Shleshmatak / Sebesten / Cordia Dichotoma – Classification, Ayurvedic Properties & Dosage

Description

Natural herbs have their origins in earlier cultures. It includes the restorative utilisation of plants to treat various health ailments and upgrade general well-being and prosperity. A few spices have strong potency. As a matter of fact, numerous medicinal herbs are helpful to treat many diseases that can’t be healed by contemporary medicines. In Ayurvedic medications, the effect of the whole plant is greater than its individual parts. There are many herbs that are used in Ayurvedic practices and that all give wonderful results in curing patients. One of them is Shleshmatak Cordia dichotoma belonging to the family Boraginaceae. As its name indicates it is very effective in aggravating the Kapha Dosha or is as good as Kaphakarak. This is mainly used for cough, asthmatic, skin diseases, fever, diarrhea, intestinal worms, and wounds or ulcers. This herb is profusely found in all of India up to 5000 ft. of elevation and is commonly found in warmer areas.

Special Note About This Plant

Shleshmatak is helpful in pacifying all the doshas.
Leaves of the plant contain B- sitosteryl – 3B- glucopyranoside, chlorophyll, and B sitosterol.
This is commonly found in hotter areas.
In the spring season, flowers bloom, and at the end of the summer season fruits get ready.
This herb is very useful in respiratory diseases, skin conditions, microbial infections, and wounds.

Systemic Classification

Botanical Name – Cordia dichotoma
Family – Boraginaceae
Genus – Cordia
Species – C. dichotoma

Synonyms

Shleshmatak – The one who is good at the aggravation of Kapha dosha.
Bahubaar – The one is good in the alleviation of all diseases.
Udyalak – Helps to eradicate diseases.
Shelu – It is a good rejuvenator for males.

Other Vernacular Names

In Hindi – Lasoda
In Bengali – Vahnari
In Malyalam – Bhonkar
In Gujarati – Vadgunda
In Tamil – Vidi
In Farsi – Sapistan
In English – Sebesten

Habitat

This is a growing tree of a height of 30 to 40 feet.

Its stem is thick, and is rounded up to 3 to 4 cm.

Its bark is earthy brown in color.

Its leaves are singular, slightly round, and 1 to 5 inches in diameter. These are smooth and slimy with serrated veins, the new leaflets are hairy in touch from the backside and the matured ones are slimy.

Its flowers are marginaded, slimy, and consist of white small flowers.

Its fruit is round, circular of green color when unripened and after ripening these are pale in color.

The pulp of fruits is transparent, sweet, and slightly slimy.

Classical Categorization

In Bhavprakash Nighantu, this herb is mentioned in Amradiphala Varga.
In Raj Nighantu, this herb is mentioned in Amradiphala Varga.
In Dhanwantri Nighantu, this herb is mentioned in Amradivarga.

Ancient Verse

Shloka – 1

श्लेष्मताक: कटुहिमो मधुरः कषायाः स्वादुश्च पाचनकरः कृमिशूलहारी ।
आमास्रदोषमलरोधबहुव्रणार्तिविस्फोटशान्तिकरणः कफकारकश्च।।

Reference – Raj Nighantu / Amradiphala Varga

Interpretation of Shloka – Shleshmatak is pungent, cooling, sweet, astringent, tasty, promotor of the digestive process and alleviates the pain caused by worms. Shleshmatak calms down the rakta and Ama dosha, removes constipation, and quells the agony of multiple wounds and boils. It aggravates the Kapha dosha.

Shloka – 2

बहुवारो विषस्फोटव्रणविसर्पाकुष्ठनुत्।
मधुरस्तुवरस्तिक्तः केश्यश्च कफपित्तहृत।।
फलमामन्तु विष्टम्भी रूक्षं पित्तकफास्रजित्।
तत्पक्वम् मधुरं स्निगधम् श्लेष्मलम् शीतलम् गुरु।।

Reference – Bhavprakash Nighantu / Amradiphala Varga

Interpretation of Shloka – This herb is used to alleviate the toxins, blisters, wounds, skin alleviation, skin diseases, Kapha and pitta dosha pacification and is good for hair. This herb is sweet, astringent, and bitter in taste. Its unripened fruit, is good for holding, is dry, pitta, and Kapha, and good for alleviating bleeding disorders. Its ripened fruit is sweet, moist, aggravating the Kapha dosha, cold, and heavy in digestion.

Shloka – 3

श्लेष्मातको हिमः स्वादु: स्याद् रूक्षाः पिच्छिल: शुचि ।

Reference – Dhanwantri Nighantu / Amradiphala Varga

Interpretation of Shloka – This herb is cold, sweet, dry, slimy and is shuchi.

Ayurvedic Properties

Rasa (Taste) – Madhur (Sweet)
Guna (Quality) – Guru (Heavy), Snigadh (Moist), Pichila (Unctuous), its bark is Kashaya (Astringent) and Tikta (Bitter).
Veerya (Potency) – Sheeta (Cold)
Vipaka (Post digestive effect) – Fruit’s post-digestion effect is Madhur (Sweet), and bark’s post-digestion effect is Katu (Pungent).
Karma (Action) – Fruit – Balances the Vata and Pitta dosha.
Bark – Balances Kapha and Pitta dosha.
Projyang (Part used) – Fruits and Bark are used

Effects on Doshas

Fruit – Balances the Vata and Pitta dosha with the help of snigadh, Madhur, and pichil guna.
Bark – Balances Kapha and Pitta dosha with the help of kashaya and tikta rasa.

Practical Uses

This herb’s fruit is good for vata – pitta janya diseases, and its bark is good for Kapha-pitta janya diseases.
This herb is successfully used in Poison, wound, and in-ear disorders.
This herb is used as grahi (good absorbent), helps moisten the throat, and is used to moisturise the respiratory tract.
It acts as a diuretic and its fruit is aphrodisiac in nature.
Its bark is used to eliminate skin diseases.
Its fruit and bark are also used to alleviate the fever.
Its local application on wounds helps to excrete toxins.
This is helpful in the retention of urine and burning in urine.
It helps to relieve inflammation or irritation.
It is helpful in stimulating or facilitating the evacuation of the bowels.
The decoction of the bark is found useful in dyspepsia, fever, dysentery, and relieves severe colic.
The infusion of bark can be used as a gargle to strengthen teeth and cure ulcers.
The decoction of leaves can be used to treat coughs, and colds.
Externally, it can be applied on boils, and tumors to heal them quickly with its cool potency.
Bark of this plant is useful in calculus, strangury, or catarrah-like ailments.