Diverse range of methods of oil preparation from Sushrut Samhita

                                                                                                          Dr Mrs Madhuri P. Bhide

             

                                                                   Professor and H.O.D.                                                   

                                                         Ayurved Samhita and Siddhanta Dept.

                                                                 Bharati Vidyapeeth,

                                                                    Deemed To Be University, Pune

Sneha has been one of  the  prime part of the Ayurvedic treatment as it gives strength to the body organs and also the Pranas . Amongst  all the snehas oil is one of the foremost type of Sneha. Sushrut samhita has characteristically explained variety of process sing of oils according to need of diseases.

 He has explained a variety of oils as local treatment of  Vrana and also that of internal use .The range of  diversity is stated from simple cold pressed oil (Aama Taila)without any process of mixing any herb  to the extensive and complicated process of the Sahastrapaki taila .

1.         Ama Taila-

Aam Taila is made by only cold Press of oil seeds on the machine . It is not boiled or the Tail Mruchhan sanskar is not done in it. It is used in Talbhagna .(Fracture of the Palm joint)

उभे तले समे कृत्वा तलभग्नस्य देहिनः |
बध्नीयादामतैलेन परिषेकं च कारयेत् ||३४||   Su Chi 3/34

Two palms must be kept in same level,bandage it together and sprinkle it with raw ,non medicated oil.

Such Aam taila is used in various diseases like in properly done  karna pali vedha . Aamtaila parishek is done in this case.

तत्र सम्यग्विद्धमामतैलेन परिषेचयेत्, त्र्यहात्त्र्यहाच्च वर्तिं स्थूलतरां दद्यात्, परिषेकं च तमेव ||७||

Dalhan--तत्र सम्यग्विद्धमामतैलेन परिषेचयेत्, त्र्यहात्त्र्यहाच्च वर्तिं स्थूलतरां दद्यात्,   परिषेकं च तमेव ||७|| Su chi 16/7

Thus a simple cold pressed til oil is useful in some specific conditions.

Physiotherapy in Sushrut Samhita-

 

मृत्पिण्डं [१] धारयेत् पूर्वं लवणं च ततः परम् |
हस्ते जातबले चापि कुर्यात् पाषाणधारणम् ||३५|| Su chi 3/35

 

In the context of the use of oil  for healing fracture ,Sushrut has wisely advised a specialized Vihar ,that means now a days can be called as physiotherapy. Ask the patient to hold and press the mud ball in his hand initially. Since the mud is light weight and soft to break and to give shape, it should be held first to build up muscular power. After some days The harder rock salt should be hold and pressed. After getting enough strength in muscles ( Jaat Bala) ask him to hold the hard stone.

Thus the  muscular strength  should be gradually increased.

 

2)  Chakrataila-

The pressed raw  seasam without roasting them  is called as Chakrataila. The simple ground unprocessed Til oil is better than the machine drawn oil. The simple ground oil without roasting and processing by machine is better in quality expected as Snigdha and Guru.Here Sushrut has recommended simple oil as noteworthy in todays anti bacterial era. Further it is advised to process it with the kalka of virechan Dravyas and give it to patient.

तयोः कल्ककषायाभ्यां चक्रतैलं विपाचयेत् | Su Su 44/47

Dalhan-चक्रतैलमिति चक्रपीडितं तिलतैलं, हस्तादियन्त्रपीडननिषेधार्थं; चक्रे ह्यभृष्टा एव तिलादयः पीड्यन्ते, ते पुनर्गुणवत्तरा भवन्ति; यन्त्रेण भर्जनरूक्षितानां तिलानां स्नेहगुरुत्वादयो गुणा हीयन्त इति|                                    Su Su 44/47

 

सुखोष्णमवचार्यं वा चक्रतैलं विजानता |१२|
 चक्रतैलं सद्यःपीडितोद्धृतमेके वदन्ति, अन्ये पुनरणुतैलकल्पेन गृहीतमपक्वं तैलं चक्रतैलमाहुः|१२|-ch chi 3/12

Chippa chikitsa-चिप्य(प्प)मुष्णाम्बुना सिक्तमुत्कृत्य स्रावयेद्भिषक् |
चक्रतैलेन चाभ्यज्य सर्जचूर्णेन चूर्णयेत् ||९||Su Chi 20/9

Dalhan-  चक्रतैलं चक्रपीडितं, हस्तादिपीडितव्युदासार्थं चक्रग्रहणम्

In the disease Chipp, abhyang of Chakrataila is done.

