An overview on Arka Kalpana

Aarsha bharateeya granthas explains many ways to enhance the quality of life, both by improving health as well for curing the disease. Ayurveda abides nature’s laws, it teaches importance of ritucharya, dinacharya for the well being of humans. Timely additions are observed In Ayurvedic literature in the form of new diseases as well new medicinal plants and formulations. Acharya Sharngadhara, Acharya Bhavamisra are given many valuable additions to the science by decoding the knowledge in Ayurvedic terminologies.  Arka is such a preparation which is added into Ayurvedic literature in 16^th century after Persian invasion.   

Arka Prakasha is such a book which is written in the period of 16^th century, it is in the form of conversation between King Ravana and Queen Mandodari. This book is made into ten shatakas. In Arka Prakasha different ratios for distilling, reference for 196 single drugs Arka and 192 oushada yogas for various diseases and explains about varuni yantra for preparations.

Ayurvedic classics explains different methods and modalities like Urdwa, Adha, and tiryaka patana  vidhis for preparing distillation. Tiryak patana yantra is almost similar in functioning to modern day simple distillations. Distillation is dated back to 1^st century AD in Alexandria, from 12^th century literature references use of distillates as medicine in Unani system of medicine can be observed, which is named as Arkquites. Homoeopathy system uses distill as tinctures. Teenir from Sidha System of medicine are distills. Various eye drops and other preparations are in distilled form.

Some commonly used Yogas

Arka is a yoga which is less practiced one but still, many independent vaidyas make use of these for their clinical purposes, A traditional Ayurveda family in kerala, well known for cancer treatments uses many Arkas , like Athmagupta, vajra lata, pippali, darvee, panchakola, Mehari, Ekanayaka, jeeraka, ksheerini, arjuna, ajamod,  a well known Ayurveda practioner from south Karnataka is using rasnaerandadi kada(fermented kashaya) after distilling ,

Now a day many researches are going on arka preparations, actions of vacha , musta, jadamaya, shunti arka have been successfully established, and also use of arka for nebulizing  patients with asthmatic attacks have a shown good result. Steam inhalation in Ayurveda is same nebulizing in the native form. Gomutra arka is widely used by many Ayurvedic practitioners and is having good result on various skin disorders, Obesity and in various stages of cancer.

In Arka prakasha , Arka is been given prime place upon kashayas or any other preparations this may be due to the panchamahabhautic constitution of Arka, when preparing an arka, extracting the  vayu agni and akasheeya gunas of a particular drug along with the jala tatwa. vayu agni and akasha mahabhutas are lighter in its qualities which is having a penetratability because of its sookshma gunatwa.

Benefits of using arka – in the day today practice, in the present era very less people prefer kashayas because of its palatability, Arka is nothing but the lost part of kashaya, by adding Arka back to the kashayam during the therapeutic administration one may attain more potency to kashayas . In the economic view point arka can be prepared much cheaper than that of a kashaya, the yield during kashaya preparation is only 1/4^th of the water taken but in arka it is about 3/4^th of initial water. Arka is a product of simple distillation, no need of using preservatives like in the case of kashaya, even it holds good to the nature to reduce the load if condense the vapours that escaps during the preparation of kwatha, by this getting two products.

In spite of having references in classics a very few products are available in market; it will be very prejudice to say that a distillate only contains water, and volatile contents. Acharyas have explained about gangambu, i.e. Rainwater and have given the status of Amruta to rainwater, and advised its use for drinking, Remedies for all ailments are there in nature, rain water which is produced after adana and visarga (extracting the subtle good qualities, the showering it as rain) is the process which followed to prepare Arka or to distill. So can give the status of world’s first arka, with medicinal qualities are nothing but the rain water. So let’s start the practice of preparing and dispensing arka by respecting and harvesting the natural Arka….