Abstract

A REVIEW ON ARKA AS A MEDIA FOR BHAVANA

Gazala Hussain*

ABSTRACT

Ayurveda pharmaceutics deals with preparation of formulations in varied dosage form. A unique feature is primary preparations are used as medicaments and also in preparation of secondary preparations like avaleha (confectionaries), sneha (lipid preparations), etc. One such dosage form that is considered as a primary preparation is Arka as opined by the author of a treatise Arka Prakasha and is said to be the most potent preparation. Arka are distillates prepared using any modern distillation preparations. Arka is said to be upakalpana (secondary preparations) of the primary preparations i.e., of Phanta kalpana (hot infusion) in other treatise of Ayurveda pharmaceutics. Commonly, these distillates are used as a dosage form and are advantageous owing to palatability and better shelf life compared to the other primary preparations. A literary search has put light that these distillates are also used as a bhavana dravya i.e., a liquid media for trituration. The process of bhavana aids in incorporating the properties of the liquid media to the drug with which it is triturated. Thus, the process of bhavana and the bhavana dravya potentiates the formulation.

Keywords: Arka, distillate, bhavana, Arka Prakasha, formulation.