Godanti (Gypsum) Shodhana, Marana, Properties, Indications, Dosage

Gypsum or Godanti is a mineral used in Ayurvedic therapeutics. It is white in color and appears like the teeth of a cow (go), when a stroke is given to its plaque, hence the name Godanti.


Introduction

Gypsum or godanti is a white or gray soft mineral composed of calcium sulfate dihydrate.
Chemical formula CaSO4·2H2O.
It is the most common sulfate mineral and has evaporite quality. It is a compound of lime and sulfur. It is also called calcium sulfate.

Ayurvedic Reference:
Ayurvedic treatises Rasatarangini & Rasaratna samuchchaya have described the qualities of Godanti in detail.

Synonyms of Godanti


गोदन्तिका च गोदन्ता गोदन्तं कथ्यते बुधैः ।
तत्तु पाषाणजातीयं सौम्यं तालसमं न तत् ॥ (र.त.११/२३७)
godantikā ca godantā godantaṃ kathyate budhaiḥ |
tattu pāṣāṇajātīyaṃ saumyaṃ tālasamaṃ na tat || (ra|ta|11/237)

Synonyms: Godantika, Godantaa, Godanta, karpurashila, Shweta.

Types of Godanta

  1. Aparadarshaka / transparent – It is in dense form
  2. Paradarshaka / opaque – It is in flaky form

Shodhana of Godanti

Godanti should be purified before using for therapeutic purposes. Rasatarangini advises following method of purification called Shodhana

गोदन्तं निम्बुनीरेण द्रोणपुष्पीरसेन वा ।
यामार्द्धेनैव सुस्विन्नं विशुद्धयति न संशयः ॥
(र.त.११/२३९)
godantaṃ nimbunīreṇa droṇapuṣpīrasena vā |
yāmārddhenaiva susvinnaṃ viśuddhayati na saṃśayaḥ ||
(ra.ta.11/239)

Good type of Godanti is taken and tied in a cloth and a bundle is made. It is hanged in a pot (dola yantra) and subjected for Swedana (sudation) in the mediu m of fresh juice of lemon or leaf juice of Leucas cephalotes / Dronapushpi patra swarasa for one hour and 30 minutes.

Godanti marana

शरावसम्पुटान्तःस्थं गोदन्तं सुविशोधितम् ।
म्रियते पुटितं भस्म जायते शशिसुन्दरम् ॥
(र.त,११/२४०)
śarāvasampuṭāntaḥsthaṃ godantaṃ suviśodhitam |
mriyate puṭitaṃ bhasma jāyate śaśisundaram ||
(ra.ta,11/240)

Small pieces of purified godanti should be placed inside a Sharava samputa and subjected to sadharana puta. At the end of the process white colored bhasma or calx is obtained.

Properties of Godanti

Guna (Qualities) – Sheeta (cold), Laghu (lightness)
Virya (Potency) – Sheeta – Coolant
Karma (Actions) –
Pittahara – Balance Pitta Dosha,
Balya – Promotes strength,
Deepana – Promoges digestion strength

गोदन्तं सुमृतं शीतं पित्तज्वरनिषूदनम् ।
जीर्णज्वरहरं बल्यं दीपनं श्वासकासनुत् ॥
(र.त.११/२४१)
godantaṃ sumṛtaṃ śītaṃ pittajvaraniṣūdanam |
jīrṇajvaraharaṃ balyaṃ dīpanaṃ śvāsakāsanut ||
(ra.ta.11/241)

sumṛtaṃ –
śītaṃ – coolant,
pitta jvara niṣūdanam – cures Pitta type of fever,
jīrṇa jvaraharaṃ – cures chronic fever,
balyaṃ – strengthening,
dīpanaṃ – promotes digestion,
śvāsa kāsanut – cures dyspnoea and cough

गोदन्तभस्मशिशिरं शिरःशूलनिवारणम् ।
ज्वरे क्षये तथा कासे पाण्डुरोगे ह्युरःक्षते ॥
शस्यते बालशोषे च प्रदरे श्वेतवर्णके । (रसामृत, ५ /७)
godantabhasmaśiśiraṃ śiraḥśūlanivāraṇam |
jvare kṣaye tathā kāse pāṇḍuroge hyuraḥkṣate ||
śasyate bālaśoṣe ca pradare śvetavarṇake | (rasāmṛta, 5 /7)

śiśiraṃ – coolant,
śiraḥśūla nivāraṇam – cures headache,
useful in –
jvare – fever,
kṣaye – phthisis,
kāse – cough,
pāṇḍuroge – anemia,
uraḥkṣate – chest injury,
bālaśoṣe – emaciation in children,
pradare śvetavarṇake – and leucorrhea

Dosage of Godanti

1 – 2 masha (1 – 2 grams), in a divided dose per day.
Read more: Dose of Ayurvedic medicines

According to Rasatarangini,
गुञ्जैकतः समारभ्य गुञ्जात्रयमितं परम् ।
गोदन्तं विनियुञ्जीत बलकालाद्यपेक्षया॥
(र.त.११/२४२)
guñjaikataḥ samārabhya guñjātrayamitaṃ param |
godantaṃ viniyuñjīta balakālādyapekṣayā||
(ra.ta.11/242)

Generally, it can be administered in a dose of 1 gunja to 3 gunja (125 mg to 375 mg) quantity. But the dosage can be altered according to the strength of the patient and time of administration.


Important Medicines of Godanta

Kalagni bhairava rasa
Trailokya Chintamani rasa
Bala panchabhadra rasa

Research

A study on – “Cellular internalization of Godanti Bhasma (anhydrous CaSO4) induces massive cytoplasmic reversible vacuolation and survival response of mammalian cells”

Leave a reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked


This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Easy Ayurveda Video Classes

Buy Online Video Courses

Buy Easy Ayurveda Books

Ebooks

error: Alert: Content is protected !!