Download free book on ayurvedic drugs - healthy family, happy family

INDIAN INSTITUTE OF SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE www.iish.org
In general the powdered drugs are mixed with required quantity of water
and mixed with jaggery, sugar and honey. In some cases a part or whole of
the drugs is boiled to get more medicinal extracts which is used as the
source/ starting material for the fermentation.
The Common Arishtas and Asavas
described in Sahasra Yoga Test Book
1. Dasamoolaarishtam
2. Amruthaarishtam
3. Kutajaarishtam
4. Draakshaarishtam
5. Abhayaarishtam
6. Balarishtam
7. Devadaarvaarishtam
8. Asokaarishtamjeerakaarishtam
9. Khadirashtam
10. Karpoorasavam
11. Pippalyaaadi asavam
12. Punarnavaasavam
13. Usiraashtam
14. Aravindaarishtam
15. Patrangaasavam
CHEMISTRY OF LEHAS/ LEHYAS /RASAAYANAAS
The lehyas and Rasayanaas are semi solid, generally, pasty materials having
both nutritious and curative effects. The product is generally prepared
directly from the drug components after powdering them or cooking. The
cooked/ powdered materials are mixed with jaggerry and heated slowly for
a long time. The final product should have a semisolid/ solid honey type
texture and appearance. Ghee, honey, spices etc are also added to the
lehya / rasayana at the end of the preparations.
The active principles present in the raw drugs, with or without hydrolytic
and pyrrolitic chemical changes get dissolved in the jaggery based
rasayanam. Here the starch, protein and also the fat present in the raw
materials give texture for the rasayana. Due to the presence of excess sugar
of this product, faster absorption of the active principles may be taking
place in the biological system because the sugar is known to get absorbed
faster . However, available literature gives less information on the clinical
study results on the active principles based curative effects of the lehya/
rasayana. Heat and water based changes of the rasayana / lehyas are
54