A word of advice. Please be careful with all the Ayurvedic preparations as you might think they are harmless. Actually, the herbs do have the same properties as drugs. Always take them under the guidance of an Ayurvedic doctor.
In Ayurveda various herbs and herbal combinations are used in treatments and therapies. These make up the group of oushadha.
Important Herbal Combinations
Trikatu
This is made up of 3 katu (pungent) herbs. They are dry ginger or shunti, pippali (long pepper) and maricha (black pepper). These are mixed in equal proportions. All the 3 herbs improve digestive power and help in liver detoxification.
Shunti is katu and snigdha (unctuous). Although it is katu in taste after digestion it becomes madhura (sweet) hence it increases shukra (semen). It increases the agni in the stomach and reduces vata and kapha. Shunti also has a grahi or retaining quality hence can be used in diarrhea.
Pippali acts very similarly to shunti but instead of being a grahi it acts like a laxative. It is widely used in swasa (asthma) and other respiratory diseases.
Maricha increases agni and is also pungent and theekshna (sharp).
Trikatu increases agni and it is useful in respiratory diseases like swasa (asthma), pinasa (running nose), and galaroga (throat diseases) and in digestive problems. Whenever there is a loss of appetite a pinch of trikatu should be taken with the first morsel of food.
It is also an anti-inflammatory agent and is useful in inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.
Panchakola
This is a group of 5 herbs made up of pippali, shunti, pippali mool, chavya (wild pepper) and chitraka (plumbago). The name comes from the fact that there are 5 herbs (pancha) which are mixed in equal propotions (kola).
It is a very important digestive preparation and is used in many diseases where the digestive agni is weak like atisara, grahani.
Pippali mool and chavya have similar properties as maricha. These are effective in liver diseases and in pleeha (enlargement of spleen).
Chitraka is the best medicine to improve agni. It is theekshna and pungent and digests ama (toxins) and improves agni. It reduces kapha and vata doshas and is useful in kusta (skin problems).
Dasamool
This is one of the best medicines used in vataja diseases. It consists of the roots of 10 herbs which are bilva, kashmari, tarkari, patala, syonaka, solanum indicum, solanum xanthocarpum, prisniparni, salipharni and gokshura. Of these the first 5 are called as mahat (big) panchamoola and these are obtained from large trees and the latter 5 are called as hrasva (small) panchamoola which are obtained from shrubs.
It is useful in relieving pain and in inflammatory conditions. It is also used as an enema as the moola (chief) stana of vata is below the umbilicus and by addressing vata in this area it can be controlled. It can also help in nervine disorders and in tremors.
The mahat panchmool are Kashaya (astringent) and tikta and they reduce vata and kapha and increase agni.
The hrasva panchmool are madhura (sweet) in taste and also in vipaka stage (after digestion). It reduces all the three doshas.
It is the best medicine to normalise the movement of vata in the body. It also reduces kapha, increases agni, and removes obstruction in the flow of prana in the body. Dasamoola is hence tridoshahara (subsides all the 3 doshas) and is useful in jwara (fever), swasa (respiratory diseases) kasa (cough), sandhigata vata (arthritis), peenasa (rhinitis) and any vata disease.
Triphala
Triphala is one of the commonest of the Ayurvedic preparations. It is the cornerstone of gastrointestinal and rejuvenative treatment. As its name suggests it is made up of tri (3) phala (fruits) which are amalaki, (emblika officinalis) hareetaki (terminalia bellerica). According to charaka taking triphala daily with honey and ghee can make a person live a healthy life even for 100 years. It pacifies all the 3 doshas hence is called a tridoshic rasayana.
Haritaki is considered to have a kashaya taste but still purifies the body. It digests ama and removes the bad kapha. It is an anuloman (normalises the movement of vata in the body). It is mainly a rasayan but is indicated in kusta, pandu (anaemia) swasa, arsas (hemorroids) and prameha (diabetes).
Amalaki has all the properties of haritaki but it has a sheeta (cold) nature and the prominent taste here is amla (sour). It prevents aging and pacifies pitta and kapha dosas.
Bibitaki it has similar features as amalaki but is less potent. It is also seetha by nature and is used in swasa.
Triphala is a very effective rasayana and is effective in eye diseases, skin diseases and ulcers. It is also a laxative and improves the digestive agni. It also has healing properties.
. . . to be continued
Mrs. Mira Swami, Department of Ayuveda