Classical information

After the ashes of the plant have been collected, they are soaked in water, mixed well, filtered and later boiled. The table below summarises what has been collected from various texts that mention kśār preparation.

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After the filtration is done, the collected clear liquid is now called as Pāniya Kśār which is meant for internal consumption and later this liquid is subjected to boiling to transform it into Mrudu, Madhyama and Tīkśna kśār, each with increasing potency than the previous one and now this kśār is called as the Pratisārniya Kśār which is meant for external application.

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What we did and observed

It was difficult to find detailed information on the method of filtration and boiling that is being used by the industries for kśār preparation. In our set up, we added 6 parts of water to 1 part of ash. After thorough mixing, this liquid was strained through a thin cotton cloth. Filtration was performed 21 times. Each time, the cloth was folded 8 times and the filtrate allowed to pass. The cloth was rinsed between successive filtrations.  An electron microscopic examination of the cloth filter used for water filtration made of an olad saree which had undergone multiple launderings demonstrated an effective pore size of 20 micrometers when folded four to eight times. When the cotton cloth is washed multiple times, its threads become soft and loose, decreasing the pore size. This explains the need for fold filtration and the specific use of cotton cloth for the process during the ancient times. The kśārōdak contains carbonates of sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium. Boiling causes the carbonates to be released as carbon dioxide thereby concentrating the potassium, calcium, sodium and magnesium in it which contribute to the kśāratva of the kśār.

Gaps Identified

• Although the literature talks about the use of cotton cloth for filtration, its dimensions in terms of its size and the pore size have not been mentioned.We also don’t find any references which state whether each time the kśār was being prepared, if the same old cotton cloth was taken or a fresh one was used instead.
• There is no consensus for how long we should soak the ashes as well as the source and type of water one must use for soaking.
• The exact time required for boiling is not mentioned clearly in the classical texts. The lack of these output parameters means that we cannot assess if filtration and boiling is done properly for good quality of kśār.
• Some texts mention the use of gomutra along with water for soaking. It can be because it contains elements like potassium, calcium, magnesium, sodium with potassium being in the highest concentration. It is unclear how many practitioners or industry deploy this addition.

Proposed ways to address gaps

• We have to clearly state the source and the nature of water that has to be used for soaking. Weight/ volume or volume/volume measurements have to be clarified.
• For filtration, it would be helpful to know filtration medium material, particle size of the filtrate and the pore size of the filtration material. The quality of the filtrate can be standardised by knowing it’s pH, OD (via spectrophotometer), colour, clarity and density.
• Similar information for the matter after boiling would be useful.

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