KSHEER VARGA (TYPES OF MILK AND MILK PRODUCTS)

GENERAL QUALITIES OF MILK

• Svadupakarasa – Sweet in taste and also at the end of digestion(After taste) 
• Snigdha – Unctuous in nature
• Ojovardhana –  Increases Ojus 
• Dhatuvardhana – Nourishes and increases body tissues
• Vata Pittahara – Balances Vata and Pitta
• Vrushya – Aphrodisiac
• Shleshmala – Increases kapha in body
• Guru – Heavy to digest 
• Sheetala – Coolant

GOKSHEERA (BENEFITS OF COW MILK)

• Jeevaneeya – Promotes long life or longivity
• Rasayana – Anti aging, Rejuvenating 
• Kshataksheena hita – Good for emaciated persons, specially after chest injury 
• Medhya – Increases intellectual
• Balya – Strengthening 
• Stanyakara – Promotes breast milk production 
• Sara – Helps in easy bowel movements
• Shramahara – Relieves exhaustion
• Bhramahara – Useful in Dizziness 
• Mada – Good in intoxication
• Alakshmi – Used in-auspiciousness
• Shwasa – Relieves dyspnoea
• Kasa – useful in cough 
• Atitrut Kshudha – Useful in persons with severe thirst and hunger
• Jeernajvara – chronic fevers
• Mutrakrichra – Good in dysurea and other renal problems
• Raktapitta – useful in bleeding disorders

BENEFITS OF MAHEESHA KSHIRA/BUFFALO MILK

Buffalo milk is good for people with 

• Strong digestion power/fire
• People suffering from Anidra – insomnia. 
• It is a coolant

BENEFITS OF AJA KSHIR/GOAT’S MILK

Goat drinks less water and is very active, does a lot of walking. It eats pungent and bitter grass, vegetables, that are light to digest. 

Therefore, goat’s milk also carry these qualities in it. It is easy to digest, doesn’t aggravates doshas.

GOAT’S MILK IS USEFUL IN

• Shosha – emaciation
• Jvara – fever 
• Shwasa – dyspnoea, 
• Asthma, chronic bronchial disorders 
• Raktapitta – Pitta origin bleeding disorders such as haemorrhoids, nasal bleeding 
• Atisara – diarrhoea, dysentery

BENEFITS OF USHTRA KSHIR/CAMEL MILK

• Ushtra ksheera (milk of camel) is Ishat ruksha(slightly dry),
•  Ushna -hot, Lavana –  Salty in taste. 
• Deepana – Increases digestion strength
• Laghu  – Easy to digest 
• Vatakapha nashak – Useful in Vata and Kapha aggravation
• Krumi – Relieves worm infestation 
• Shopha – Anti inflammatory 
• Udara – Useful in ascites 
• Arshas – Haemorrhoids

BREAST MILK BENEFITS

• Breast milk is useful in Vata and Pitta imbalance
• Asruk – In blood vitiation like bleeding disorders
• Abhighata – Useful in injuries 
• Akshiroga – It can be used as eye drops to get relief in eye infections and to relieve redness. It is used in Tarpana and Ashchottana panchkarma therapies, for the treatment of eye diseases. It is also used as nasal drops.

BENEFITS OF AVIK KSHIR/EVE’S MILK

Eve’s milk is not good for heart, hot in potency, useful in Vata disorders, produces hiccups and respiratory problems. 

It increases Pitta and Kapha.

ELEPHANT MILK BENEFITS

It is strengthening in nature.

QUALITIES OF EKASHAPHA KSHIRA/SINGLE HOOFED ANIMALS

Milk of single hoofed animals such as horse, donkey etc is 

• Very hot in potency
• Useful in vata disorders
• Slightly sour and saltty and causes lassitude (laziness).

QUALITIES OF UNCOOKED MILK

• Abhisyandi (causes excess secretion and accumulation in the minute channels or srotas, causing their blockage) 
• Guru – heavy to digest 
• Amakara – causes Ama and indigestion
•  Yuktya shrutam amrutopamam – if it is properly boiled, it is similar to nectar.If it’s not,then it’s poison.
•  Dharoshna – Milk drawn from udder, directly in to mouth is similar to nectar. (Provided cow is perfectly healthy without any infection)

BENEFITS OF DADHI/CURD

Curd has Amla rasa – sour taste Amla paka – undergoes sour taste conversion after digestion 

• Grahi – Absorbent,useful in diarrhea
• Guru – Heavy to digest 
• Ushna – Hot in nature 
• Vatajit – Balances Vata 
• Increases Meda – Fat, Shukra (semen), Bala (strength),Kapha, Raktapitta(bleeding disorders), Agni(digestion strength), Shotha (inflammation). 
• Rochishnu – increases taste

CURD IS USEFUL IN

• Aruchi – useful in anorexia 
• Vishamajwara – chronic, recurrent fever 
• Peenasa – Allergic rhinitis 
• Mutrakruchra – dysuria 
• Grahani – malabsorption syndrome, Ulcerative colitis, IBS etc.

