Uses and Benefits
Shrung Bhasma is highly valued in Ayurveda, particularly for its efficacy in treating respiratory and digestive ailments. Its key uses include:
- Respiratory health: Used as an expectorant to relieve cough, cold, bronchitis, asthma, pneumonia, and influenza. It helps manage symptoms like breathlessness and mucus buildup.
- Digestive issues: Beneficial for conditions such as heartburn, gastritis, abdominal pain, colic, and hiccups.
- Pain relief: Used in the treatment of intercostal neuralgia (nerve pain in the ribs) and chest pain, including angina pectoris.
- Bone health: Rich in natural calcium, it supports bone health and may be used in conditions like rickets and osteoporosis.
- Fever: Used to help manage chronic fever or fever associated with tuberculosis.
- Tridosha balance: In Ayurvedic terms, it primarily helps to balance the Vata and Pitta doshas.
Preparation
The preparation of Shrung Bhasma involves a meticulous process of purification (Shodhana) and incineration (Maran):
- Purification: The deer horns are cut into small pieces and initially burnt in open air. They are then ground with the latex of the Arka plant (Calotropis procera or gigantea) to further purify the material.
- Incineration: The mixture is formed into disc-shaped cakes, dried, and then subjected to high heat (around 800-900°C) in the absence of air, typically using traditional methods called Puta (e.g., Gaja Puta). This process of grinding with herbal juice and incineration is repeated multiple times (often three times or more) until a fine white ash is obtained.
