3. Arjuna ksheera paaka is a pharmaceutical preparation which comes
under ksheera paaka kalpana, which is a upakalpana of Kwatha
kalpana.
Upakalpana’s of Kwatha kalpana are:
1.Pramathya kalpana
2.Paniya kalpana
3.Ushnodaka
4.Kseera paaka kalpana
5.Laksha rasa
6.Mamsa rasa
4. Kshíra kalpana is original contribution of Sushruta, as it is
one of the kalpana mentioned in Sushruta Samhita. Though
Charaka has not included Kshira kalpana among panchavidha
kashaya kalpana, but in Rasayana chapter Bhallataka
Kshirapaka is prescribed. On review of Ayurvedic classics
hundreds of Kshirapaka kalpana are found.
A few of them are Drakshadi Kshirapaka, Panchamúladi
Kshirapaka, Shunthi Kharjuradi Kshirapaka, Trikantakadi
Kshirapaka, Bilva-Varshabhú Kshirapaka, Lakshadi
Kshirapaka, Punarnavadi Kshirapaka, Erandmúla Kshirapaka
and Arjuna Kshirapaka.
They are prescribed in Raktapitta, Kasaroga; Jirnajvara,
Shvasa, Kasa, Shirahshúla, Parshvashúla; Malamutra
5. Ksheera paaka is a unique preparation found in
Ayurveda pharmacopoeia where milk is the media
of administration.
Usually the ‘tikshna’ and ‘kashaya rasa’ pradhana
dravya are selected here. Intention here is to bring
down the ‘tikshnata’ and to mask the ‘kashayata’
of the drugs, with the help of ‘madhura rasa’ and
‘madhura vipaka’ of the ksheera.
Kseera paaka kalpana
6. Four references are as below:
क्षीरमष्टगुणं द्रव्यात् क्षीरान्नीरं चतुगुुणम् ।
क्षीरवशेषं तत्पीतं शूलमामोद्भवं जयेत् ॥ (sha ma 2/161)
(1).According to Sharanghadhara:-
Ksheerapaaka is the preparation where in the
Aushadha dravya, Goksheera, and the Jala are
considered in the ratio of 1:8:32
All these are taken in a clean stainless steel vessel
and boiled over mandagni until only milk part remains.
7. (2) According to ‘Yadavji Trikamji’ the ‘drug’ ,
‘milk’ and the ‘water’ ratio is 1:15:15 and is
boiled until milk part remains. Later it is
filtered and used.
(3) According to ‘Bhaishajya Ratnavali’ the
‘drug’ , ‘milk’, and the ‘water’ are taken in
1:8:8 ratio.
Here the mixture is boiled until milk part
remains and later filtered and used.
8. (4) ‘Vrddha Vagbhata’ advises to prepare the decoction of drug
and water, to that decoction equal quantity of milk is to be
added and boiled until milk part remains.
He opines that, the drugs do not leave away all the active
principles well in milk or other liquids.
So drug has to be boiled with water first to prepare
decoction and later the other liquid are to be added to it and
boiled.
However, the disadvantage with this method is ; when
kwatha is prepared only water soluble active principles get
into liquid media.
Since the ‘drug’ does not come in direct contact with ‘milk
media’ there are remote chances of ‘fat soluble’ or ‘protein
soluble’ active principle making their way into preparation.
9. 1. Sharanghadhara 1:8:32
2. Bhaishajya Ratnavali 1:8:8
3. Yadavji Trikamji 1:15:15
So the time duration of cooking the mixture until only
milk remains is less when compared with the reference of
Sharanghadhara where in water is taken four times to that
of milk.
Therefore ksheerapaaka prepared with Sharanghadhara
reference may be considered more potent.
10. The drug material used should be coarse power
form.
It should be cooked on Mandagni throughout the
process.
There are no confirmatory tests to asses the
completion. So it is roughly assessed over the
quantity of milk taken for the preparation.
These preparations are for instant use only.
11. They are palatable & very much nutritive.
Here the drug effect is prolonged because of the
colloidal form of the fat present in the milk.(
Digestion of colloidal fat takes longer time.)
These preparations are preferred in pittaja prakrti
persons and pattika vyadhis.
12. पानमानं चास्य क्वाथवद्बोद्द्व
् व्यम् । दोषानुसारतो वा ॥ (deepika
teeka)
No classical dosage for the ksheerapaka kalpana is
available. Here kwatha dose i.e, 2 pala (Sha.
Ma.Kha.2/3) or 1pala (Sha. Ma.Kha.2/3
commentry) can be considered. It can be given
considering roga rogi bala.
It is given along with sugar or any of the powers of
medicinal drugs.
13. Arjuna Kshirapaka was first time prescribed in cardiac disorder by
Acharya Vrinda, later on other scholars followed it.
The bark of Arjuna is used for Arjuna Kshirapaka, while preparing
Arjuna Kshirapaka, the quantity of milk indicated as eight times and
water as four times to the milk (1:8:32, Drug : Milk : Water) when
only milk remains after boiling is considered as Kshirapaka.
Other scholars- Chakrapanidatta, Acharya Shodhala, Vanga Sen,
Acharya Trimal Bhata, Govindadasa Sen, except Yadavaji Trikamji,
who is of the opinion that fifteen times of milk be taken to the
quantity of drug and similar amount of water be added and boiled
till milk remains.
15. All the ingredients are taken together in a
clean stainless steel vessel placed over
Mandagni and cooked until only the milk part
remains.
Later it is filtered through a clean cloth
and the filtrate is used as ‘Arjuna Ksheera
paaka’ for the different therapeutic purposes.
16. Arjuna ksheera paaka is administered in the dose of 2
pala along with ‘sugar’ or ‘honey’
अजुुनस्य त्वचा ससद्धं क्षीरं योज्यं हृदामये ।(cha da hr chikitsa)
भग्नः सपबेत् त्वक्पयसाजुुनस्य ।(cha da bhagna chikitsa)
It is useful in all types of ‘hrdroga’ and ‘bhagna’
20. This is one of the most important and unique preparation found in Ayurvedic
system. No reference is available regarding such preparations in modern
pharmaceutics.
Its use is mentioned specifically with the drugs which are ‘tikshna’(toxic) or
‘kashaya rasa’
It is said in Ayurveda that among ‘shad rasas’, ‘kashaya rasa’has the least value of
dhatu poshana and its taste is not aggreable.To minimise the effect of kashaya
rasa and to make the preparation palatable,ksheera paaka form will be great
help.Unwanted effects of kashaya rasa will be subdued by madhura rasa and
madhura vipaka of milk.
21. Digestion ,absorption and assimilation of
milk fat present in colloidal form will be
slow, which turn minimizes toxic effects
of tikshna dravya and help in enhancing
its medicinal effects.
Milk as it is rich in protein and calcium
will be a good nutrient. So along with the
medicinal value even nutritional balance
is also maintained by these preparations.
22. Kshira kalpana is original kalpana of
Sushruta and Arjuna Kshirapaka was first time
prescribed by Acharya Vrinda in Hridroga
Chikitsa and the bark of Arjuna is used to
prepare Arjuna Kshirapaka. The botanical source
of the Arjuna was identified by Wight and Arnott
in 1843, and Species name was given on the
basis of classical name- Arjuna, thus the name
Terminalia arjuna (Roxb.) W. & A. came into
existance.