Oyster shell (Shukti) Properties, Uses, Indications, Dosage, Remedies

Ayurveda – Rasashastra has described many animal sources of calcium including marine origin. Oyster is one among them and used extensively in Ayurvedic treatment after proper purification. It is often called Pearl Oyster.

Table of Contents

Introduction

Oyster is the common name of some marine organisms which include different families of molluscs. The shells of these organisms are sharp edged and irregular in shape and that is called Shukti in Ayurveda, which is used as medicine in different ailments like asthma, heart disease, colicky pain etc.

Oyster shell or shukti is composed of Calcium carbonate along with other organic elements.
Chemical formula – CaCO3

Synonyms of Shukti

शुक्तिश्च शुक्तिका चापि मुक्तामाता तथैव च ।
मुक्तागृहं महाशुक्तिमौक्तिकप्रसवा च सा ॥
मुक्ताशुक्तिस्तथा मुक्तागेहं मौक्तिकमन्दिरम् । (र.त.१२/६४ – ६५)
śuktiśca śuktikā cāpi muktāmātā tathaiva ca |
muktāgṛhaṃ mahāśuktimauktikaprasavā ca sā ||
muktāśuktistathā maktāgehaṃ mauktikamandiram | (ra.ta.12/64 – 65)

Synonyms: Shukti, Shuktika, Muktamata, Muktagruha, Mahashukti, Mauktikaprasava, Muktashukti, Muktageha, Mauktikamandira.

Availability:
Muktashukti – in sea.
Jalashukti – in rivers.

Shodhana of Sukti

जयन्त्याः स्वरसेनैव शुक्तिं दोलागतां पचेत् ।
यामैकेनैव नियतं शुक्तिः शुद्धिमवाप्नुयात् ॥
अम्लेन केनचिद्वापि दोलायन्त्रेण यत्नतः ।
शुक्तिकां पाचयेद्धीमान् शुद्धिमायात्यनुत्तमाम् ॥ (र.त.१२/६५ – ६६)
jayantyāḥ svarasenaiva śuktiṃ dolāgatāṃ pacet |
yāmaikenaiva niyataṃ śuktiḥ śuddhimavāpnuyāt ||
amlena kenacidvāpi dolāyantreṇa yatnataḥ |
śuktikāṃ pācayeddhīmān śuddhimāyātyanuttamām || (ra.ta.12/65 – 66)

Purification of Shukti is done by subjecting them to swedana karma in the juice of Sesbania sesban in Dolayantra for three hours. Swedana can be done by any other sour liquids like lemon juice, fermented gruel etc. instead of Sesbania sesban juice.

Marana of Shukti

शुक्तिकां खण्डशः कृत्वा सम्पुटस्थां ततः पुटेत् ।
हिमकुन्देन्दुसड्काशां शुक्तेर्भूतिं समाहरेत् ॥ (र.त.१२/६७)
śuktikāṃ khaṇḍaśaḥ kṛtvā sampuṭasthāṃ tataḥ puṭet |
himakundendusaḍkāśāṃ śukterbhūtiṃ samāharet || (ra.ta.12/67)

Shukti should be made into small pieces, taken in Sharava samputa and properly sealed. Then it is subjected to Gajaputa and the final product will be white colored Shukti bhasma (calx).

Guna Karma of Sukti

Properties of Shukti:
शुक्तिका शूलशमनी हृदामयविनाशिनी ।
स्निग्धा रुच्या श्वासहरा दीपनी मधुरा मता ॥
इष्टिकावर्णसङ्काशां नाशयेन्मूत्रशर्करम् ।
प्लीहानं नाशयत्याशु तथा च जठरामयान् ॥
(र.त.१२/६८-६९)
śuktikā śūlaśamanī hṛdāmayavināśinī |
snigdhā rucyā śvāsaharā dīpanī madhurā matā ||
iṣṭikāvarṇasaṅkāśāṃ nāśayenmūtraśarkaram |
plīhānaṃ nāśayatyāśu tathā ca jaṭharāmayān ||
(ra.ta.12/68-69)

śūlaśamanī – subsides colicky pain,
hṛdāmaya vināśinī – cures pain in heart region,
snigdhā – unctuous,
rucyā – improves taste perception,
śvāsaharā – cures asthma,
dīpanī – carminative,
madhurā – sweet in taste,
iṣṭikā varṇa saṅkāśāṃ – color is similar to that of brick,
nāśayet mūtra śarkaram – cures gravels in urine,
plīhānaṃ nāśayati āśu – cures spleen disorders fast and
jaṭharāmayān – diseases of stomach

According to Ayurveda Prakasha,
मुक्ताशुक्तिः कटुः स्निग्धा श्वासहृद्रोगहारिणी ।
शूलप्रशमनी रुच्या मधुरा दीपनी परा ॥ (आ.प्र.२/३२७)
muktāśuktiḥ kaṭuḥ snigdhā śvāsahṛdrogahāriṇī |
śūlapraśamanī rucyā madhurā dīpanī parā || (ā.pra.2/327)

kaṭuḥ – pungent,
snigdhā – unctuous,
śvāsa hṛdroga hāriṇī – cures asthma and heart diseases,
śūla praśamanī – cures colicky pain,
rucyā – improves taste perception,
madhurā – sweet and
dīpanī – carminative.

Properties of Jala shukti

जलशुक्तिः कटुः स्निग्धा दीपनी गुल्मशूलनुत् ।
विषदोषहरा रुच्या पाचनी बलदायिनी ॥ (आ.प्र.२/३२९)
jalaśuktiḥ kaṭuḥ snigdhā dīpanī gulmaśūlanut |
viṣadoṣaharā rucyā pācanī baladāyinī || (ā.pra.2/329)

kaṭuḥ – pungent,
snigdhā – unctuous,
dīpanī – carminative,
Gulma śūlanut – cures abdominal tumor and colicky pain,
viṣadoṣa harā – removes effects of poisonous substances,
rucyā ¬ – improves taste perception,
pācanī – digestive and
baladāyinī – improves strength.

Dosage of Shukti

रक्तिद्वयमिता मात्रा सुक्तागेहस्य कीर्तिना ॥ (र.त.१२/७०)
raktidvayamitā mātrā suktāgehasya kīrtinā || (ra.ta.12/70)

Dosage: 2 ratti (250 mg) in divided doses per day