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Ayurkoshaआयुर्वेद ज्ञानकोश

Mineralखनिज

Alkali preparations (kshara)

क्षार (खार) · क्षार

Extracted from the textNeeds a trained practitioner5 references

Built from passages of the source by the curated extraction. Pending human review.

Search the library for itDiscussed in 3 sessions

Names and synonyms

Sanskrit
क्षारपानीयक्षारप्रतिसारणीयक्षारभस्मक्षार
Hindi
क्षारखारसोडा
English
Alkali preparationsalkaliksharacaustic alkali
Romanized
ksharakhar

Ayurvedic properties

Only the qualities the text states are listed. The claims below give each statement with its source.

Qualities (guna)
SlakshnaPicchila
Effect on the doshas
Vata: pacifiesPitta: pacifiesKapha: pacifies
Actions
KushthaghnaKrimighnaChedanaBhedanaLekhana

What the text says

Each statement reports the source, with its chapter, page and verse. Traditional descriptions are not presented as proven medical facts.

Definition1

  • Kshara is said to be so named because it destroys skin, flesh and the like (kshanana), or because it makes corrupted flesh fall away (ksharana).

    Chapter 21 · p. 475 · v. 9Hindi commentaryTraditional description

Properties3

  • Alkali is said always to follow the properties of urine.

    Chapter 5 · p. 70 · v. 36Sanskrit verseTraditional description

  • A good kshara is described as smooth, white, slimy, easy to take up and apply, causing little pain and spreading.

    Chapter 21 · p. 476 · v. 12Hindi commentaryTraditional description

  • Kshara is said to cut, split and scrape, and, being prepared from drugs that destroy the three doshas, to destroy all three doshas.

    Chapter 21 · p. 477 · v. 15Hindi commentaryTraditional description

Indications1

  • Alkali is said to overcome kushtha, tumours (arbuda), nodules (granthi), kilāsa, painful urination, piles, corrupted wounds and all worm diseases.

    Chapter 5 · p. 70 · v. 36Hindi commentaryTraditional description

Cautions1

  • By its fiery (āgneya) power alkali is said to burn the body.

    Chapter 5 · p. 70 · v. 36Hindi commentaryTraditional description

Other1

  • Alkali is named with fire and poison as what the one-sided view calls absolutely unwholesome, and with poison, fire and instruments as one of the four procedures by which, the translation says, diseases are treated.

    Appendix: Hitahita · p. 624Hindi commentaryTraditional description

Safety

  • Needs a trained practitioner. This procedure or preparation is of a kind that should only be carried out under qualified supervision.

Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, kidney or liver disease and other medicines all call for professional advice before any traditional remedy is used.

Find everywhere it is used

Open in the usage explorer

Formulations containing it

14
Alkali (kshara) kalpaAlkaline water with the three pungents and three fruitsFormula that destroys kapha-type stoneKapha-removing niruha enemaKasisa collyrium for pariklinna vartmaMouth-wash decoction for anorexiaPaste of chakramarda, amalaki, rock salt, bakuchi and bhushirisha (unnamed)Punarnavadi pastePutapaka for kapha-type abhishyandaSarvavishanashaka antidoteScraping enemaShigrvadi pasteTriphala-trikatu plaster for kapha-type enlargementWarm milk with ghee and alkali powders

Remedies using it

2
Ghee drunk with trikatu and alkali in kapha disordersPaste of the Pataladi drugs with curd whey and sour buttermilk

Procedures using it

5
Caustic alkali therapy (kshara karma)External caustic alkali (pratisaraniya kshara)Potable alkali (paniya kshara)Procedure for removing pilesTreatment of tridoshic and vitiated coryza

Given as vehicle or after-drink

4

Taken with or after these preparations.

Kushtha powder with alkali water for rat poisonPaste of chakramarda, amalaki, rock salt, bakuchi and bhushirisha (unnamed)Paste of the Pataladi drugs with curd whey and sour buttermilkShigrvadi paste

Conditions mentioned with it

42

Conditions named in the preparations that use it, or linked to it directly.

