Botanical name – Sida codifolia Linn.
Family - Malvaceae
Hindi name - Bariyara,Khirainti
English name - Country mallow
Sanskrit names –
Bala, Vatyalika, Kharayastika, Pitapushpi, Vatyayani, Badraudani, Samanga.
Botanical Description - Bala is Shrubby, branched, softly hairy and with
much stellate hair nearly all over and subpersistent. Leaves 2.5-5 cm. long,
heart shape. Fruits 6-8 mm. diam.
Roots are strong. Seeds are smooth and black in colour.
Habitat - It is found in tropical and subtropical regions of both hemispheres.
Throughout the hotter parts of India. Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar,
Assam, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Tamilnadu etc.
Classical categorization -
Ch. Samhita – Prajasthapana, Madhuraskanda
Su. Samhita – Vatasamshana
Bhava Prakasha Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga
Chemical composition - Plant contains alkaloidal part 0.085 percent , and seeds containing its highest content 0.32 percent (as the seeds contain much more of the alkaloid than the remaining part of the herb). Ephedrine forms major part of alkaloidal contents.
Therapeutics Properties -
Guna (qualities) - Guru( heavy to digest), Snigdha(oiliness),
Picchila(sticky)
Rasa(Taste) - Madhura( sweet)
Veerya- sheeta(cold potency)
Vipak - Madhura (taste conversion after digestion
sweet)
Dosha - vatapittasamaka shaman.
Uses-
External uses - Vranasotha, Netraroga
Internal uses –
Bala is sweet and slightly bitter, it is tonic, It is an antiarthritic, appetizer, cardic, conceptive, cooling, aphrodisiac, alterative, diuretic, anthelmintic and antipyretic.
The powder of the root-bark is given with milk and sugar for the relief of
frequent micturition and leucorrhoea.
The bark of the root with sesame oil and milk is very efficacious in curing cases of facial paralysis and sciatica when causesed by the inflammation of the nerves concerned.
The root-juice is used to promote the healing of wounds.
Parts used - Seeds, Roots, Leaves.
Dosage – powder- 3 to 6 gms .
Juice extract – 10 to 20 ml.
Formulations - Baladi Kwatha, Baladya ghrta, Baladyarista.
References –
बलाऽतितिक्ता मधुरा पित्तातीसारनाशनी ।
बलवीर्यप्रदा पुष्टि - कफरोगविशोधिनी ॥
Raja Nighantu, Satahvādi varga.
(Reference - Dravyaguna vijnana, Dr.Gyanendra pandey Vol. 1)
