Professor and Head of the Dept of Shalakya Tantra
S D M College of Ayurveda
Hassan, india NADIVAHA SAMSTHANA (NERVOUS SYSTEM)
VACHA
Latin name????? : Acorus calamus
??????????????????????? ? Acorus- for eye troubles,
??????????????????????? ? calamus- water plants
Family???????????? : Araceae
English name?? : Sweet flag
Sanskrit names: Ugragandha, shataparvika
Gana vargeekarana:
Charaka??????????? : Lekhaneeya, Arshoghna, Triptighna, Asthapanopaga, Sanjnasthapana,
? Sheeta prashamana,
Sushruta?????????? : Pippalyadi, Mustadi, Vachadi
Botanical description:
An aromatic marsh herb, with creeping root-stock.
Leaves: shiny, green, elongated like the leaves of sugar cane.
Flowers: yellowish white, densely crowded on a cylindrical, sessile spadix.
Fruits: Few seeded berries.
Seed: oblong.
Chemical composition:
Rhizome has volatile oil, asaryaldehyde, acorine, asarone.
Guna karma:
Rasa???? - Katu, Tikta?????????????????????????????
Guna??? - Laghu, teekshna
Veerya? - Ushna????????????????????????
Vipaka? - Katu
Dosha karma: Kapha vatahara
Karma: Medhya, Lekhaneeya
Indications: Unmada (insanity), Apasmara (epilepsy), Jwara (fever)
???????????
It is very useful in the diseases of nervous system and hence it is well known medicine for brain since ages. It is highly effective in mania, epilepsy and other brain disorders. Vacha alleviates excessive kapha accumulated in the manovaha srotas which causes various psychological disorders. It reduces convulsion and pain. It is useful in spasmodic contraction of body and paralysis. It reduces bodily kapha and mental tamo dosha and restores consciousness. It is the best medicine for children having lower intellectual level. Vacha powder in small dose with honey is given daily to such children so that their body strength as well as intellectual level improves.
Latin name????? : Centella asiatica
??????????????????????? ? Centella- many, asiatica- of
Family???????????? : Umbelliferae
English name?? : Indian pennywort
Sanskrit names: Divya, Mahoushadhi, Sarasvati
Gana vargeekarana:
Charaka??????????? : Vayasthapana, Prajasthapana
Botanical description:
It is a prostrate herb; rooting at the nodes.
Leaves: orbicular-reniform, entire, simple with long stalk and 7 veins.
Flowers: small, red, 10-15 flowers arise from each flower stalk.
Fruit: 2-3mm long,
Root: thin and thread like.
Flowers and fruits from April –June.
Chemical composition:
Asiatic acid, centic acid, hydrocotiline, asiaticoside.
Guna karma:
Rasa???? - Tikta, kashaya, madhura?????????????????????????????????????????????
Guna??? - Laghu, sara
Veerya? - Sheeta???????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Vipaka? - Madhura
Dosha karma: Kaphapittahara
Karma: Medhya, Vayasthapana
Indications: Manasika roga (mental health), jvara (fevers), raktapitta (bleeding).
It is beneficial for its medhya action that it enhances memory. Hence it is used in weakness of brain and epilepsy.