Indian Journal of Ancient Medicine and Yoga

95
Volume 5 Number 2, April - June 2012

Lavana (salt): An Ayurvedic outlook on Saindhava (Rock salt)

Neelesh Khandelwal1, Shraddha Dhundi2, Pramod Yadav3, Prajapati P.K.4

ABSTRACT
Lavana (salt) is widely described in Ayurvedic classics. There are mainly five varieties of
Lavanas used frequently in Ayurveda amongst them Saindhava Lavana is the best. Chemically,
Saindhava Lavana is considered as Sodium chloride/Rock salt/Bay salt. Sauvarchala Lavana
is Black salt/Sorchal salt/Unaqua Sodium Chloride, Samudra is Salt/Sodii muras. Primeval
clairvoyants knew wide range of properties of Lavana. They used it for dietary and therapeutic
purposes. Mostly, Saindhava Lavana has been appraised because of its undisputed acceptance
amongst all classical texts.
Keywords: Lavan; Rock salt Saindhava.

INTRODUCTION Chemically, Saindhava Lavana is considered

as Sodium chloride/Rock salt/Bay salt.
Sauvarchala Lavana is Black salt/Sorchal salt/
Lavana salt is widely described in Ayurvedic Unaqua Sodium Chloride, Samudra is Salt/Sodii
classics. Different varieties are used in different muras. 5 There are six Rasas in Ayurveda6 out
setting like household uses for seasoning of of which the third Rasa is Lavana Rasa. The
food stuffs, pickles, preserving food items, present paper explores the concept of Lavana
pharmaceutical uses like purification and especially Saindhava Lavana through
processes, especially in Parada Ashtasamskaras1 Ayurvedic texts and recent data.
(eight processing of Mercury) various
therapeutic formulations, as a separate
Kalpana (specific procedure of drug MATERIALS AND METHODS
production) i.e. Lavana Kalpana2 etc. Lavana
has been described in each and every classic
of Ayurveda; such is its importance. Amongst Classical texts of Ayurveda like Bruhattrayi
the varieties of Lavana, Saindhava Lavana is and Laghu Trayi and classical books of
the best3. There are mainly five varieties of Rasashastra like Rasaratnasamucchaya 7 ,
Lavanas4 used frequently in Ayurveda viz. Rasatarangini 8 , Sharangadhara Samhita,
Saindhava, Sauvarchala, Vida, Samudra, and Bhavaprakasha, Rasayogasagara 9, Bhaishajya
Audbhida Lavana. Ratnavali.

Classical Contrive
Author’s Affiliation: MD final year scholar, PhD Scholar,
1 2
Classical review helps us to understand the
3
PhD Scholar, 4 Prof. & Head, Dept. of Rasashastra and
Bhaishajya Kalpana, IPGT & RA, Gujarat Ayurved University, wide importance of Lavanas in Ayurveda, its
Jamnagar. expanded usage in different ways in different
Reprint’s request: Dr. Shraddha N Dhundi, c/o Prof. P formulations.
K Prajapati, Head, Dept. of RS & BK, IPGT & RA, Gujarat
Ayurved University, Jamnagar – 361008, Gujarat.
E-mail: shraddha.dhundi@gmail.com
(Received on 17.01.2012, accepted on 24.02.2012)

Volume 5 Number
©Red Flower 2, April
Publication - June 2012
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96 Neelesh Khandelwal et al / Lavana (salt) – An Ayurvedic outlook on Saindhava (Rock salt)

Charaka Samhita10 Very detailed and specific description

Acharya Charaka described Lavanas in of Lavana is seen for the first time in
different contexts in various formulations. He Rasatarangini. (Table 10) The author also
especially declared that the Saindhava is the explains the artificial preparation of many
best amongst all Lavanas. (Table 1) Lavanas.