 

3)      Anu Taila-  This is another special feature of the Sushrut samhita as processing method.

 

 तिलपरिपीडनोपकरणकाष्ठान्याहृत्यानल्पकालं तैलपरिपीतान्यणूनि खण्डशः कल्पयित्वाऽवक्षुद्य महति कटाहे पानीयेनाभिप्लाव्य क्वाथयेत्, ततः स्नेहमम्बुपृष्ठाद्यदुदेति तत् सरकपाण्योरन्यतरेणादाय वातघ्नौषधप्रतीवापं स्नेहपाककल्पेन विपचेत्, एतदणुतैलमुपदिशन्ति वातरोगिषु; अणुभ्यस्तैलद्रव्येभ्यो निष्पाद्यत इत्यणुतैलम् ||२८|| Chi4/28

The wooden flank of oil processing Machine should be cut in pieces and put in a  big vessel .Pour water and boil it. The oil which is absorbed in the wooden pieces years together comes out and floats on water surface. Remove and collect the oil and process it with expected vataghna herbs. Since this oil is drawn from Anu that is minute particles, is called as Anutaila. This Anu tail has a special capacity to penetrate in small miniature space and is greately used in the nasya as to penetrate in skull’s minute pores.Such a great wisdom and processing Sushrut has advised.

 

4)  Bhagna Prasarak Taila-     ch chi 3/55

This is a distinctive and unique feature of oil advised by Acharya Sushrut. It contains a very complex but an effective method to extract and process oil.

अत ऊर्ध्वं प्रवक्ष्यामि तैलं भग्नप्रसाधकम् |
रात्रौ रात्रौ तिलान् कृष्णान् वासयेदस्थिरे जले ||५५||
दिवा दिवा शोषयित्वा गवां क्षीरेण भावयेत् |
तृतीयं सप्तरात्रं तु भावयेन्मधुकाम्बुना ||५६||
ततः क्षीरं पुनः पीतान् सुशुष्कांश्चूर्णयेद्भिषक् |
काकोल्यादिं सयष्ट्याह्वं मञ्जिष्ठां सारिवां तथा ||५७||
चतुर्गुणेन पयसा तत्तैलं विपचेद्भिषक् ||५९||

Black colored   sesame seeds are to be tied in a cloth and put in the running water in a river. Take out them in next morning and dry it in sunlight. Do this process for seven times in seven days. Put cow milk and again process it for 1 week . In third week the sesame seeds should be saturated in Yashtimadhu decoction and powder it. Again process it with some herbs and press such sesame seeds to extract oil. This oil should be boiled with milk and some other herbs on gentle fire. This oil contains some aromatic herbs ,thus it is called  Gandhataila.

बाधिर्ये तिमिरे चैव ये च स्त्रीषु क्षयं गताः |
Here instead of directly pressing the seeds, soaking the seeds in various medias improves its osmosis again is dried and processed in milk which contains the nourishing properties of milk ,makes a unique oil. Also instead of  making the taila siddha in Yashtimadhu, the Tilas are previously  processed by the Yashtimadhu quath. Afterwards it’ s oil is drawn. This process might enhance the Bhavana of yashtimadhu  in The molecules of Tila .Now it can penetrate in all sukshma srotasas and can act as Indriyabalavardhak due to micro processing of yashtimadhu in it.

मुखं च पद्मप्रतिमं ससुगन्धिसमीरणम् ||६५||

Since it penetrates in all porous openings of skull , it gives luster and aroma  to facial  skin.

