TERMINALIA CHEBULA
Kingdom-plantae
Order-myrtales
Family-combretaceae
Genus-terminalia
Species-terminalia chebula
Sanskrit name-hareetaki
Terminalia chebula known as Hareetaki in sanskrit is called so because, it grows in the abode of
“HARA” or shiva that is the himalayas, it is green or “HARITA” and it cures all diseases, curing is called as “HARATE” in sanskrit . The role of hareetaki is unquestionable in Ayurvedic medications as almost 99% of all herbal preparations involves hareetaki.
Terminalia chebula is a species of Terminalia, native to southern Asia from India and Nepal east to southwestern China (Yunnan), and south to Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Vietnam.
Description
It is a deciduous tree growing to 30-metre (98 ft) tall, with a trunk up to 1-metre (3 ft 3 in) in diameter. The leaves are alternate to subopposite in arrangement, oval, 7–8-centimetre (2.8–3.1 in) long and 4.5–10-centimetre (1.8–3.9 in) broad with a 1–3-centimetre (0.39–1.18 in) petiole. The fruit is drupe-like, 2–4.5-centimetre (0.79–1.77 in) long and 1.2–2.5-centimetre (0.47–0.98 in) broad, blackish, with five longitudinal ridges.
Botany
Medium to large deciduous tree up to 30 m. Leaves are elliptic-oblong, acute tip, cordate at the base, margins entire, glabrous above with a yellowish pubescence below. Flowers monoecious, dull white to yellow, strong unpleasant odour, borne in terminal spikes or short panicles. Fruits glabrous, ellipsoid to ovoid drupes, yellow to orange brown in colour, single angled stone. Found in deciduous forests of Indian subcontinent, dry slopes up to 900 meters in elevation
Parts used
Fruit; seven types are recognized (i.e. vijaya, rohini, putana, amrita, abhaya, jivanti and chetaki), based on the region the fruit is harvested, as well as the colour and shape of the fruit. Generally speaking, the vijaya variety is preferred, which is traditionally grown in the Vindhya mountain range of central India, and has a roundish as opposed to a more angular shape
Chemical composition
Researchers have isolated a number of glycosides from Haritaki, including the triterpenes arjunglucoside I, arjungenin, and the chebulosides I and II. Other constituents include acoumarin conjugated with gallic acids called chebulin, as well as other phenolic compounds including ellagic acid, 2,4-chebulyl-β-D-glucopyranose, chebulinic acid, gallic acid, ethyl gallate, punicalagin, terflavin A, terchebin, luteolin, and tannic acid. Chebulic acid is a phenolic acid compound isolated from the ripe fruits.[5][6] Luteic acid can be isolated from the bark.
T. chebula also contains terflavin B, a type of tannin while chebulinic acid is found in the fruits.
English-yellow myrobalan, chebulic myrobalan, harde whole
Tamil-kadukkai
Assamese-xilikha
Gujarati-himmej
Telugu-karakkaya
Hindi-harad
Bangla-haritaki
Tibetan-a-ru-ra
Chinese-he zi
Urdu-hareer
Srilanka-aralu
Marathi-hirada
Kannada-alalekkayi
There are seven different varieties of hareetaki mentioned in ayurvedic materia medica, their description has been mentioned below,
JIVANTI-because it promotes life, it is golden in colour, is useful in all diseases.
PUTANA-because it purifies , has bigger stone, is useful in external application.
AMRTA-because it is like
ambrosia, has three dalas(pieces or fruits in a bunch), is useful in cleansing the body.
VIJAYA-because it endows user with victory, is like a tumbi, cures all diseases.
ABHAYA-because it takes away fear, has five anges(pieces), is useful in diseases of bones.
ROHINI-because it promotes the attribute, is round in shape, helps in healing of ulcers.
CETAKI-because it promotes consciousness, has three angas, is useful in potions used in the form of powder.
ATTRIBUTES
Rasa-madhura, amla, tikta, katu, kashaya
Guna-rooksha, ushna, laghu
Veerya-ushna
Vipaka-madhura
Karma-tridosaghna, dipana, medhya, rasayana, sara, buddhiprada, ayushya, cakshushya, brmhana.
Diseases cured-swasa, kasa, prameha, arssas, kushta, sotha, udara, krimi, vaiswarya, grahani, vibandha, visamajwara, gulma, adhmana, vrana, chardi, hikka, kandu, hrdamaya, kamala, sula, anaha, pliha.
TASTES PREDOMINANT IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF HARITAKI
Sweet taste in majja or pulp
Sour taste in fibres and stone
Pungent taste in skin
Bitter taste in stalk
Astringent taste in stone
CHARACTERISTICS OF GOOD QUALITY
Haritaki which is fresh, unctous, compact, round, and heavy is the best. When put in water it should sink. This type of haritaki is extremely useful and therapeutically very effective.
DIFFERENT WAYS OF USING
When taken by chewing it promotes digestive power
When used in paste form it cleanses the bowels
When used by steam boiling it is constipative
When used after frying it alleiviates all the three dosas
USE IN DIFFERENT SEASONS
In summer it should be used with equal quantity of guda
In rainy season it is to be used with adequate quantity of saindhava
In autumn season it is to be used with equal quantity of purified sugar
In the beginning of winter it is to be used with sunthi
In the later part of winter it is to be used with pippali
In the spring season it should be mixed with honey and then used
USAGE FOR DIFFERENT DOSAS
It alleiviates kapha when taken with salt
Pitta is alleiviated when it is taken with sugar
When taken with ghee it cures all diseases caused by vayu
Taken with guda haritaki cures all types of diseases
CONTRA-INDICATIONS
Haritaki shouls not be used by persons
-who are extremely exhausted by travelling
-who have lost the lusture of their body
-who have unctous skin
-who are emaciated
-whose body is dried up by fasting
-who is of pitta type and pitta is aggravated
-ladies who are pregnant
-who have lost their will power
THERAPEUTICAL USES OF HARITAKI
-6gm of bark of haritaki powdered and mixed in hot water when drunk in early morning causes purgation
-the same bark when immersed in gomutra (cow’s urine) for one night and then next day washed and made into a paste, if taken cures piles, ascites, obesity, dyslipidemia
-3 to 6gm of powder of haritaki with honey cures all sorts of throat infections
-3gm of powder of haritaki with 6gm of guda when taken before food is useful for all digestive problems
-in the enlargement of scrotum due to various reasons the bark of haritaki boiled in cow’s urine, then dried and powdered, when taken with 15ml castor oil daily in the morning cures it
-t.chebula : e.officionales : t.bellerica : liquorice = 3 : 2 : 1 : 1 , when the above four drugs are taken in that ratio , for example, 3gm, 2gm, 1gm, 1gm resp’ly (powders), mixed with ghee and honey in separate quantities taken daily is used for all eye diseases and cough. External applcation of a apste of this is used to treat old ulcers, cuts and wounds, burns.
-haritaki and tippali powdered and mixed with hot water when drunk cures diarrhoea
Reference :
Materia Medica of Indian Drugs
Wikipedia
Nesamanis text of Medical plants(malayalam) volume 1
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