Kupipakva Rasayana – How to Prepare, Preserve & their Characteristics

Kupipakva Rasayana (also spelt Kupipakwa Rasayana) is one of the types of Ayurvedic medicine. It is prepared by a special method called Kupi Paka. Some examples of Kupipakva Rasayana are Makardhwaj, Sameer Pannag Rasa, Shila Sindur, Taal Singur, Swarna Vanga, Rasa Sindur etc. In this article, we will explain about –

1. How to prepare Kupipakva Rasayana
2. Tests to ensure Paka (preparation) is perfect
3. Characteristics of Kupipakva Rasayana
4. Preservation and expiry date

How to prepare Kupipakva Rasayana?

1. Rasa Aushadhis (drugs of mineral and metallic origin) are well mixed together in fine powder form.
2. Take a Kanch Kupi (glass flask) and it is filled 1/3^rd with the above-mixed Rasa aushadhis.
3. The paste of clay smeared pieces of cloth is covered around the glass flask or bottle in seven consecutive layers. This is kept for drying.
4. The flask is then buried in Baluka yantra (also spelt Valuka Yantra) up to the neck.
5. Proper Agni (heating) in three stages is given gradually. The 3 stages of Agni are Mridvagni (mild flame), Madhyamagni (mid flame) and Tikshnaagni (high flame) for a specified period of time.
6. There is a possibility of choking of flask opening by a thick coating of subliming sulphur (Gandhaka). Gandhaka is one of the main ingredients of almost all types of Kupipakva Rasayana. If the opening of the flask is choked completely, the pressure of the vapours generating during the process of heating may break the glass. To prevent this choking, a red hot iron rod (5mm in diameter) is inserted into the flask through its opening and stirred now and then.
7. After a specified time, a cold iron rod is inserted into the bottom of the flask and removed. The material sticking to the iron rod when cool should be red in colour.
8. The mouth of the bottle is sealed at this stage. For sealing, chalk or brick pieces wrapped with cloth strips. This cloth strip should be smeared with clay or a solution of jaggery and lime.
9. The flask is removed carefully when it gets cooled.
10. The material inside the flask gets separated and accumulated in upper and lower halves of the flask.
11. The flask is broken in the middle to collect the separated materials.
12. To break the glass flask, a string dipped in kerosene is wrapped around the bottle in the middle. Set the string fire. When the fire gets extinguished by self, remove the burnt string with a spatula. A wet piece of cloth is wrapped around the bottle. It then breaks into two pieces easily.
13. The material deposited at the neck is scraped and collected. This is the final product and called Sindura (due to its red colour). Sindura is prepared by Kupi Paka hence it is termed as Kupipakva Rasayana.
14. The bottom part material is discarded.
15. Proper care should be maintained during this so that no part of the glass piece may mix with the Sindura.

Tests to ensure Paka (preparation) is perfect

Whether the process id Kupi Paka is completed properly or not is checked by following tests –

1. The bottom of the flask becomes red at the time of completion of Paka.
2. White coloured minute particles come out from the mouth of the flask. This can be checked by keeping a piece of broken earthen pot or thin piece of copper plate over the mouth of the flask. White coloured deposits may be seen inside the plate.
3. A red hot iron rod is covered with smoke when inserted into the flask and removed.

Characteristics

All the Rasa preparations (where metals and minerals are main ingredients) have different characteristics depending on the drugs used. Generally, the Rasa preparations are red, yellow or dark in colour. They may have a specific odour according to the drugs used in their preparation or are odourless.

Preservation & Expiration (shelf-life)

Kupipakva Rasayan should be kept in well-stoppered bottles made up of glass or plastic pet bottles. It is suggested to use HDPE container in place of plastic pet bottles.

The Kupipakva Rasayana keeps their potency indefinitely. Hence, they do not have any expiry date.

Examples

• Sameerpannaga Rasa
• Rasa Sindura
• Malla Sindura
• Shila Sindura

Related: Bhasma – Preparation, Characteristics & Preservation