Botanical name – Cassia fistula Linn.
Family - Leguminosae
Hindi name - Amaltas
English name - purging cassia.
Sanskrit names- Aragwadha, Svarnat Karna, Deerghaphala,
Rajvriksha (beautiful tree), Shampak, Chaturangula, Arevata(laxative),
Suvarnak (good colour), Kritamala,Pragraha, Arogyasimbi.
Botanical Description- Acssia fistula is Medium sized tree, 8-10 mtrs.
high. Stem- straight, bark is smooth and pale grey when young ,rough and
drak brown when old .
Leaves - compound, 23-40 cm. long in length having 8 to 16 pairs of leaflets
on it.
Flowers - yellow, grow in branches having fragrance. There are 5 petals and
10 cms. androceum, 3 big and 3 small. Flower stalk - oblong.
Fruits -0.33 to 1 mtr. in length, 2.5 c in width, hard with narrow ends. Unripe
pod is greep and ripe is black. Pulp is black.
Seeds- many, smooth, flat and grey seeds are present between two septa. Dry
pod gives a sound on shaking.
Chemical composition - Pulp glucose 60%, glutin, pectin, dyes, calcium
oxalate, minerals, gum and water.
Habitat- All over India.
Therapeutic Properties-
Guna - guru, snigdha
Rasa - madhur, tikta
Vipak – Madhur
Veerya – sheeta
Dosha - Vatashaman by madhur, snigdha properties, pittashaman by sheeta
veerya. It is purgative so used in kapha and pitta sanshodhan. In vatapitta
disorders it is used as sanshaman and in pittakapha disorders used as
sanshodhan.
Uses-
External uses - It is antinflammatory, analgesic. The pulp and leaf paste are used in nodular oedema, gout, rheumatoid arthritis etc.
The decoction is used for gargling in diseases of oral cavity and throat. Leaf paste is used in skin disease and itching.
Internal uses -
Nervous system - It is analgesic by vatahar property, so useful in vata diseases.
Digestive system - It is bitter so improves taste. It is a liver stimulant and
purgative by snigdha property. It is a mild purgative drug and is useful in
constipation and jaundice.
Circulatory system - It is cardioprotective, antiinflammatory, purifies blood so
useful in heart disease, haemorrhagic disorders, gout and swellings.
Respiratory system - As it is madhur, snigdha, removes kapha and soothes
internal organs by mndu property, in dry cough and dyspnoea flower's avaleha is given.
Urinary system - Diuretic by sheeta property. It soothes the urinary tract. Seeds are antidiabetic.
Skin - Kushthaghna and refrigerant, so used in skin disease and burning.
Temperature - It is antipyretic, so used in fever and purgation. Its bitter taste
works in digestion and is pittashamak Bark of root is used in fever.
Parts used - Pulp, root bark, flowers and leaves.
Dosages - Fruit Pulp 2 to 4 gms
decoction of root bark – 10 to 15 ml
Formulation - Aragvadhadi taile, Aragvadhadi leha, Aragvadharishta. Ripe pods should be kept in sand for 30 days. Then they should be taken out and dried in sunlight. After drying the pulp from the fruit should be taken out in a clean vessel. It should not be boiled as then the properties are lost. So the pulp should be used with cold or warm water. Without this procedure, the pulp might get spoilt. The old pods have to be heated a little and then when broken the pulp can be extracted with a spoon. The pulp can be mixed with milk, sugar, cardamom and a good drink can be made. It can be used as a laxative .
References –
आरग्वधो राजवृक्ष : शम्पाकश्चतुरंगुल: ।
आरेवतो व्याधिघातः कृतमालः सुवर्णकः ।।
कर्णिकारो दीर्घफल : स्वर्णाङ्गः स्वर्णभूषणः ।
आरग्वधो गुरुः स्वादुः शीतल : स्रंसनो मृदुः ।
ज्वरहृद्रोगपित्तास्त्रवातोदावर्त्तशूलनुत् ।
तत्फलं स्रंसनं रुच्यं कोष्ठपित्तकफापहम् ।।
ज्वरे तु सततं पथ्यं कोष्ठशुद्धिकरं परम् । (भा.प्र.)
चतुरंगुलो मृदुविरेचनानां (श्रेष्ठ) (च.सू. २५)
ज्वरहृद्रोगवातासृगुदावर्त्तादिरोगिषु ।
राजवृक्षोऽधिकं पथ्यो मृदुर्मधुरशीतलः ।।
बाले वृद्धे क्षते क्षीणे सुकुमारे च मानवे ।
योज्यो मृद्वनपायित्वाद्विशेषाच्चतुरंगुल: ।1' (च.क. ८)
(Reference - Ayurvedic pharmacology & Therapeutic uses of Medicinal plants)
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