Sushruta Samhita11 Modern contrive

Sushruta described the detailed qualities of Common salt
each Lavana for the first time. Throughout the Sodium chloride, also known as salt,
entire Sushruta Samhita, Sushruta has used the common salt, table salt, or halite, is an ionic
Saindhava Lavana specifically for not less than compound with the formula NaCl. Sodium
68 times both in internal and external dosage chloride is the salt most responsible for the
forms. Next in line is the use of Sauvarchala salinity of the ocean and of the extracellular
approximately 27 times, and then in fluid in many multicellular organisms. As the
decreasing order comes Vida Lavana at 11 major ingredient in edible salt, it is commonly
places. (Table 2) used as a condiment and food preservative.
Sodium chloride forms crystals with face-
centered cubic symmetry. In these, the larger
Ashtanga Hridayam12 chloride ions, shown to the right as green
In addition to description of qualities of all spheres, are arranged in a cubic close-packing,
six Lavanas, Vagbhata has described the i.e. while the smaller sodium ions, shown to the
general properties of Lavanas. Other uses are right as silver spheres, fill all the cubic gaps
similar to and in collaborative view of both between them. Each ion is surrounded by six
Charaka & Sushruta. (Table 3) ions of the other kind; the surrounding ions
are located at the vertices of a regular
octahedron.
Rasa Vagbhata
As well as the familiar uses of salt in cooking,
In his well-known text Rasa Vagbhata has salt is used in many applications, from
used Saindhava in many therapeutic manufacturing pulp and paper, to setting dyes
formulations, but he has not given the general in textiles and fabric, to producing soaps,
and specific properties of Lavanas anywhere detergents, and other bath products. It is the
in the text. (Table 4) major source of industrial chlorine and sodium
The specialty of Bhavaprakasha13 is that the hydroxide, and used in almost every industry.
chemical composition of all Lavanas is given Sodium chloride is sometimes used as a
with their synonyms. (Table 6) cheap and safe desiccant because it appears
Yoga Ratnakara14 has described a variety of to have hygroscopic properties, making salting
formulations of Lavanas. (Table 7) an effective method of food preservation
Rasa yoga Sagara has compiled a specific historically as it draws water out of bacteria
preparation of Sauvarchala show in Table 9. through osmotic pressure, preventing them
from reproducing and causing food to spoil.
Even though more effective desiccants are
available, few are safe for humans to ingest15.

Rock Salt
This is the common name for the mineral
“halite”. Its chemical formula is NaCl.
Actually, rock salt is not (potassium swfate)

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 Neelesh Khandelwal et al / Lavana (salt) – An Ayurvedic outlook on Saindhava (Rock salt) 97

Table 1: Charaka Samhita

Table 2: Sushruta Samhita

Table 3: Ashtanga Hridayam

Table 4: Rasa Ratna Samucchaya (R.R.S.)

Table 5: Sharangadhara Samhita (Sha.S.)17

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98 Neelesh Khandelwal et al / Lavana (salt) – An Ayurvedic outlook on Saindhava (Rock salt)

Table 6: Bhavaprakasha (B.P.)

Table 7: Yoga Ratnakara (Y.R.)

Table 8: Bhaishajya Ratnavali (Bhay.Ratna)

Table 9: Rasa Yoga Sagara (R.Y.S.)

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 Neelesh Khandelwal et al / Lavana (salt) – An Ayurvedic outlook on Saindhava (Rock salt) 99

Table 10: Rasa Tarangini (R.T.)

