], the alternative names used for Parada 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 (पारद) śivāhvayaḥ (शिवाह्वयः used in the sense of all the words meaning Shiva). The names given also explain the characteristics of the metal mercury.[5]
रसनादभ्रकादीनां धातूनां कीर्तितो रसः । अभ्रकाद्यधिराजत्वाद्रसेन्द्र इति कथ्यते ॥२॥ (Rasa. Tara. 5.2)
Because mercury dissolves ('eats') the maharasas such as
देहलोहभयीं सिद्धिं सूतेऽतः सूत उच्यते । स्वभावाच्चपलो यस्मात् ततोऽसौ चपलः स्मृतः ॥३॥
आतङ्कपङ्कमग्नानां पारदानाच्च पारदः। अभ्रादिरसराजत्वाद्रसराजः स्मृतो बुधैः ॥४॥
इतिहासः ॥ History
Legends about Parada
स्वरूपम् ॥ Characteristics
Pharmacological Actions
References
- ↑ Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia. "mercury." Encyclopedia Britannica, August 20, 2024. https://www.britannica.com/science/mercury-chemical-element.
- ↑ Sekhar Reddy, P. A textbook of Rasashastra. Varanasi: Chaukhambha Orientalia (pp.72-)
- ↑ Bhinde SS, Patgiri BJ. Quantification of mercury after Samanya Shodhana (purifying process): A preliminary analysis. J Drug Res Ayurvedic Sci 2022;6:65-71.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Ram, Guttikonda S., Mahadev, B., & Chalapathi, R. (2016). A LITERARY REVIEW ON MERCURY W.S.R. TO ITS MEDICINAL ASPECT. AYUSHDHARA, 1(1). Retrieved from https://ayushdhara.in/index.php/ayushdhara/article/view/172
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Kashinath Shastri (1986 reprint) ed., Ras Tarangini Of Sadananda Sharma With Prasadani Explanation Of Haridatt Shastri And Ras Vigyan Hindi Tika Of Dharmanand Shastri. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidas (pp. 72- )