AUSHADH VARGA (GROUP OF MEDICINAL SUBSTANCES)

SALTS

All types of salts are 

• Vishyandi (produce more secretions in the body tissues/srotas)
• Sukshma (is capable of entering into minute channels) 
• Help with easy movement of faeces
• Mitigates vata
•  Aids digestion
• Penetrating abilities
• Aggravates kapha and pitta dosha

DIFFERENT TYPES OF SALTS AND THEIR PROPERTIES

SAINDHAV LAVAN

Saindhava salt (rock salt) is 

• Slightly sweet in taste
• Aphrodisiac in nature 
• Good for the heart (or mind)
•  Balances all the three doshas
• Easily digestible 
• Not too hot in potency
• Good for health
•  Does not cause burning or hyperacidity
• Improves digestion 

SAUVARCHAL LAVAN (SOCHAL SALT)

Sauvarcala (sochal salt) is

• Easily digestible 
• Good for the heart and mind
• It has good smell
• Cures belching
• Pungent taste at the end of digestion
• Relieves constipation 
• Improves digestion
• Enhances taste perception

BIDA LAVANA

• Bida salt causes upward and downward movement of kapha and vata dosha(expels them out from both ways)
• Improves digestion
• Relieves constipation and flatulence
• Prevents flatus
• Relieves colic and bloating (heaviness of the abdomen)

SAMUDRA LAVAN (COMMON SALT)

Common salt has madhur vipaka (sweet at the end of digestion), not easy to digest and aggravates Kapha

AUBDHIDA LAVANA

Aubdhida is slightly bitter, alkaline and pungent in taste, penetrates deep in the tissues and increases the secretions in body.

KRISHNA LAVANA (BLACK SALT)

Krisna lavana (black salt) has properties similar to souvarchala except the smell.

ROMAK LAVANA

Romaka salt is easily digestible

PAMSUTTHA LAVANA

Pamsuttha is slightly alkaline, aggravates kapha and not very easy to digest.

• Whenever salts are to be used for medicinal purposes or recipes they should always be prepared commencing with saindhava.

TYPES OF KSHARA

YAVAKSHARA – It is prepared from Barley

• Cures abdominal tumors
• Diseases of the heart
• Duodenal disease
• Anaemia
• Splenic disorders
• Distension of the abdomen
• Diseases of the throat
• Asthma
• Haemorrhoids 
• Gives relieve in cough 

KSHARA 

All ksharas in General are :

• Teekshna – penetrating 
• Ushna – very hot in potency
• krumijit – Destroy worms, prevents worm infestations
• Laghu – Easily digestible
• Pitta Asruk dushana – Vitiate pitta and blood
• Paki – Helps in digestion, Heals wounds
• Chedya – Clears the clogged pores or channels
• Ahrudya- Not good for the heart
• As its taste is pungent and salty, so, it’s not good for semen and ojas (essence of all dhatus or tissues), hair and eye health.

HINGU

Hingu (asa foetida) has following properties

• Reduces  vata and kapha dosha
•  Cures abdominal distension and colic pains
• Aggravates pitta dosha
• Pungent in taste and after taste(vipaka)
• Improves taste perception and appetite
• Improves Digestion and is easily digestible. 

HARITAKI (Terminalia chebula)

Haritaki is

• Astringent, sweet at the end of digestion, 
• Dry in nature, causes dryness in the body
• Devoid of lavana (It has the remaining five tastes)
•  Easily digestable 
• Improves appetite
•  Helps in digestion
•  Improves intelligence 
• Prevents early aging, maintains youth
• Hot in potency
• Laxative
• Bestows long life 
• Strengthens the mind and the sense organs
• Cures leprosy (and other skin diseases), skin discolouration
• Disorders of voice
•  Chronic intermittent fevers
•  Diseases of the head and eyes 
• Anaemia
• Heart disease
• Jaundice
• Disease of the duodenum
•  Consumption
• Dropsy
•  Diarrhoea 
• Obesity
• Fainting
• Vomiting
• Worm infestations
• Dyspnoea and cough
• Excess salivation
• Haemorrhoids
•  Disease of the spleen
•  Distention of the abdomen, enlargement of the abdomen
• Obstruction of channels
• Abdominal tumors
• Stiffness of the thing
• Loss of taste  
• Many diseases which arise from aggravation of kapha and vata. 
• Similarly so is amalaka in all other properties it is cold I potency, and mitigates pitta and kapha.

