Murdarashankha

 

मृद्दारशृङ्गम्

 

English Name - Litharge

Chemical name - PbO.

Chemical Composition  - Lead oxide

Vernalcular Names –

                                                Hindi – Murdashankha

            Sanskrit – मृद्दारशृङ्गम्

            English – Litharge

            Malayalam – Bhodharashankhu

 

 

 

General Information

 

Despite the fact that isolated mentions of this substance date back to the eighth century. Rasendra-Chudamani (12th–13th century) makes the first reference of this medication and classifies it as belonging to the "sadharana rasavarga." Since then, all of the scriptures contain a description of it.

 

Litharge  is one of the natural mineral forms of lead(II) oxide, PbO. Litharge is a secondary mineral which forms from the oxidation of galena ores. It forms soft (Mohs hardness of 2), red, greasy-appearing crusts with a very high specific gravity of 9.14–9.35.

 

PbO may be prepared by heating lead metal in air at approximately 600 °C (lead melts at only 300 °C). At this temperature it is also the end product of heating of other lead oxides in air. This is often done with a set of bellows pumping air over molten lead and causing the oxidized product to slip or fall off the top into a receptacle, where it quickly solidifies in minute scales.

  Acording to Bodhini Commentary of   of रससरत्नसमुच्चय

It is mentioned as :

·         मृद्दारशृङ्गं सीसकसमुत्पन्नः पार्वतीयधातुविशेषः ।। रसबोध-३.१२६;

·         That is a mineral occurs from mountains , which is obtained from seesa(lead)

 

Synonyms

मृद्दारशृंगक,           बोदारशृंग,             मुर्दाशंख   मुर्दाशंखक

'मृद्दारशृङ्गकञ्चैव मतं वोदारशृङ्गकम् ।

मुर्दाशङ्ख तथा मुद्रशङ्खकच निगद्यते'   (Rasatarangini)

 

 

 

"मृद्दारशृङ्गं पीताभं सदलं निर्दलं तथा ।

सीसगर्भं खरस्पर्शं गुरु चैव प्रकीर्तितम्

Types                                   

'बोदरशृङ्गकं प्रोक्तं द्विविधं पीतपाण्डुरम्

सदल निर्दल तस्य जनिगुर्जर मण्डले

अर्बुदाख्यगिरेः पार्श्वे सीससत्त्वं स्मृतं परम्'    (Ayurveda Prakasha)

 

On the basis of color its of two types

a)       Peeta

b)      Pandura

 

On the basis of physical property

a)       Sadala सदल

b)      Nirdala निर्दल

 

On the basis of origin

a)       Khanija , Natural

b)      Kritrimaja, Artificial

 

 

 

Shodhana

SAmanya Shodhana OF Sadharana Rasa

'साधारणरसाः सर्वे मातुलुङ्गाकाम्बुना ।

त्रिरात्रं भाविताः शुष्का भवेयुर्दोषवर्जितः

 

General method of shodhana for all drugs metioned in sasdharana rasa can be done by doing bhavana in matulunga swarasa. Bhavana has to done for three times.

 

 

Mruddarashrunga Shodhana

 

'मृहारशृङ्गमानीय कुट्टयेत् खल्वमध्यगम् ।

प्रस्तरांशं परित्यज्य पेषयेदतियत्नतः ॥

वस्त्रपूतं ततः कृत्वा पुनः सुविमलाम्भसा ।

पेपयेत्पक्षमेकं तु ततो धर्मे विशोषयेत् ॥

मृद्दारशृङ्गकं काममेतद्विधिविशोधितम् ।

क्षतेऽवचूर्णनाद्यर्थं युञ्जीत भिषजां वरः

 

Mrudarashanga is taken and crushed in to small pieces , visible physical impurities like stone etc are removed carefully and then it is powdered in to fime podwer and filtered through cloth. Thus obtained fine powder is subjected to bhavana in clean water till 15 days and on the day of completion the drug is collected ,dried weighed and stored in airtight container.

 

Guna of Mrudarashankha (Therapeutic property )

 

 

'मृद्दारशृङ्ग शिशिरं परं वातकफापहम् ।

फिरङ्गव्रणहृत्केश्यं व्रणरोपणमुत्तमम् ।।

भग्नसन्धानजननं पामाकण्डूतिकादिनुत् ।

सङ्कोचकं विशेषेण त्वग्दोषशमनं मतम्

 

Therapeutic applicability of this drug for internal administration is rare , rather it is abundantly used for external application

 

Rasa                       -              Kashaya ,Tikta

Gunan                  -              Guru

Virya                      -              sheeta

Vipaka                  -              madhura             

Dosha karmata  -              vata , kapha  shamaka

Vyadhi karmata -              bhagna sandhana kara , pama hara  ,kandu hara, Phirangaroga hara

Vishishta guna   -              rasa bandhaka,twak dosha nashaka, sankochakara