MUSHA IN AYURVEDA

PREPARED BY:
SIDDHENDU & SUKRITI

M.PHARM (AYURVEDA)
 CONTENTS
INTTRODUCTION RASASHASTRA & MUSHA
DEFINITION MUSHA VIJNANA
HISTORICAL CONSIDERATION
SYNONYMS
CONSTRUCTION PREPARATION & PARTS
CLASSIFICATION OF MUSHA
USES OF MUSHA
AN INSIGHT INTO THE MODERN USES.
 INTTRODUCTION RASASHASTRA &
MUSHA
In Ayurvedic medicine, the traditional medical lore
of Hinduism, Rasa Shastra is a process by which
various metals, minerals and other substances,
including mercury, are purified and combined with herbs in an
attempt to treat illnesses which is now a pharmaceutical branch
of Indian system of medicine.

Discovery of metals & their various applications paved away

to the science of metallurgy of which Crucibles (Musha) were
an inevitable part.
DEFINITION MUSHA VIJNANA
 HISTORICAL CONSIDERATION

The word of Musha has its origin in the process of Purification of metals
to which it is primarily employed.
 SYNONYMS

The experts of alchemy call Musha also as

Krauncika made of soil obtained from
Krauncika / shape resembles bird known as
Krauncika.
Karahatika - soil obtained from Karahata desa.
Kumudi shape resembles with Kumuda puspa
Pacini most of them are used for pachana.
Bahni mitra - friend towards fire
Musa used to remove the removable dosa.
 CONSTRUCTION PREPARATION & PARTS
Basic material needed :
1)Dagdha tusha(Burnt Husk)
2) Pashana churna
3)Angara(Burnt Charcoal)
4)Lohakitta(Iron slag)
5)Dagdhagara(Burnt clay)
6)Sana(Jute)
7)Vida(Salt)
8)Bhunaga mruttika
9)Krushna mruttika
10)Shweta mruttika
11)Rakta mruttika
12) Valmika mruttika(Hillrock soil)
13)Shwetashma(Limestones)
14)Kupi churna
15)Sukti churna
16)Ishtika churna
17)Bhunaga satwa
18)Jala
19)Mahisha kshira
 CONTD.

Grahya laxnana of Mruttika: Blackish colour, Pandura colour,

withoout impurities like stone, shining, sticky in nature & heavy.
 CONTD.

Samanya musa (Ordinary Crucible) :

Made of earth & iron powder;
horse dung, powdered coal, burnt chaff are added;
milk added as moistening agent;
various shape & size;
hard , durable and heat resistant.
 CONTD.

Parts of Musha
1) Upper part ( Pidhanaka )
Covers the musha & protect material to flow from it.
2) Lower basal part
Used for keeping materials for heating.
 CLASSIFICATION OF MUSHA

1. Vajra Musha : Shape round or oval ; stand

for strong heat for 4 yamas (12 hours) ; used
for rasa sodhana, marana, bandhana,
murchana etc.
2. Gara Musha: Shape round or oval ; stand
for strong heat for 2 yamas (6 hours) ; used
for rasa karma.

contd.
 Contd.

3. Vara Musha : Shape not mentioned; stand

for strong heat for 1 yamas (3 hours) ; used
for rasa karmas.
4. Vajra dravani Musha: Shape not
mentioned ; stand for strong heat for 2 -4
yamas (6 -12 hours) ; used for rasa karma.

contd.
 Contd.

5.Varna Musha : Shape not mentioned; stand

for strong heat ; used for brighten the colour.
6. AndhaMusha: Shape gostankara with
pointed covering lid; stand for strong heat for;
used for patra lepa, ranjana, saran etc.
7. Raupya Musha: Shape like Vajra Musha;
used for making white colour bright as silver.

contd.
 Contd.

8. Bhasma Musha : Shape not mentioned;

used for purification of silver.
9. YogaMusha: Shape not mentioned ; used in
mercurial process.
10. Prakash Musha: Shape like sarava; used
in beej nirvapana.
11. Vrintaka Musha: Shape looks like
vrintaka; used in rasa karma.
 Contd.

12. Pakva Musha : Shape like bhanda or pot

maker; used for pachana, svedana, sodhana.
13. Malla Musha: Shape like ball; used for
swedana of parpati etc.
14. Gola Musha: Shape Round like ball; used
for quick purificcation.

contd.
 Contd.

15. Maha Musha : Shape Kurpara sandhi or

elbow joints; used for satva patanna of abhrak
& makshik.
16. Manduka Musha: Shape like frog; used
for puta paka & marana.
17. Musala Musha: Shape like cylinder flat at
base; used for preparaing chakri baddha rasa.

contd.
 Contd.

18. Garbha Musha : Shape not mentioned;

used for parada bandhana.
19. Gostani Musha: Shape Gostankara; used
for sodhana & dravana of satva.
 Contd.

20.Vida Musha : Shape not mentioned; used

for loha & deha siddhi.
21.PrakataMusha: Shape like sarava; used for
sarana karma.
MUSHA LEPA (CRUCIBLE LINING)
MUSHA LEPA (CRUCIBLE LINING)
 USES OF MUSHA

Rasa Murcchana
Rasa Sodhana
Rasa Marana
Rasa Bandhana
Dvanda Melapana
Dravana
Satavpatan
 AN INSIGHT INTO THE MODERN USES.

Crucible, pot of clay.

Used from ancient times as a container for melting or testing
metals
Crucibles were probably so named from the Latin
word crux, cross or trial.
Modern crucibles may be small laboratory utensils for
conducting high-temperature chemical reactions and analyses
or large industrial vessels for melting and calcining metal and
ore
they may be made of clay, graphite, porcelain, platinum,
PTFE, SS, nickel, carbon steel, zirconium, vitreous carbon or
a relatively infusible metal.
AN INSIGHT INTO THE MODERN USES.
 REFERENCES
Alchemy And Metallic Medicines In Ayurveda By Bhagwan Dash 187
190
Vijaya Jayant Deshpande, Musavijnana or the ancient science of
crucibles, Indian Journal of History of Science, 31(4), 1996; p 359
373.
Apte Vinayak, Rasratnasamuccaya of Vagbhata, Anandasrama
Sanskrit series no 19, Poona, 1890
Rasa Ratna Samuccaya by Sri Vagbhatta Acharya
rasa-kamadhenu, Chaukhambha Orientalia by Sri Cudamani Mishra,
Vaidh Santosh Kumar Sharma
Dr. Damodar Joshi, Rasasastra, Chaukhambha Orientalia, 2010; p
346-360