Rasa Hridaya Tantra - A Critical Analysis

Rasa Shastra is an important branch of Ayurveda developed for achieving alchemical and therapeutic benefits from Mercury and other minerals and metals. Texts during and just following the period of Acharya Nagarjuna reveals that, the practice of metals and minerals for alchemical purpose were more developed than their use in therapeutics. But gradually with the passing of time alchemical use of materials decreases and their use in therapeutics take over. Rasa Hridaya Tantra is a unique text among a huge number of rasa literatures, which gives elaborate description of 18 special mercurial processing techniques (Astadasha parada Samskara). This manuscript is presented with a guideline, how to make Mercury competent for transmuting base metals into a noble one and to produce therapeutic benefits with them. This book serves as an important reference text for the researchers of traditional system of medicines for designing and development of new drugs, out of mineral sources, following the transmuting property of Mercury.