RULES FOR CURD CONSUMPTION

• Curd should not be consumed at nights. 
• Should not be made hot or heated 
• Curd should not be taken along with soup of green gram
• It should not be taken along with honey, ghee, sugar and Amla.
•  It should not be eaten on daily basis. 
• If used daily, it can cause / worsen fever, bleeding disorders, skin diseases, anemia and dizziness.

BENEFITS OF TAKRA/BUTTERMILK

Takra (butter milk) – churned curds

• Laghu – easy to digest, Kashaya, amla – sour, astringent in nature,
• Deepana – improves digestion strength 
• Kaphavatjit – balances Kapha and Vata 
• Useful in Shopha – inflammatory conditions 
• Udara – Ascites 
• Arsha – hemorrhoids 
• Grahani – malabsorption syndrome 
• Mutradosha, Mutragraha – urine infection, dysuria
•  Aruchi – anorexia 
• Pleeha – splenomegaly 
• Gulma – abdominal distention 
• Ghritavyapat – Very useful in indigestion caused by excess consumption of ghee.
• Gara visha – chronic intoxication 
• Pandu – anemia

BENEFITS OF MASTU/WATERY PART OR SUPERNATENT LIQUID

Mastu is similar to buttermilk. 

It is Sara – promotes movement of fluids inside body channels Srotashodhi – cleanses minute channels inside body called srotas

Vishtambhajit – relieves constipation 

Laghu – easy to digest.

BENEFITS OF NAVANITA/BUTTER

Fresh Navanita (butter) is 

• Vrushya – aphrodisiac, 
• Sheeta – coolant 
• Varna, bala, agnikrut – improves skin complexion, strength and digestion strength. 
• Sangrahi – abosrbent, useful in diarrhea
•  Vatapittasruk jit – balances Vata, Pitta and treats blood disorders
• Useful in Kshaya – chronic respiratory ailments leading to emaciation
•  Arsha – hemorrhoids 
• Ardita vata – paralysis
•  Kasa – cough

The butter made directly from milk is 

Sangrahi – absorbent, useful in diarrhoea 

Raktapittajit – useful in bleeding disorders 

Akshirogajit – useful in eye diseases.

BENEFITS OF GHRITA/CLARIFIED BUTTER

Ghee is ideal for improving intelligence, memory, ingenuity, digestion strength, long life, semen quality and eye sight.

• Ghee is very  good for children, the aged.
• In tenderness of the body.
• In people desiring pleasant voice.
• In People suffering from emaciation as a result of injury to chest (lungs), 
• Parisarpa (herpes) 
• In injury from weapons, and fire.
• Disorders of Vata and Pitta origin.
• Poisoning
• Insanity 
• Fevers

 Cow ghee is the best amongst all fatty products. 

It is coolant, is best for maintaining youth, capable of giving a thousand good effects by a thousand kinds of processing methods.

BENEFITS OF PURANA GHRITA/OLD GHEE

Purana Ghrita (old ghee) is used in the treatment of 

• Mada – intoxication,
•  Apasmara – epilepsy,
•  Murcha – fainting, 
• Shira, karna, akshi yoni roga – diseases of the head, ear, eye and vagina
• Old ghee cleanses and heals wounds.

DIFFERENT MILK PREPARATIONS

Kilata –  Kilata is the solid portion obtained after heating curd or buttermilk

Piyusa – Piyusa is the milk of cow which has just given birth to a calf, upto a period of about three days or till the cow’s milk becomes thin. 

Kurcika – is the solid portion obtained after heating buttermilk while Morana (or Morata) is the sour, thin liquid portion left.

• Strengthening
•  Increases the semen 
• Induces Sleep and increases Kapha,
•  Causes constipation, 
• Heavy to digest, and aggravates the Doshas

Milk and ghee obtained from cow are best and those obtained from ewe’s milk, the least beneficial(aggravates doshas)