Mridu Paka

The mildest of the three Sneha-paka end-points. Reached when:

• The moisture content of the oil-Kalka-Drava mixture is just exhausted
• The foam on the oil surface subsides
• A small amount of the spent Kalka, lifted on the ladle and allowed to drop, falls back as a soft droplet (not a firm pellet, not crumbly)
• No charred smell

Use case: medicated oils intended for the most delicate applications:

• Nasya (nasal drops) — the oil must spread, penetrate mucosa, not irritate
• Karna Purana (ear-fill oil)
• Akshi Tarpana (eye-soaking oil — only certain ghrita)

The mildest cook means the oil retains more volatile aromatics and is the least chemically transformed.

Don’t use Mridu paka for: anything stored long-term, anything applied externally on broken skin, or anything taken orally — these need at least Madhyama paka.