Introduction

All the texts of Rasashastra and Jyotishshastra had counted mukta (pearl) among chief 9 Ratnas (gem), which are having their relations with specific Grahas. Mukta has been upheld as Chandragraha preeti Ratna in Astrology (gem for moon). People around the world such as Brazilians, South Africans, Indians, Chinese and Japanese are using Mukta as an ornamental gem form ancient time. It has the place of treasure similar to that of Gold and has a higher significance in the field of trade and in medicine.

Pearls are calcareous concretions formed as protection against the foreign objects, either particles or minute parasites, which penetrate inside between the mantle and the shell of the mollusk. A fold of soft tissue envelops the foreign particles and deposits layer after layer of nacre on it to form a pearl. Wild pearl may occur in spherical or irregular shapes in free state, or may be found attached to the shell as ‘demi’ or ‘blister’ pearls to be cut out from the shells. They are obtained from pearl oysters which belongs to single genus, Pinctada Roding (Pteriidae).

Derivation: The term Mukta is derived from Dhatu, “Much” and “kta pratyaya” which means, Loosened, Liberated, Delivered, Released, Discharged. The Nirukti of Mukta is, “Muchyate shukti samputa garbhaaditi Mukta.” i.e, the one which is released from Pearl oyster shell.

Modern Review of Mukta

Class: Mollusca
Latin Name: Pinctada margaritifera.

Pearl is an organic gem. It is obtained from the Pearl shell or oyster found in the sea. The Pearl shell belongs to the Molluscan class of aquatic creature. In several European languages, the word 'pearl' is synonymous with 'bead'. Because of the natural occurrence of pearl in the form of bead, it might have been named so.

Genesis of Pearl:

Pearls are the calcareous concretions formed as protection against the irritation caused by foreign objects, either sand or minute parasites which have lodged inside the shell, between the mantle and the shell of the animal. The common parasite found in Indian Pearl oysters is larval cyst of the tapeworm Tentacularia unionifactor. The creature secretes a substance called caucheolin as a natural defense when an irritant foreign body enters the shells. The secretion envelops the foreign body by depositing layer by layer of nacre on it and gets solidified. Further many more layers are formed

of these secretions, from which the Pearl is finally formed. There are two types of secretions, of which the first is translucent, which is chemically CaCO3. The other type of secretion is more transparent, which is chemically Canchialian – C₃₀H₄₈N₂O₂. Almost any shelled mollusk can, by natural processes, produce some kind of "pearl" when an irritating microscopic object becomes trapped within the mollusk's mantle folds, but virtually none of these pearls are valued as gemstones.

Natural pearls:

A "natural pearl" is one that formed without any human intervention at all, in the wild, and is very rare. Natural pearls are nearly 100% calcium carbonate and conchiolin. It is thought that natural pearls form under a set of accidental conditions when a microscopic intruder or parasite enters a bivalve mollusk, and settles inside the shell. The mollusk, being irritated by the intruder, secretes the calcium carbonate and conchiolin to cover the irritant. This secretion process is repeated many times, thus producing a pearl. Natural pearls come in many shapes, with perfectly round ones being comparatively rare. A "cultured pearl", on the other hand, is one that has been formed on a pearl farm. The great majority of pearls sold now a days in the market are cultured pearls.

The Cultural Pearls are produced artificially in large fisheries, many in the shallow waters of the shores of Japan and China. The oyster shells are opened and a small piece of foreign body is introduced inside the shells and closed again and re-introduced in water. The so called cultural pearls cannot be differentiated easily from the natural Pearls. Cultured pearls can be distinguished from natural pearls by X-ray examination. Nucleated cultured pearls are often 'pre-formed' as they tend to follow the shape of the implanted shell bead nucleus. Once the pre-formed beads are inserted into the oyster, it secretes a few layers of nacre around the outside surface of the implant before it is removed after six months or more.

Chemical composition of Pearl:
Pearls are composed of many tiny overlapping plates of nacreous material. The nacre consists of prismatic pseudohexagonal aragonite crystals (a polymorph of calcium carbonate) held together by conchiolin (C₃H₁₈N₉O₁₁ nH_2O.), a horny scleroprotein of the keratin type. Pearls contain 90 – 92% of Calcium carbonate (as aragonite), 4-6% of organic matter and 2-4% of water; their relative proportion varies with the species, the position of the Pearl in the shell and other factors.
Specific gravity –2.65 to 2.84.
Hardness -- 3.5 to 4

Occurrence:
Gulf countries, Srilanka, Japan, China, Mexico, Australia and in India gulf of Mannar.

Mukta Pariksha (tests)
The test for selecting Jatya Mukta is by immersing the Mukta in a vessel containing Gomutra along with Lavana, Ksharas and rubbing with husk. If the Mukta remains same in appearance, then it is considered as the best.¹

Rasendra Sampradaya says, the Mukta which breaks with difficulty on biting is considered as the best.

Ayurveda Prakasha and Rasapaddati mention about Mukta Pareeksha Mandali, which must contain the experts to test the quality of Mukta and the Jatya Mukta is alone weighed by the Tula yantra.^2,3

When the Prakrita (standerd) or Samvardita Mukta is dipped in Sulphuric acid, it losses it’s shining, but Kritrima Mukta (artificial) made of glass, china clay, plastic etc do not change in its appearance.⁴

Shodhana of Mukta:^5-13
A particular quantity of Mukta is tied as a Pottali (pouch of cotton cloth) with three folded cloth and immersed in a particular liquid (mild acidic medium like diluted juice of nimbuk) taken in the Dola yantra and boiled for one yama (3hrs).

Different methods of shodhana of Mukta

Marana of Mukta (preparation of Mukta Bhasma):
The Shodhita Mukta is powdered and triturated with a particular dravya(liquid medium) as mentioned in the texts. The Subhavitha material is made into Chakrikas  and dried under shade, then placed into Sharava samputa  and given Puta samskara.

Table showing different methods of Marana of Mukta

Mukta Pishti

Rasendra Sambhava mentions, the prepared Mukta bhasma has to be triturated with Gulab jala for 3 times, by this method, uttama Pishti will be obtained.³³

Mukta is taken in a khalva and given bhavana with Gulab jala for 21 days. By this Uttama, Soumya Mukta Pisti is obtained.³⁴

Suddha Mukta made into fine powder and seived with a cloth. This fine powder is triturated in Gulab jala for 3 days. This yeilds the Mukta Pisti.³⁵

Mukta Guna Karma:³⁶
Mukta Pisti is useful in Netraroga, Dhatukshaya, Rajayakshma, Urakshata, Hrudaya Dourbalya, Kasa, Shwasa, Jeernajwara, Hikka, Bhrama, Raktapitta, Mastishka Dourbalya, Netradaha, Shirodaha, Pittavruddhi, Paridaha, Prameha, Mootrakrucchra, Amlapitta, Nidranasha etc.

Matra of Mukta:³⁷
Analysing the Roga, Rogi bala, Avastha and also the Kala etc, the Bhasma is administered in the Dose of 1/4 Ratti to 2 Ratti Pramana (30 mg to 250 mg).
The Matra of Mukta Pishti is ½ Ratti to 1 Ratti (62.5mg-125mg) ³⁸

Anupana:³⁹
Ksheera, Ushnajala, Ghrita, Navaneeta, Madhu.

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