Rasacharya Pandit Chivukula Satyanarayanasastry: A proponent of Rasa Chikitsa and a distinguished litterateur who enriched Ayurveda through Telugu literature

Abstract Alchemy has two main aspects : Rasa Chikitsa and Rasa Vada . Rasa Chikitsa refers to the therapeutic application of drugs of metal and mineral origin, animal products, and poisonous plant drugs in Ayurveda . On the other hand, Rasa Vada was a branch of chemistry in the Middle Ages concerned with changing base metals into gold and alchemy, which have been around for centuries. Saint Govinda Bhagavatpada, the mentor of Adi Sankaracharya, was a respected practitioner of Rasa Vada and wrote Rasa Hridaya Tantra , considered a pioneering work on Rasa Sastra . Rasacharya Chivukula Satyanarayana Sastry, from Andhra Pradesh, dedicated his life to mastering these two facets and gained notable recognition as a Rasa Vaidya . He was given the esteemed title of Rasacharya , following the footsteps of the renowned scientist Siddha Nagarjuna. Interestingly, no one else in Andhra Pradesh has been given this honor. However, recent discoveries suggest that Sri Bhudev Mookerji was also honored with the title “ Rasacharya ” for compiling the monumental publication Rasa Jala Nidhi in five volumes. This comprehensive discussion aims to shine a light on the extraordinary life and significant contributions of Rasacharya Sri Chivukula Satyanarayan Sastry, an outstanding figure in Ayurveda .