Adhapushpi (Trichodesma Indicum)- Ayurvedic Properties, Effects On Doshas & Dosage

Description

Ayurveda is a traditional, holistic approach to medicine that originated in India, it promotes wellness of body, mind, and spirit. Ayurvedic herbs may help with certain aspects of a person’s health. Adhapushpi plant is important for its medicinal properties, it plays the main role as a special ingredient in several medicines. This plant is widely used in ayurvedic and homoeopathic medicines, this herb effectively provides benefits such as diuretic, anti-arthritic, anorexia, dysentery, and skin diseases. This shows its effects on snake-poisoning also. Its flowers are usually oppositely hung on the pant. Acharya Charaka has mentioned Avakpushpi in Vatarakta Chikitsa as a Jeevaniya Ghrita. Chakrapanidatta mentions it under Shiro Virechana Dravya kalpa samgraha.

General Information

This is an erect, branched annual plant that grows about fifty centimetres tall to the ground. It is found in the Indian Subcontinent. These grow above 1500 metres from sea levels. And usually grown in less dense areas where water proportion is less and is grown in stony wastelands. These herbs are densely introduced in Dravyaguna book that is written by Acharya Priyavrt Sharma which deals with rasa, veerya, gunna, vipaka of the dravya. The acceptability of Ayurvedic medicines that are purely needed with critical conditions ongoing with time. We have to accept that modern parameters are just working on acute conditions but Ayurveda pharmacology works for our whole life. All the herbs that are found outside are composed of pancha mahabhutas and are acting over the body systems.

Special Note About This Plant

This is an Indian Medicinal plant found grossly in the Indian subcontinent and distributed as a weed throughout India. The seeds of this plant are filled with linoleic acid, and oleic acid and the leaves are enriched with hexaconase and ethyl ester. This plant flowers from September to November and January to march. It has various benefits that are reportedly seen by many researchers if crushed roots are mixed with water, or prepared for its decoction and then given to children it can help in managing dysentery, its flowers are reportedly used as a sudorific and pectoral, leaves and flowers of this plant are edible and is added in the various medicines to enhance their working capacity.

Systemic Classification

Botanical Name – Trichodesma Indicum
Family – Boraginaceae
Genus – Trichodesma
Species – Indicum

Synonyms

Andhaka, due to its flowers covering they seem like absent.
Andhapushpaka – Flower is set opposite the leaves.
Avak pushpi – even wind can not blow because it is covered by leaves.
Adhoh mukh – flower face is left downwards.
Gandha pushpika – Frangranted flowers.
Romalu – leaves filled with Hair.
Shata Pushpa – this plant has a hundred flowers.
Shayalu – which is always sleeping and mostly not seen.
Dhenu jihva – leaves resemble the tongue of a cow.

Other Vernacular Names

In Hindi – Hetmundiya, ondhaphuli, chota kulpha
In English – Indian Borage
In Kannada – Athomukhi, Kattetumbesoppu
In Punjabi – Andusi, Ratmandi
In Telugu – Guvvagatti

Habitat

This is an annual herb that is erect, branched, and of a height of fifty centimetres, with hairy texture all over the plant.

Leaves – stalkless, opposite two to eight centimetres long, heart-shaped from the base and pointed to the tip, and are lance shaped.
Flowers – appear as a single on the axils form.
The tube of flowers is of pale blue in colour, or of white colour, with the limb of about 1.5 cm in diameter, and the petals are pointed to the outside. The tube of sepals is hairy green, long up to 1 to 1.3 cm.
Fruits – are ellipsoid and are covered by sepals.
Nutlets – Are rough on the inner side and is five millimetre long.

This plant is found all over India like on roadsides, and stony dry wastelands. This is found on western ghats and some parts of the Himalayas in a wide range at the elevation of 1500 meters from sea level.

This plant is acrid and bitter in taste, it helps in inflammatory conditions, and is having various properties like carminative, constipating, diuretic, depurative, and ophthalmic in nature. This also shows great results in arthritic patients, dyspepsia, diarrhoea, dysentery, skin inflammation, and in menstrual problems.

Classical Categorization

Adhahapushpi is not traced in any Veda.

In Shoddal nighantu – It is categorised under the Laxmanadi Varga
In Nighantu Adarsha – It is categorised under Shleshmatakadi Varga

Ancient Verse

Shloka – 1

अधःपुष्पी रसे तिक्ता कटवी लघ्वी प्रशस्यते।
वीर्योष्णा कफवातघ्नी व्रणशोथहरा परम।।

Reference – Dravyagunna

Interpretation of Shloka – Adhapushpi’s taste is tikta (bitter) and katu (pungent), it is light in nature, potency is hot, and is used to pacify the Kapha and vata dosha and it is best in healing wounds/ulcers or any kind of inflammation.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa (Taste) – Katu (Pungent), Tikta (Bitter)
Guna (Quality) – Laghu (Light)
Veerya (Potency) – ushna (hot)
Vipaka (Post digestive effect) – Katu (Pungent)
Karma (Action) – Balances the Vata and Kapha dosha
Projyang (Part used) – The whole plant is used with its roots and leaves, flowers, seeds, fruit, and stem

Effects On Doshas

This is Kapha vata shaman in nature, also effective in inflammation and for analgesic properties.
This also helps to enhance the digestive fire
It is carminative in nature.
Due to its anti-inflammatory properties, it helps to purify the blood and is used as a diuretic.
This helps to contract the uterus effectively so helps in dysmenorrhea and in the case of any abortion, it also gives effective results.

Practical Uses

This herb can be used in the form of paste in inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis so can combat the pain and swelling from the affected area.
Irritable bowel syndrome is also treated with a dose of 15 to 20 ml and is also helpful in treating diarrhoea patients.
In burning sensation in the abdominal region or any burning symptom of Urinary tract infection can be cured with the help of the cold infusion of Trichodesma Indicum.
The decoction of this wonderful plant can treat dysmenorrhea and in any case of abortion
In any skin infected conditions, its paste is used for further application on the affected site.