Need of purification of water and Copper Pot:

According to Acharya Sushrut polluted water should not be consumed, because it produces aggravation of doshas and is unsuitable for health. He who drinks polluted water without purification, gets affected quickly by dreaded diseases. Diseases like anaemia, skin diseases, improper digestion, dyspnoea, cough, nasal catarrh are caused by impure water. Several methods are explained in text for water purification. Copper pot is most popular and widely used utensil.

The various Ayurvedic method of purification of drinking water:

Mechanical Purification:

        This method of purification by clean & neat cotton clothes will be applied for mechanical contamination like mud.

Thermal purification- 

        This method of purification by heating on domestic fuel, sunlight or dropping heated solid in water will be applied for destroying of microorganism. The most effective means of water purification is boiling. Keeping water at a vigorous and rolling boil for 1 to 3 minutes depending on elevation will eliminate all bacteriological contaminants. 

Herbal purification- 

        This method of purification by scenting the Ayurvedic Herb like Delphinium Denudatum, Strychnous Potatorum& flower of Mesua Ferrea, Michelia Champaka&NelumboNucifera etc.

 Instead of above processes several other methods are used for purification of water.  Several medicinal plants are used to purify water like nirmali, visgranthi, shaival mool, etc. Precious gems like mukta, mani, gomedak along with alum are in use for purification of water.   

Storage of drinking water:

        Water kept stored in vessels made of gold, silver, copper, bronze, precious stones or in earthen pots and made fragrant by putting flowers into it should be used for drinking.

Copper pot for storage and consumption of water:

        Although water could be stored in any kind of above mentioned utensils, but copper was given preference at several places in samhitas.

Sushrut Samhita:

        Water well boiled and then cooled should be kept in copper vessels.

Bhav Prakash:

      A vessel meant for drinking water should be made of copper.  

      In Rigveda, there are references of word Ayasand it can be considered as copper because it represents reddish metal. The references are usually in context with various ornaments used. 

      The word Tamra is first found in the Samhitas of Yajurveda the Atharvaveda, Brahmanas, and in Upnishada. So it evident that the word Tamra began to be used since the period of Yajurveda.

      In Atharva Veda iron is symbolized as blood and copper [1](Shyamam) as flesh.

         In Shatpatha and Gopatha Brahmans, copper is denoted as Lohayasam owing to its red color. Copper was believed to be in preparations of arrows. Mythologically, it is believed to be derived from umbilicus of lord Indra. It was believed that lord Prajapati had created all the ores (Apakva Dhatu Ayas) in the womb of the earth.

The Samhitas:

        Use of metals in therapeutics was initiated in this period. In Charaka Samhita[2], Tamra is described as one of six metalsand also quoted as poison. Tamra is indicated for the removal of diseases, its powder is indicated for internal use as Rasayana and for the treatment of diseases.