Gandharvahastadi kashayam is an Ayurvedic medicine for improving digestive fire and taste sensation. It is a laxative.
What is Gandharvahastadi Kashayam used for?
1.It is useful in anorectal diseases like piles, fistulae, and fissures in the early stages. It can prevent the complications of these diseases, too.
2.With proper prakshepadravyas (additives), it enhances Agni (digestive fire), removes blockages in the lower part of the intestinal tract and relieves constipation.
3.Regulating the proper movement of Apaanavaayu, gives relief to many types of aches and pains in the lower abdomen, back, and hip area.
4.It is used as ‘Paathikashaya’ or the kashaya to regulate the Vaatakopa during Panchakarma therapy.
5.It doesn’t cause much fatigue or emaciation like chiruvilwadi kashayam.
Indications :
Vahnerbalaaya – for strong digestive fire
Ruchaye – for proper taste sensation
Malasodhanaya – As a laxative
Ingredients of Gandharvahastadi kashayam
|
Castor bean plant
|
Gandharvahasta | Ricinus communis |
It has evident antimicrobial activity and is a strong laxative. Its leaf, root, and seed oil are used as an anti-inflammatory antioxidants. Also, its antimicrobial and cytotoxic activities are evident.
| Indian elm | Chiruvilwa | Holoptelea integrifolia |
It has anti-diabetic, anthelmintic and wound healing properties. It is beneficial in healing haemorrhoids.
| Ceylon leadwort | Hutaasa |
Plumbago zeylanica L.
|
It aids digestion and increases appetite. It has anti-inflammatory action. It can also be used in liver diseases.
| Dried ginger | Viswa | Zingiber officinalis |
It is unctuous and hot in potency with pungent taste but becomes sweet after digestion. It is an aphrodisiac and balances Vaata and kapha.
It improves ability to taste and promotes digestion. Relieves cough cold and other respiratory problems. It is not a laxative, rather causes constipation.
| Chebulic myrobalan
|
Pathya | Terminalia chebula RETZ. & WILLD. |
It is one of the main drugs in Ayurveda, one of the Rasayana and a member of an important group, Triphala. It is used in a wide variety of diseases as it possesses anti-bacterial, antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, anti-mutagenic, anti-oxidant, anti-ulcer, and wound-healing properties.
| Spreading hogweed | Punarnava | Boerhavia diffusa |
It is an important anti-inflammatory medicinal herb well known for its diuretic and antioedematous properties. It can eliminate the unwanted fluid collected in tissues and reduce swelling and thereby reverse inflammation in piles. Punarnava means it has the capability to repair and regenerate.
| Stinging nettle | Yavashaka | Tragia involucrata Linn. |
This plant is used in many conditions like wounds, eczema, scabies and other skin infections. It has anti-inflammatory property. It is used to treat piles, migraine, warts and rheumatism.
| Black musale | Bhumitaala | Curculigo orchioides Gaertn |
It is a famous aphrodisiac and improves complexion. It is used in general debility, deafness, cough, asthma, piles and skin infections.
Details of the manufacturing
As already discussed, Gandharvahastadiadi kashayam has 8 ingredients.
All these ingredients should be washed well and dried up in shade.
Take equal quantity of all ingredients in dried & crushed form in an earthen pot. For your special attention, Naagara should be crushed and tied up separately in a white clean cotton cloth as a Potali. This is to prevent the excess dissolution of the contents and to maintain the exact consistency of the kashayam. Now add 16 times clean water into it. Make it boil and then cook in the open vessel with low fire. Reduce the quantity into one by eighth of the initial quantity. Make sure to mix it in between with a wooden ladle without breaking the potli. Also, the fire should be kept low to make sure that all the active ingredients in the herbs needed are absorbed well into the water. Once the quantity is reduced to one by eighth of the initial amount of water, remove the vessel from the fire. Squeeze and drain through a clean white cloth. Collect the decoction in a clean vessel and discard the solid waste. Drink the mild warm decoction.
Dosha Dooshya Predominance with roga margas.
Gandharvahastadi kashayam is Vaatakaphahara and anulomana.
It acts on both antarogamarga
Gandharvahastadi kashayam Dosage
Dosage: two Pala.
Usage:
Kashayam is advised to take in empty stomach, once the ingested food is digested well and aahaararasa is formed well.
Usage of kashayam with prescribed prakshepadravyas according to the condition of disease and the patient gives the best results mostly.
Exercises and Yoga.
As Gandharvahastadidi kashayam targets mainly GIT, lower back and hip region, following stretching exercises and specific yoga asanas like pavanamuktasana, vajrasana, bhujangasana etc for lower back and abdomen recommended.
Regular exercise helps improve bioavailability of the medicine and food ingested and leads to positive health.
Yoga can maintain harmony within and with surroundings.
Pavanamuktasana
Vajrasana
Bhujangasana
Exercises for Low backache
be decided and done under the supervision of a medical expert only.
Recommended diet and behaviour
Diet:
1.To be avoided
Heavy meals and difficult to digest foods – cause indigestion.
junk foods- cause disturbance in digestion and reduces the bioavailability of the medicine
carbonated drinks – makes the stomach more acidic and disturbed digeastion
refrigerated and frozen foods – causes weak and sluggish digestion by weakening agni (digestive fire)
curd – causes vidaaha and thereby many other diseases
2. To be added
Light meals and easily digestible foods
Green gram, soups, buttermilk boiled with turmeric, ginger and curry leaves
freshly cooked and warm food processed with cumin seeds, ginger, black pepper, ajwain etc
Behaviour:
Better to avoid exposure to excessive sunlight wind rain or dust.
Avoid lifting heavy weights and other vigorous physical activities.
Maintain a regular food and sleep schedule.
Avoid sitting continuously for a long time and avoid squatting.
Gandharvahastadi kashayam side effects
No known side effects reported.
Contraindications
People with IBS or a sensitive stomach may develop diarrhoea when not supervised by a qualified Ayurveda physician.
People allergic to Ricinus communis may develop some discomforts like vomiting or diarrhoea with abdominal pain.
Classical references
SAHASRAYOGAM VAATAVYADHI SLOKA 4
Equivalent medicines.
Chiruvilwadi kashayam
Saptasaram kashaym
Brands Available
- AVS Kottakal
- AVN Madurai
- Vaidyaratnam oushadhasala
- SNA oushadhasala
- AVP Coimbatore
- Nagarjuna Ayurveda
- Kerala Ayurveda
Research papers
Gandharvahastadi kashaya
http://www.rguhs.ac.in/cdc/onlinecdc/uploads/03_A042_32737.doc
Gandharvahasta
Chiruvilwa
Punarnava
Sunthi
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK92775/
