Vedas Is A Foundation Of Alchemy And Chemistry

 

Fermentation technology is as old as Vedas in Ancient India.It has laid the foundation of alchemy and chemistry.A sweet drink like Soma Rasa, prepared by the Vedic people is the first product of fermentation in India.

Rigveda indicates that fermentation technology took its first step in connection with the preparation of Soma juice in India.There is also another drink, known as Sura (wine/beer), prepared by fermentation. These two fermented drinks have also been used in different medicinal preparations, surgical procedures and in many chemical and alchemical operations.Acetic fermentation was known to India since the early vedic age.

Curd (Yogurt) is another very popular fermentation product described in the Rigveda. It still remains a popular food which is formed by fermenting milk overnight.Technology of curdling milk is also found in Yajurveda.In the beginning, fermentation was mainly associated with the preparation of spiritual drinks, but later on it was used for other purposes also.

The different terms associated with fermentation in various texts are as follows :

Asuta (begetting a new form)
Abhisuta (extraction, may indicate extraction from fermented smash)
Parisrut (‘foaming’, ‘fermenting’, that is, the state of fermenting)
Sandhaana (complete absorption of ferment with fermenting material)

All these terms, chiefly signifying “brewing”, were part of the process of fermentation. Except the last term, all the other terms are found in Vedic literature.Fermentation technology is mainly based on four ingredients/processes like :

1. Base material (yoni)
2. Ferment or yeast (kinva, nagnahu), alternatively, auxiliary (sambhara), providing flavor and good taste to liquor in addition to fermenting
3. Heating or digesting
4. Fermenting vessels.

Two drinks mentioned in Vedas are are Soma and Sura.Rigveda describes Soma as a godly concoction, while Sura is described as mainly a human drink. However, Yajurveda uplifts Sura to the status of Soma.

Fermentation mentioned in Rigveda:

Soma is an invigorating plant product generally prepared by squeezing juice from plants.Following statements give an indication of fermentation:

Admixture of a thick juice of Soma with barley powder ( RigVeda . IX. 68.4).This statement is a clear indication of fermentation with barley.
 

“Fifteenth day old highly intoxicating Soma” ( RigVeda . X.27.2). In this statement fifteenth day probably refers to the broth fermented in the vat for 15 days.
 

“Soma being treated is red” ( RigVeda .IX.82: 1) (Soma could be similar to Red Wine in color)

All these statements give an indication of fermentation technology involved in the preparation of Soma Rasa Recipe.

Fermentation mentioned in Yajurveda:

Sukla Yajurveda ( Vaj. XIX. 13-15; 82-83) describes the formation of two stimulating drinks – Sura and Parisrut.Sura was supposed to be prepared from germinated paddy, germinated barley, and parched rice with the help of ferment. Yeast was used most often as the fermenting agent.

Katyayana Srauta sutra (XV, 9.28-30; XIX, 1-2) also gives a complete description of the preparation of Sura.According to this method, either boiled rice or boiled barley was mixed with the ferment and also with masara and the entire mixture was kept in a jar.This jar was then kept in a pit for three nights. Meanwhile, cow’s milk and powdered parched rice were poured in the pit.