Tulsi

BOTANICAL NAME: Ocimum sanctum

FAMILY: Lamiaceae

CLASSICAL CLASSIFICATION:

ENGLISH NAME: Indian basil/ holy basil

COMMON NAME:

Hindi name- Tulsi

Kannada name– Sri Tulasi

REFERENCE: BHAVAPRAKASH SAMHITA with link e Nighantu:

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

तुलसी सुरसा ग्राम्या सुलभा बहुमञ्जरी |
अपेतराक्षसी गौरी भूतघ्नी देवदुन्दुभिः ||५०||
तुलसी कटुका तिक्ता हृद्योष्णा दाहपित्तकृत् |
दीपनी कुष्ठकृच्छ्रास्रपार्श्वरुक्कफवातजित् |
शुक्ला कृष्णा च तुलसी गुणैस्तुल्या प्रकीर्तिता ||५१||

HABITAT: Found throughout India. Now being cultivated extensively.

BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION:

A shrub of height 0.5 to 0.75cm, branched, sometimes woody, hairy. Leaves are oblong or ovate-oblong, obtuse or acute entire or substrate, having strong odour. Flowers are very small, inflorescence 12 to 14 cm long, borne in terminal and axillary racemes. Fruits are subglobose or broadly oblong nutlets. Seeds are small, pale black or red. Flowering and Fruiting are throughout the year but mainly in winter.

MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Bornyl acetate, cadinene, camphene, camphor, carvacrol, beta-caryophellene, eugenol, eugenol methyl ether, methyl chavicol, limonene etc.

THERAPEUTIC USES:

• Cough– Fresh juice of Krishna Tulsi is given with honey.
• Makkalashula-Juice of Tulasi leaves is taken with old jaggery and Manda.
• Pakshmasata– A copper vessel is impregnated with paste of Puspa Kasisa mixed with tulasi juice and left for 10 days. After wards that paste is collected and used as Anjana.

INDICATIONS:

Hrudya Cardiac Disorder, Shwasahar Asthma, Kash Cough, chardi Vomiting, visha Anti toxic

USEFUL PART: Leaves, seeds, whole plant

DOSAGE:

Fresh juice 10-20 ml

Root Decoction 50-100 ml

Seed Powder 3-6 g

AYURVEDIC FORMULATION:

1. Surasadigana Kasaya

2. Surasaditaila

3. Tumburvadi yoga

4. Nimbadilepa

5. Sahacharaditaila