Asparagus racemosus- Shatavari, शतावरी , ശതാവരി കിഴങ്ങ് , கிழவரி .

Asparagus racemosus- Shatavari

This herb has been mentioned in a book written about 4000 years called rigveda.Since it possess a wide variety of medicinal properties it is called sahasraveerya in sanskrit. It is included in the group called jeevana panchamoola.

Family : liliaceae

Scientific name : Asparagus racemosus Willd.

Mainly two important varieties of shatavari are seen in India, they are Asparagus racemosus and Asparagu gonocladus. A.racemosus is not that much of a climber. It has many branches. The cladodes are straight. It flowers in june-september. Asparagus gonocladus contains clododes that are curved.It is a creeper that grows very high. It flowers in january-march.

Vernacular nomenclature in India

Sanskrit : Shatavari, Abheeru, Narayani, Sahasraveerya.

Hindi : Shatavari, Shakakul

Gujarathi : Shatavari

Bengali : Shadmooli

Tamil : Kilavari

Telugu : Philithaga, Challagadlu

Distribution : Seen throughout India and maily in fertlie and marshy areas.

Botanical description :

Satavar has small pine-needle-like phylloclades (photosynthetic branches) that are uniform and shiny green. In July, it produces minute, white flowers on short, spiky stems, and in September itfruits, producing blackish-purple, globular berries. It has an adventitious root system with tuberous roots that measure about one metre in length, tapering at both ends, with roughly a hundred on each plant.

Chemical constituents :

The rhizome of shatavari contains protein 2.2%, fat 6.2%, carbohydrate 3.2%, vitaminA 0.14mg, vitaminB1 180mg, vitamin B2 180mg, vitaminC 40mg, and an alkaloid called asparagin.

Ayurvedic pharmacoepia :

Rasa : tikta, madhura

Guna : guru, snigdha

Veerya : sheeta

Vipaka : madhura

Medicinal uses :

“ शतवरी हिम तिक्त रसेस्वदु क्षयस्रजित

वात पित्त हरी वृष्य रसायन वरास्म्रुत “

It allieviates vata, pitta, kshaya, blood borne diseases. It is cooling for the body. It enhances breast milk. It invigourates potency.

Useful parts : rhizome, leaves

Therapeutical uses :

-the pressed juice of rhizome of shatavri 15ml + equal amount of water taken twice daily regularly cures sour erectations, feeling of steaming inside mouth, the typical epigastric pain in gastric and peptic ulcer seen in empty stomach and after taking food, when it starts to digest

-the compressed juice of shatavari mixed with sugar or honey cures jaundice, blood vomiting, menstrual bleeding, leucorrhoea, burning sensation, burns etc

-if breast milk reduces after pregnancy the ghee, jaggery, drinks which are prepared out of shatavari is beneficial

-the juice of shatavari mixed with sugar and milk is also beneficail for breast milk

-for burning sensation over foot shatavari juice foam mixed with powder of usheera cures it

-the pressed juice of shatavari mixed with gokshura and ela powder and taken cures urinary complaints of all sorts.

-Shatavari ghrta, Narayana ghrta, Phala ghrta, Vishnu grta, Satamulyadi lauha, Satavari panaka, satavari kalpa, Satavari yoga are some of the classical preparations out of shatavari