                                                     
5. Sahasrapak Taila     -     Su Chi 4/29

अथ महापञ्चमूलकाष्ठैर्बहुभिरवदह्यावनिप्रदेशमसितमुषितमेकरात्रमुपशान्तेऽग्नावपोह्य भस्म निवृत्तां भूमिं विदारिगन्धादिसिद्धेन तैलघटशतेन तुल्यपयसाऽभिषिच्यैकरात्रमवस्थाप्य ततो यावती मृत्तिका स्निग्धा स्यात्तामादायोष्णोदकेन महति कटाहेऽभ्यासिञ्चेत्, तत्र यत्तैलमुत्तिष्ठेत्तत् पाणिभ्यां पर्यादाय स्वनुगुप्तं निदध्यात्; ततस्तैलं वातहरौषधक्वाथमांसरसक्षीराम्लभागसहस्रेण सहस्रपाकं विपचेद्यावता कालेन शक्नुयात् पक्तुं, प्रतिवापश्चात्र हैमवता दक्षिणापथगाश्च गन्धा वातघ्नानि च, तस्मिन् सिध्यति शङ्खानाध्मापयेद्दुन्दुभीनाघातयेच्छत्रं धारयेद्बालव्यजनैश्च वीजयेद्ब्राह्मणसहस्रं भोजयेत्, तत् साधु सिद्धमवतार्य सौवर्णे राजते मृन्मये वा पात्रे स्वनुगुप्तं निदध्यात्, तदेतत् सहस्रपाकमप्रतिवारवीर्यं राजार्हं तैलम्; एवं भागशतविपक्वं शतपाकम् ||२९||

This indeed is a unique and distinctive processing of oil described by our great sage Sushruta.Not only mere processing but it has some eternal power acquired by the wholy blessings of Brahmanas.

The wooden pieces of the herbs of Mahapanchmula should be burnt on the plot of a land of black soil.The fire should be kept burning for the whole night. Due to the heat given, the soil becomes porous and its intermolecular space increases which might increase the absorbing capacity of soil.

Next morning remove the ash ,let the floor cool and pour Ashwagandhadi siddha milk and  same oil on it in large amount till one overnight. Next day remove all the wet soil soaked in oil and put it in a big vessel containing water. Let the water boil, the sneha absorbed in the soil comes out and floats on the surface of water. Collect the floating oil and boil it 1000 times with various Vataghna dravyas.

While processing it with various herbs, make ‘Shankhadhwani’ means the auspicious sound of counches , Beat the drums and feed  100  brahmins like an auspicious ceremony.

All this process of oil which has passed through mud particles, is now minute and might be having an excellent penetrating power. Hence it is advised in vatavyadhi which should have sukshmasrotogamitwa deep upto  the bone marrow.The Blessings of Brahman and 1000 times processing makes it  “Apratihar virya yukta”that means with execeptionally powerful  according to Sushruta.

 

 6)  Dipika Tailam-

Karna roga pratishedha Adhyay-     Su. U. 21/20

महतः पञ्चमूलस्य काण्डमष्टादशाङ्गुलम् |
क्षौमेणावेष्ट्य संसिच्य तैलेनादीपयेत्ततः ||२०||
यत्तैलं च्यवते तेभ्यो धृतेभ्यो भाजनोपरि |
ज्ञेयं तद्दीपिकातैलं सद्यो गृह्णाति वेदनाम् ||२१||
Dalhan-

दीपिकातैलमाह- महत इत्यादि| काण्डं खण्डं, क्षौमेण अतसीवस्त्रेण, आवेष्ट्य ‘त्रिभागम्’ इति शेषः| घृतेभ्यो ‘अधोमुखम्’ इति शेषः| गृह्णाति अपहरति||२०-२१||

Here a unique oil is processed in an unusual way. Instead of  processing the medicines poured  in oil ,here the small pieces of Bruhat Panchamula are covered with silk cloth ,soaked in til oil and are burnt .The oil processed with smoking of the bruhatpanchamula drips down from the wooden pieces. Collect the brilliantly prepared luke warm oil .

Sushruta has masterly advised this oil for the karna shula.Since it has sparkling heating of the wooden sticks soaked in oil, it is called as Dipika taila. He has also advised to use other sticks of the herbs like Bhadrakashtha, Kushtha, saral , Eranda and Agnimantha kashtha to prepare same processing . Make a note here that only specific herbal sticks only are advised here as they may bear the fire and active principles are extracted through the oil.

कुर्यादेवं भद्रकाष्ठे कुष्ठे काष्ठे च सारले |
मतिमान् दीपिकातैलं कर्णशूलनिबर्हणम् ||२२||

      Thus we can observe a variety of distinctive processing of oils done by Acharya Sushruta  according to the need of disease  and the qualities of herbs used.