VIBHITAKA

Aksha (vibhitaka) is pungent at the end of digestion, cold in potency, good for hair and has properties similar to haritaki and amalaka but comparatively less efficient. 

TRIPHALA BENEFITS

Therefore, Triphala (haritaki, amalaki and vibhitaki) together is the best rejuvenator of the body, cures diseases of the eyes, skin, excess moisture of the tissues, and heals wounds, obesity, diabetes, aggravation of kapha and rakta (blood) 

TRIJATA AND CHATURJATA

Twak (Cinnamon), Ela(Cardamom) and patra (Cinnamon leaf) together are known as Trijataka and these along with kesara form chaturjata.

They aggravate pitta, are penetrating in nature, hot in potency, causes dryness, improves taste and hunger. 

MARICHA

Black pepper is pungent, in taste as well as in after taste, mitigates kapha and is easily digestable.

PIPPALI

Long pepper, when its green, aggravates kapha, is sweet in taste and cold in potency, not easily digestible and is unctuous in nature.

In its dry form, it becomes opposite – aphrodisiac, pungent in taste, sweet at the end of digestion, reduces Vata and Kapha dosha, useful in asthma, cough and is laxative.

Pippali should not be used in excess, for long period, without following the rejuvenation therapy regieme.

GINGER BENEFITS

Nagara – (ginger) has following properties

• Increases hunger
•  Is aphrodisiac
• Water absorbent
• Good for the heart and mind 
• Relives constipation
• Improves taste
• Easily digestible 
• Sweet at the end of digestion
• Unctuous
• Hot in potency 
• Mitigates kapha and vata. 

Fresh ginger/ardraka is similar in the properties

TRIKATU

• Trikatu – Pepper, long pepper and ginger together are known as trikatu and are
• Useful in obesity
• Asthma
• Dyspepsia and  cough
•  Filariasis 
• Chronic nasal catarrh.

Chavaika (Piper chaba) and pippalimula (long pepper root) has the qualities and properties similar to Marica (black pepper) but in lesser extent.

CHITRAKA

Chitraka (leadwort) is similar to fire in digestive properties and cures dropsy, haemorrhoids, worm infestations, leprosy and other skin conditions.

PANCHKOLA

Excluding marica, pippali, pippalimula, cavya, citraka and nagara, is known as panchakolaka, It cures abdominal tumors, disease of the spleen, Abdominal distension and enlargement of the abdomen, colic, and is best to improves hunger and digestion.

BRUHAT PANCHMOOL

Bilwa, , tarari, patala, kasarya and tintuka are together known as Mahat panchamula or Bruhat panchmoola. They are astringent and bitter in taste, hot in potency and reduces kapha and vata dosha.

HARASVA PANCHMOOLA

Brihatidwaya (brihati and kantakari), amsumatidwaya (saliparni and prsniparni) and goksuraka together are known as hrasva panchamula (Laghu panchamoola). It is sweet in taste and after taste(vipaka), neither very hot nor very cold in potency and balances all three doshas.

Together above two are called Dashamoola

MADHYAMA PANCHMOOLA

Bala, punarnava, eranda, surpaparni dvaya (masaparni and mundgaparni) together from the madhyama pancamula. 

It reduces aggravated kapha and vata, does not greatly aggravate pitta and is a laxative. 

JEEVANIYA PANCHMOOLA

Abhiru – Asparagus racemosus, vira, jivanti, jivaka and rsabhaka together form the jivana pancamula. 

It is good for the eye, aphrodisiac, mitigates pitta and vata dosha.

TRINA PANCHMOOLA

Trnakhya (trna pancamula) consisting of darbha, kasa, iksu, sara sali, reduces aggravated pitta dosha.

Good for Kidney health, useful in kidney stones.