Rasa Shastra - The Art of Indian Alchemy

As the practice of Buddhism became more widespread in Asia, a new understanding of human health arose. A Buddhist monk and practicing alchemist called Nagarjuna began to refine and formulate the practice of making remedies with precious metals, gemstones and other minerals.

Surgical intervention in the Buddhist tradition was considered to be too invasive for the human body. The practice of surgery slowly began its decline in favor of new herbal formulas being developed for the application of internal medicines.

Herbal compounds were effective, but in cases of great chronicity, healers of the day sought a medical system which emulated the immediate effects of surgery but dispensed with its invasive and dangerous procedures.

The solution to this problem was Rasa Shastra, an alchemical fusion between mineral and organic compounds including such diverse materials as mercury, sulphur, copper and diamond. These new, highly potent formulas delivered into the hands of physicians a medicine which could be administered in very small quantities, was fast acting, tasteless, odorless and truly miraculous in its efficiency and potency.

Indian Alchemy has a deep affiliation with its sister science Ayurveda, separately they are great in their own right, but combined these two systems become empowered to produce miraculous results in the healing of the body . The combination of Rasa Shastra formula allied with the diagnostic practice of Ayurvedic constitutional typing (Vata, Pitta and Kapha) and Jyotish (Vedic Astrology) is frequently used to select the appropriate dosage and subsequent timing to administer medicines.