BOTANICAL NAME: Nymphea alba
FAMILY: Nymphaeaceae
CLASSICAL CLASSIFICATION:
Aacharya Charaka : mutravirajaniya mahakashaya
Aacharya Sushruta : utpaladi gana
Aacharya vagbhatta : mutravirajaniya gana
Bhavaprakasha – Pushpavarga
COMMON NAME:
Hindi : koyi
Malayalam : kamoda
Tamil : punaik kali
Bengali : shaluka, sundi
Telugu : kaluva puvvu
English : white water lily
PLANT IMAGE with Unique Identification Feature:
REFERENCE: BHAVAPRAKASH SAMHITA with link e Nighantu:
https://niimh.nic.in/ebooks/e-Nighantu/bhavaprakashanighantu/?mod=read
कुमुदं पिच्छिलं स्निग्धं मधुरं ह्लादि शीतलम् |
कुमुदती कैरविका तथा कुमुदिनीति च ।
सा तु मूलादिसर्वाङ्गैरुक्ता समुदिता बुधैः ।
पद्मिन्या ये गुणाः प्रोक्तः कुमुदिन्याच्च ते स्मृता || १४
HABITAT: Grow in water in all over India.
BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION: A large aquatic herb. Stem: Slender, elongate, branched, sending out roots at the nodes. Leaves: Leaves of Nelumbo nucifera are Membranous, approximately 30 to 60 cm in diameter. Leaves are orbicular, concave, erect, peltate in shape, entire margins, radially nerved, and glaucous petioles are long, Rough with small distant prickles. Flowers: Solitary, 10 to 25 cm in diameter, white or rosy, petals are 5 to 12 cm long, elliptic, obtuse, finely veined, concave. Fruit Ovoid and glabrous
AYURVEDIC CHARACTERISTICS:
| RASA | GUNA | VEERYA | VIPAKA | PRABHAVA | DOSHGHNTA |
| madhura, Kashaya, Tikta | laghu, snigdha, picchila | Shita | madhura | – | Kaphavatapittasamaka |
AYURVEDIC ENERGETICS:
| TASTE | PROPERTY | POTENCY | POST DIGESTION EFFECT | ACTION | DOSHA ACTION |
| Astringent, Bitter, sweet | Light, uncutous oilness, stickiness | cold | sweet | – | Kapha vata pitta pacifying |
MAJOR CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS: Kempferol, quercetin, luteolin, nymphalin
THERAPEUTIC USES:
1. Pradara – leaf juice with ghee is useful in white discharge in women.
2. Palitya – kumuda powder with milk is beneficial for premature hair graying.
3. Smritihrasha – ghee prepared with kumuda whole plant paste is beneficial with gold flacks in dementia.
INDICATIONS:
Medhya (improves intellect), grahi (reduces excessive secretions), trishnahara (decreases excessive thirst), raktapittahara (useful in bleeding disorders), jwarahara (anti-pyretic)
USEFUL PART: Seeds, flower, rhizome, whole plant
DOSAGE: Seed Powder – 3-6 gm, fresh rhizome juice – 10-20 ml
AYURVEDIC FORMULATION:
Utpaladi churna, nilotpaladi hima, nilophar sharbat, utpaladhya churna