Ashwagandha

BOTANICAL NAME: Withania somnifera

FAMILY: Solanaceae

CLASSICAL CLASSIFICATION

Charak- Balya, Brimhaneeya

ENGLISH NAME: Winter cherry

COMMON NAME:

Hindi: Asgandha

Kannada: Angara beru

Bengali: Ashwagandha

Punjabi: Asgandh

REFERENCE: BHAVAPRAKASH SAMHITA with link e Nighantu:

https://niimh.nic.in/ebooks/e-Nighantu/bhavaprakashanighantu/?mod=read

गन्धान्ता वाजिनामादिरश्वगन्धा हयाह्वया |

वराहकर्णी वरदा बलदा कुष्ठगन्धिनी ||१६१||

अश्वगन्धाऽनिलश्लेष्मश्वित्रशोथक्षयापहा |

बल्या रसायनी तिक्ता कषायोष्णाऽतिशुक्रला ||१६२|

HABITAT: All over India.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION:

It is found throughout the drier parts of India. It is an erect under shrub up to 1.5 high, Covered with stellate tomentum. Leaves are 5-10×2.5-5 cm, ovate with 6-13 mm, long petiole. Flowers are greenish yellow. Fruits 6mm in diameter, enclosed in much enlarged inflated calyx and red when ripe. Seeds are many and discoid Flowering and fruiting time rainy- autumn season and onwards.

AYURVEDIC ENERGETICS:

TASTE	PROPERTY	POTENCY	POST DIGESTIVE EFFECT	EFFECT ACTION	DOSHA ACTION
Bitter, sweet astringent	Lightness, oiliness	Hot	Sweet		Balances tridosha

MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Volatile oil, Withaniol, Somniferin

THERAPEUTIC USES:

• Rhinitis-equal amount of turmeric-ginger and aswagandha powder taken 3 gm with luke warm water
• Leucorrhoea – 100gm of ashwagandha roots are selected and soaked in cow milk and dried under sunshine.

INDICATIONS:

Shoth Inflammation, Premeha Diabetes, Balya Improves strength, shvitra leukoderma, Shwashar Asthma.

USEFUL PART: Mool

DOSAGE: Powder: 3-6gms

Ksara: 1-3 gms

AYURVEDIC FORMULATION:

1. Asvagandha churna

2. Asvagandhaarista

3. Asvagandha rasayana

4. Asvagandha ghrta