Changes

aśōdhitaḥ sugandhikastanau tanōti tāpakam‌ | bhruśañca cittavibhramaṁ karōti raktajān‌ gadān‌ ||5||  

aśōdhitaḥ sugandhikastanau tanōti tāpakam‌ | bhruśañca cittavibhramaṁ karōti raktajān‌ gadān‌ ||5||  

prasannatāṁ sarūpatāṁ śarīrabandhacārutām‌ | prabhāṁ balañca nāśayatyatō viśōdhayēttu tam‌ ||6||</blockquote>If these impurities are not removed before use Gandhaka is likely to produce following diseases - Tāpa (fever), Raktajanya Vikṛti (blood related disorders), Cittavibhrama (vertigo), Kuṣṭha (leprosy), Pittaja vyādhi (Pitta associated disorders), Śukrahāni (seminal loss), Kāmalā (jaundice) so must be purified before use.<ref name=":3" /> It promotes anger and produces gall disease. It destroys the form, semen, strength and happiness. Impure sulphur is said to kill a person as it works like poison. By visual inspection of Amlasara Gandhaka, its toxicity etc. defects are not perceived, these defects are visible in the form of poison on the person's body after use, i.e., experiential. <blockquote>अशुद्धगन्धः कुरुते च कुष्ठं तापं भ्रमं पित्तरुजं तथैव । रूपं सुखं वीर्यबलं निहन्ति तस्माद्विशुद्धो विनियोजनीयः ॥ (Ayur. Prak. 2.18)

prasannatāṁ sarūpatāṁ śarīrabandhacārutām‌ | prabhāṁ balañca nāśayatyatō viśōdhayēttu tam‌ ||6||</blockquote>If these impurities are not removed before use Gandhaka is likely to produce following diseases - Tāpa (fever), Raktajanya Vikṛti (blood related disorders), Cittavibhrama (vertigo), Kuṣṭha (leprosy), Pittaja vyādhi (Pitta associated disorders), Śukrahāni (seminal loss), Kāmalā (jaundice) so must be purified before use.<ref name=":3" /> It promotes anger and produces gall disease. It destroys the form, semen, strength and happiness. Impure sulphur is said to kill a person as it works like poison. By visual inspection of Amlasara Gandhaka, its toxicity etc. defects are not perceived, these defects are visible in the form of poison on the person's body after use, i.e., experiential. <blockquote>अशुद्धगन्धः कुरुते च कुष्ठं तापं भ्रमं पित्तरुजं तथैव । रूपं सुखं वीर्यबलं निहन्ति तस्माद्विशुद्धो विनियोजनीयः ॥ (Ayur. Prak. 2.18) aśuddhagandhaḥ kurutē ca kuṣṭhaṁ tāpaṁ bhramaṁ pittarujaṁ tathaiva | rūpaṁ sukhaṁ vīryabalaṁ nihanti tasmādviśuddhō viniyōjanīyaḥ ||</blockquote>By consuming ashuddha gandhaka, a person gets kustha (leprosy), shareera tapa (fever), bhrama (giddiness/vertigo), pittarogas (pitta associated diseases) etc.<ref name=":7" />

 

aśuddhagandhaḥ kurutē ca kuṣṭhaṁ tāpaṁ bhramaṁ pittarujaṁ tathaiva | rūpaṁ sukhaṁ vīryabalaṁ nihanti tasmādviśuddhō viniyōjanīyaḥ ||</blockquote>By consuming ashuddha gandhaka, a person gets kustha (leprosy), shareera tapa (fever), bhrama (giddiness/vertigo), pittarogas (pitta associated diseases) etc.<ref name=":7" />

Antidote for consuming Ashuddha Gandhaka: Goghruta and Godugdha sevana.<ref name=":7" />

Antidote for consuming Ashuddha Gandhaka: Goghruta and Godugdha sevana.<ref name=":7" />

=== Shodhana Process ===

=== Shodhana Process ===

Shodhana or the purification process removes the physical as well as chemical impurities. <ref name=":3" />

Before making any pharmaceutical preparations, sulphur is exposed to a ''‘shodhana’'' procedure and there are multiple methods of ''‘shodhana’'' as described in different classics. The ''‘shodhana’'' process described in Ayurveda is not merely a purification step, but also a mechanism of transforming the physical structure of a material into a drug by aiding it to adsorb organic and inorganic substances. In the Indian context, the ''‘shodhana’'' process with ghee and cow's milk is the most common method performed for sulphur. Research involving the use of plant extracts such as Eclipta alba in the ''shodhana'' process were undertaken in one study along with a comparison to the laboratory purification method. The authors reported that although the laboratory purification method separates the sulphur from chemical impurities, the Ayurveda ‘''shodhana''’ process converts the sulphur into a state where it is more suitable as a pharmaceutical material by enhancing porosity, fragility as these qualities support to disintegration and blend with other materials during the pharmaceutical manufacturing processes.<ref>Gunaratna, T. A. N. R., Prajapati, P. K., de Silva, K. M. N., & de Silva, W. R. M. (2023). Comparision of traditional and laboratory methods of sulphur processing. ''Journal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine'', ''14''(4), 100751. <nowiki>https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaim.2023.100751</nowiki></ref> Shodhana or the purification process thus removes the physical as well as chemical impurities.<ref name=":3" />

[[File:Different procedures of purification of Sulphur.png|thumb|394x394px|Different procedures of purification of Sulphur]]

[[File:Different procedures of purification of Sulphur.png|thumb|394x394px|Different procedures of purification of Sulphur]]

Following is a methods of purification

Following is a methods of purification

=== Pharmacological Properties ===

=== Pharmacological Properties ===

According to Rasaratna Samucchaya,<ref name=":6" /> Gandhaka gunas are as follows

According to Rasaratna Samucchaya,<ref name=":6" /> Gandhaka gunas are as follows

== Dosage and Diet ==

== Dosage and Diet ==