Shodhana

In Rasa Shastra (the branch that deals with pharmaceutical processing of Ayurveda formulations), Shodhana is a process that is employed during the pharmaceutical processing either to detoxify, purify, or to potentiate the efficacy of the raw materials (of herbal, mineral, metal or animal origin).[1]

Etymology and definitions

Monier Monier-Williams, in the Monier-Williams Sanskrit dictionary, identifies that the term shodhana is derived from the verbal root śuddha, which means to cleanse or to purify.[2] With respect to texts such as Yaska's Nirukta and the Mahabharata, Monier-Williams defines shodhana as 'the act of cleaning, purifying, correcting, improving'.[2] He also defines shodhana as 'refining' with respect to 'metals for chemical or medicinal purposes'.[2]

Rasashastra

Shodhana is of two types in Rasashastra. Samanya Shodhana or general purification method and Vishesha Shodhana or the Specific methods of purification. Samanya Shodhana is a common purification method used for groups of similar metals, and Vishesha Shodhana is a special method used for a particular metal that may give it specific therapeutic properties.[3]

References

  1. ↑ Maurya, SK; Seth, A; Laloo, D; Singh, NK; Gautam, DN; Singh, AK (2014). "Śodhana: An Ayurvedic process for detoxification and modification of therapeutic activities of poisonous medicinal plants". Ancient Science of Life. 34 (4): 188–97. doi:10.4103/0257-7941.160862. PMC 4535066. PMID 26283803.
  2. 1 2 3 "MW Cologne Scan". www.sanskrit-lexicon.uni-koeln.de. Retrieved 2026-08-11.
  3. ↑ Pathak, Yashwant Vishnupant; Lokhande, Jayant N. (2014-04-28). Handbook of Metallonutraceuticals. CRC Press. ISBN 978-1-4398-3698-9.
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