Abdominal lump (gulma)Adhijihva (tongue disorder)Animal poisons (jangama visha)Breathlessness and asthma (shvasa)Common cold (pratishyaya)Compound poisons (garavisha)Conjunctivitis (abhishyanda)Cough (kasa)Dadru (a kind of kushtha)Dental disorders (dantaroga)Fistula-in-ano (bhagandara)Haemorrhoids (arsha)Hiccup (hikka)Hoarseness (svarabheda)Indigestion (ajirna)Itching disorders (kandu, pama)Kapha disordersKitibha (a kind of kushtha)

Organs and systems mentioned

24
AbdomenAnus and rectumBlood and circulationBones, joints and cartilageChestEarsEyesHeadHeart and cardiovascular systemIntestines and colonKidneys and urinary systemLipsLiver and hepatobiliary systemLungs and respiratory systemMouth, teeth and gumsMuscles and connective tissuesNoseSkin

Other ingredients used together

24

Count of shared preparations.

Trikatu (three pungents)×10Cow urine (gomutra)×7Ghee (ghrita)×7Milk (ksheera)×6Triphala (three fruits)×5Salt (lavana)×4Rock salt (saindhava)×4Yashtimadhu (licorice)×3Shigru (drumstick)×3Chitraka (white leadwort)×3Buttermilk (takra)×3Kushtha (costus root)×3Punarnava (hogweed)×2Brihati (Indian nightshade)×2Eranda (castor plant)×2Sesame (tila)×2Water (jala)×2Curd (dadhi)×2

Topics of the text that discuss it

14
Alkali antidote (ksharagada)Alkaline waterIntroduction to the alkali (kshara) and other kalpasKinds of ksharaMeasures that subdue kaphaMethod of the alkali (kshara) kalpaPrimacy and etymology of ksharaProperties of alkali (kṣāra)Putapaka in kapha-type abhishyandaQualities of kshara and patients unfit for itRepeating the gargle; liquids by doshaScraping enema

Course sessions

3
Rules of food and drinkTherapeutic proceduresWholesome and unwholesome things

Questions and answers

5
By which four procedures, according to the translation, are diseases treated, and why should none of them be relied on alone?How is the alkaline water of the kshara kalpa turned into the finished medicine?What are the two kinds of kshara by use, and where is each used?What is alkali (kṣāra) said to overcome, and what warning does the text give about it?Why does the Hindi rendering of the hitahita chapter hold that no substance is wholesome or unwholesome in every respect?

Related entries

13
Alkali (kshara) kalpaAlkali preparation (kshara)Caustic alkali therapy (kshara karma)Caustic therapy (kshara karma)Cow urine (gomutra)External caustic alkali (pratisaraniya kshara)Gargling and oil pulling (gandusha, kavala)Potable alkali (paniya kshara)Procedure for holding a gargleRasayana (rejuvenation)The three alkalis (ksharatraya)Unwholesome diet and conduct (apathya)Vida (digesting mixture for mercury)

Where else is this mentioned?

The automatic page index has not found this name elsewhere in the text.

Questions and answers

What is alkali (kṣāra) said to overcome, and what warning does the text give about it?

Kushtha, tumours, nodules, kilāsa, painful urination, piles, corrupted wounds and all worm diseases; by its fiery power it burns the body.

Detailed answer and sources
What are the two kinds of kshara by use, and where is each used?

Pratisaraniya kshara, applied externally, and paniya kshara, which is drunk.

Detailed answer and sources
How is the alkaline water of the kshara kalpa turned into the finished medicine?

The alkaline water is cooked down to a quarter, a quarter part of jaggery is added and it is cooked to the consistency of phanita, a quarter part of trikatu, trijata and nagaramotha powder is mixed in, and it is kept in a prepared pot buried in grain for a month.

Detailed answer and sources
Why does the Hindi rendering of the hitahita chapter hold that no substance is wholesome or unwholesome in every respect?

Because by substance, place, time and state things have many-sided natures; if water, ghee, milk and food were wholesome in every way, they would have to be used even in new fever, diarrhoea, kushtha, fistula-in-ano, eye diseases and wounds.

Detailed answer and sources
By which four procedures, according to the translation, are diseases treated, and why should none of them be relied on alone?

Poison, alkali, fire and instruments; some diseases are treated by one of them, some by two, some by three and some by all four.

Detailed answer and sources

All references

Every page and verse of the source that this entry draws on.

Extraction notes

  • Caustic substance; the text gives no preparation, dose or way of use here. किलास is mapped to condition_shvitra and दूषितव्रण to condition_vrana as in the lexicon.

Quick facts

Content type
Mineral
Categories
AlkaliMineral
Source pages with records
5
Pages naming it
0
Extraction tasks
T03, T23, T30
Record id
ingredient_kshara