Table 11: Chakradatta (Ratna Prabha Tika)17

Table 12: Modern chemistry of Rock salt and common salt

K2SO4; it is NaCl. It can have impurities of therapeutic salt form which contains all the
gypsum (CaSO4) and sylvite (KCl) but it is very elements found in our human body. Rock salt
rare to find potassium sulfate as a mineral, is possibly the purest form of salt, which is
although, occasionally, polyhalite free from environmental pollutants, chemical
(K 2Ca 2Mg(SO 4) 4.2H 2 O) is found associated components and does not require a refining
with rock salt deposits. process. It contains pure minerals such as
The origin of rock salt comes from the bed Calcium, Iron, Zinc, Potassium, Magnesium,
sea that evaporated million years ago. It left Copper and all the other 84 minerals. Its
behind crystallized deposits of this pure, benefits are best experienced when used in its

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100 Neelesh Khandelwal et al / Lavana (salt) – An Ayurvedic outlook on Saindhava (Rock salt)

natural state16. Rock salt is used externally and body. Apart from being used externally for the
internally and is easily absorbed as its skin and internally for the body, rock salt is
composition of minerals is similar to what we now also used to enhance the environment of
contain in our bodies. Some of the benefits of indoor spaces. It helps in maintaining a
using rock salt are, balance of the electro-magnetic radiation and
helps in nurturing and revitalizing the mind.
Therefore, rock salt is considered as a complete
a) Skin benefits body-mind package; it contributes to the body
It helps in exfoliating dead skin cells, internally, to the skin externally and to the
cleansing skin pores and protecting the natural health of the mind.
skin layer to produce healthy and energized
skin type. It also helps in strengthening skin
tissue to rejuvenate the skin to make it look DISCUSSION
younger and firm.
After scanning the classical references, it
b) Antioxidant becomes evident that Lavana (Salt) has
occupied a special position in socio-economic
It helps in getting rid of toxic minerals and cult. Right from the Vedic era to modern times,
refined salt deposits by stimulating blood it has been an integral part of the lifestyle of
circulation and mineral balance. people. Widely used not only as a flavoring
agent or additive, but also equally
c) As a health monitor therapeutically potent, this particular
commodity has however been told as Nidana
Use of rock salt helps in stabilizing blood for a large number of diseases. It has been
pressure by maintaining a balance of high and attributed with properties like Ushna, Snigdha,
low blood pressures. It also helps in controlling Deepana, Pitta Vardhaka etc. in general.
weight by equalizing minerals which inhibit
cravings and eliminate fat dead cells. Ancient seers knew atleast seven types of
Lavana. They have even described their
properties with specific therapeutic
d) As a Cure indications. The importance of Lavana is
Rock salt is used as a home remedy to cure mainly due to its action on Agni (Agni
many disorders and ailments. It is used to treat Deepana) and Vayu (Vatanulomaka). As Agni
many kinds of skin disorders and other and Vayu are supreme operational factors at
ailments such as rheumatic pains and herpes. the stage of digestion, their derangement can
It can also be consumed along with lemon juice lead to a variety of gastro-intestinal disorders
to eliminate stomach worms and control and cause ill health. Hence, the role of Lavana
vomiting. The common cold and cough and comes into play. Such is the implausible
other nasal and chest ailments can be treated importance that a whole lot of Kalpana
with recipes that involve rock salt as the main (formulation), i.e. Lavana Kalpana, is dedicated
ingredient. It is even used to reduce pain, to this particular artifact. Acharya Charaka has
inflammation and irritation from insect gone to the extent of describing the adverse
bites 1717 Uses for rock salt/Women’s effects of excessive consumption of Lavana in
Magazine. mht. general. When not properly used, it causes
accumulation of Doshas, fatigue, lassitude,
For proper functioning of the body at any weakness, premature graying of hair, baldness
point of time, in addition to water the body and wrinkling. However, a striking similarity
also requires almost half a kilogram of salt. It is seen in unanimous appreciation of
is essential for nourishment of minerals, water Saindhava Lavana. By virtue of its properties,
absorption, enhancing communication it can be effectively used in any Doshika
between cells and overall functioning of the

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 Neelesh Khandelwal et al / Lavana (salt) – An Ayurvedic outlook on Saindhava (Rock salt) 101

conditions. It doesn’t even vitiate Pitta. Hence, Sansthana, Nighantu Part, 11th edition,
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Volume 5 Number 2, April - June 2012