General Description
Shilajit is the most potent medicine that Ayurveda has ever discovered. It is a mineral-based medication which is found oozing from the rocky cliffs. The main source of Shilajit in India is the Himalaya, where the Shilajit is found oozing out from the cracks of rocks in the form of a red to dark brown gummy substance. Apart from India, Shilajit is also found in the mountainous areas of Nepal, Pakistan, China, Tibet and even as far as in Norway. However the Shilajit found in all these areas have different potencies, because of the differences in the rocks present in these areas.
Charaka in the Charaka Samhita mentioned that the four main constituents of the Shilajit are gold, silver, copper and iron. According to the predominant composition of the elements, he classified Shilajit as Swarna Shilajit (containing maximum gold), Rajat Shilajit (containing maximum silver), Tamra Shilajit (containing maximum copper) and Lauha Shilajit (containing maximum iron). Lauha Shilajit is black in color.
It is also the most powerful and the most readily available of all forms of Shilajit. Later, Sushrut put forward that Shilajit contains two more vital elements. They were lead and zinc. Modern research has shown that Shilajit contains more than 85 minerals in different ionic forms and also a very effective acid known as fulvic acid. Shilajit composition is likened to the mineral ozokerite.
Shilajit is known by many other names. In English, it is popular as Mineral Pitch and Mineral Wax. It is also popular by its Latin names Asphaltum and Black Asphaltum (referring to Lauha Shilajit). Its Sanskrit name means onqueror of rocks?(shila = rock, jit = victory). Even in Sanskrit it is known by some other derived named such as Shilajitu, Silajatu, etc.
Properties
Charaka has mentioned that the Shilajit can make the body as hard as a rock, and that there is no disease that cannot be healed with Shilajit. This supreme confidence in Shilajit from the great guru Charaka himself stems from the fact that the Shilajit is a host of several curative properties. The following are some of the important properties of Shilajit:- (i)Shilajit is an antioxidant. (ii)Shilajit helps to rejuvenate the nervous system. (iii)Shilajit is one of the few medicines in Ayurveda that have been classified as a panacea. It is used in conjunction with other herbs that are induced to work deeply within the body, and hence produce greater healing effect. (iv)Shilajit helps in the transport of materials within the body. (v)Shilajit is a blood purifier. (vi)Shilajit has properties in increasing the memory and overall mental capacity of the person. (vii)Shilajit is termed as a rasayana in Ayurvedic medicine. That is, it is an adaptogen that helps to alleviate immune disorders.
Uses
Shilajit has been traditionally used in India over several centuries for a wide variety of reasons. The following are some of the most important reasons for which Shilajit has gained its worldwide renown today:-
