Shweta Sarshapa

BOTANICAL NAME: Brassica campestris

FAMILY: Brassicaceae

CLASSICAL CLASSIFICATION-

Bhavaprakasha nighantu – Dhanya varga

ENGLISH NAME: White or yellow mustard

COMMON NAME:

Hindi: Sarson, Sariso

Bengali: Sarisa

Kannad: Sasve

REFERENCE: BHAVAPRAKASH SAMHITA with link e Nighantu:

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

गौरस्तु सर्षपः प्राज्ञैः सिद्धार्थ इति कथ्यते ||५८||सर्षपस्तु रसे पाके कटुः स्निग्धः सतिक्तकः |तीक्ष्णोष्णः कफवातघ्नो रक्तपित्ताग्निवर्धनः ||५९||रक्षोहरो जयेत्कण्डूं कुष्ठकोष्ठक्रिमिग्रहान् |यथा रक्तस्तथा गौरः किन्तु गौरो वरो मतः ||६०||

HABITAT: Plant is extensively cultivated throughout India as an important oil crop. It is likely that this variety was introduced from North West to Punjab, from where it has extended eastwards. It is most commonly grown in central India and north Indian states along with East Bengal.

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BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION: The plant is annual herb of about 1-2 ft tall. Stem is branched, usually clearly coarsely hairy. Leaves are alternate, stalked. Blade is coarsely hairy, irregularly pinnately lobed, terminal large. Flowers are yellow colored. Uppermost stem leaves clearly lobed. Fruit is many-seeded, densely stiff-haired, 3-veined, 2-4 cm long terminated by a flat, slightly curved. White mustard seeds are hard round seeds, usually around 1 to 1.5 mm in diameter, with a colour ranging from beige or yellow.

MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Mustard seeds contain numerous chemical constituents which alkaloids like sinapine and cheirine. Glucosides like glucocheirolin, Glucotropeolin, singrin are also found.

THERAPEUTIC USES:

• Rheumatoid arthritis – External application of oil prepared from sarson and kapoora over the affected regions.
• Insect bite – Its seeds are being used for fumigation.
• Inflammation and swelling – Tanduliyaka and sarson should be taken in equal quantity and then make the paste with navneet. Apply it externally as lepa.

INDICATIONS:

Amvata Rheumatoid arthritis, Vrana Wound, Prameha Diabetes, Krimiroga Worm infestation, Shopha Inflammation and swelling

USEFUL PART: Seed, oil

DOSAGE: Powder: 3 to 5gm

AYURVEDIC FORMULATION:

1. Sidharthakadi ghrta
2. Sidharthaka agada
3. Hinguvadi Taila
4. Brihatmarichadi Taila
5. Mahayogaraja guggulu