SHUKA DHANYA VARGA

SHUKA DHANYA VARGA (GROUP OF CORNS WITH SPIKES)

TYPES OF RICE

• Rakta (red)
• Mahan (big sized rice) 
• Kalama 
• Turnaka
• Shakunahruta
• Saaramukha
• Deerghashuka (having long sharp spike at the ends) 
• Sugandhika (having good smell)
• Rodhrashuka
• Pundra
•  Pandu
•  Pundarika
• Pramoda
• Gaura (white rice) 
• Sariva
• Kanchana (golden colored rice)
• Mahisha
• Shuka 
• Dushaka
•  Kusumandaka
•  Langala Lohavala 
• Kardama
• Sheetabheeruka
•  Patanga
• Stapaneeya (bright red) 

All these varieties of rice are good for consumption.

QUALITIES AND HEALTH BENEFITS OF RICE

Swadu rasa – Sweet taste

Swadu paka – Sweet taste conversion after digestion(metabolic property)

Snigdha – Unctuous

Vrushya –  Natural aphrodisiac

Baddh alpavarchasaha –  Causes mild constipation, produces lesser volume of faeces

Kashaya anurasa –  Mild astringent in taste

Pathya – Suitable for daily consumption

Laghu – Light to digest

Mutrala – Diuretic and increases urine volume

Hima – coolant in nature

WHICH ONE IS BEST?

Red variety (Raktashali or shalidhanya) of rice is the best quality. 

It cures or relieves thirst and balances tridoshas.

Next best variety to raktashali is Mahan (big sized rice) variety. 

Next to it is Kalama variety, and the chronology continues, as mentioned above.

• Yavaka, Haayana, Paamshu, Vashpa, Naishadha, these varieties of rice have following qualities :

• • Svadu –  Sweet in taste
  • Ushna –  Hot in potency
  • Guru –  Hard to digest
  • Shleshmapittala –  Increases Kapha and Pitta
  • Snigdha (unctuous, oily)
  • Amlapaka – Has sour taste conversion after digestion(After taste)

• Srushtamutrapureesha – Increases quantity and volume of faeces and urine

They are bad in quality their reverse order.

SHASHTIKA SHALI (PADDY WHICH MATURES IN 60DAYS)

Shashtika shali is best among all paddy.  It has following qualities :

• Snigdha – unctuous, oily
• Grahi – Absorbent, stops loose stools, useful in mal-absorption syndrome and diarrhea
• Laghu – Light to digest
• Svadu – sweet
• Tridoshaghna – Balances all the three Doshas
• Sthira – Brings in stability
• Hima – Coolant

Shashtika shali is of two types 

• Gaura – White variety
•  Asita – Gaura (blackish white)

Next to shashtika or  inferior to shashtika is mahavrihi, next to that is krishnavrihi and the others such as jatu mukha, kukkutandaka, lavaka, paravataka etc

The other types of rice are –

• Sweet in taste 
• Amla vipaka (sour at the end of digestion) 
• Increases Pitta
• Hard to digest
• It increases volume of faeces and urine 
• Increases the body heat
• Causes the imbalance of Tridosha

TARUNA DHANYA VARGA

(GROUP OF GRAINS PRODUCED BY GRASS LIKE PLANTS)

Kangu(Priyangu), Kodrava, Neevara, Shyamaka and other grains are 

• Cold in potency
• Easily digestible
• Increases Vata
• Lekhana (scraping property) 
• Balances Kapha and Pitta

Amongst all these, Priyangu helps in fracture healing, is nutritive and nourishing and is a little hard to digest.

Koradusha is grahi (absorbent), coolant and anti-poisonous.

PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS OF YAVA/BARLEY

• Rooksha (dry)
• Sheeta – cold
• Guru (Heavy to digest)
• Svadu – Madhura (sweet)
• Sara – promotes bowel movements
• Vit-vata krut – it increases the bulk of faeces and causes flatus
• Vrushya – natural aphrodisiac
• Stairyakrut – increases body stability

IT IS USEFUL IN –

• Mutrameda – Urinary disorder
• Pitta – Kapha imbalance disorders
• Peenasa – Running nose, rhinitis
• Shwasa – Asthma, breathing difficulty, COPD, wheezing, 
• Kasa – cough, cold
• Urusthamba – thigh stiffness
• Kantaroga – diseases of throat
• Twakroga – skin diseases 

Anuyava ( a small sized barley) is inferior in qualities to the Yava. Venuyava (seeds of bamboo) are non- unctuous and hot in potency.

PROPERTIES AND BENEFITS OF GODHUMA/WHEAT

Wheat is

• Vrushya – Natural aphrodisiac
• Sheeta – Cold
• Guru (Heavy to digest)
• Snigdha – Unctuous, oily
• Jivaniya – Enlivening
• Vatapittaha – Balances Vata and Pitta
• Sandhanakari – Heals fractures and wounds
• Madhura (sweet)
• Sthairyakrut – Increases body stability
• Sara – Promotes bowel movements
• Pathya  – Can be consumed on daily basis, doest not block the Patha(channels)

Nandimukhi variety of wheat is good for health. It is

• Sheeta – cold
• Kashaya (astringent)
• Madhura (sweet)
• Laghu (light to digest)