Ayurveda operates on the precept that various materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value. The medicinal properties of these materials have been documented by the practitioners and have been used for centuries to cure illness and/or help maintain good health. Ayurvedic medicaments are made from herbs or mixtures of herbs, either alone or in combination with minerals, metals and other ingredients of animal origin. The metals, animals and minerals are purified by individual processes before being used for medicinal purposes.
Writers and compilers of Ayurvedic literature such as Charaka, Sushruta, Vagabhatta, Bhav Mishra, Shaligram and others have written about the qualities, charecteristics and medicinal uses of the herbs, mineral, metals, chemicals, animal parts, cooked food articles, natural foods, fruits etc. Among them, the Bhav Prakash Nighantu, written by Bhav Mishra, is known for its detail .The composition of the Nighantu part (Ayurvedic Materia Medica) of the Bhav Prakash is part of the classical book. The details of the medicinal herbs are given according to the nature, effects, and curative properties as observed by the Ayurvedic practitioners. |
List of herbs and minerals in Ayurveda:
Ayurveda believes that various materials of vegetable, animal, and mineral origin have some medicinal value. The medicinal properties of these materials are time tested and have been used for centuries in ayurvedic medicines to cure illness and/or help maintain health.
Ayurvedic medicaments are made from herbs or mixtures of herbs, either alone or in combination with minerals, metals and other ingredients of animal origin. The metals, animals and minerals are purified by individual processes before being used for medicinal purposes. Impurified materials are not allowed to be used as medicine.
The forms of Ayurvedic medicaments are:
- Fresh juice of herbs
- Quath : Crushed herbs, used as decoction or tea for internal and external uses
- Churna : Fine powdered herbs, used as medicine with water or in food for internal and external uses
- Tail : Herbs cooked in edible oil according to rules laid down for internal and external uses
- Ghrat/Ghrit : Herbs cooked in special butter
- Asav/Arista/Sura : a kind of light wine obtained after fermentation of herbs
- Arka : A distillation of herbs
- Rasausadhi/Kharliya Rasayan : Herbs mixed with metals, minerals and animal kingdom ingredients
- Bhasma : Ashes
- Parpaty : combinations of Metals , Minerals, Animal Kingdom ingredients and Herbs
- Kshar/Lavan/Salt/Drava : these are specially prepared medicaments
- Guggula based medicaments
- Lauha Bhasam : Mandoor Bhasam based medicaments
- Avaleha/Modak/Paak/Prash : Herbs cooked in Jaggery or sugar
- Bati/Gutika/Goli : Mixtures of medicines shaped in pills, pillules or tablets for ease of administration
- Pralep/Anjan/Varti/Dhoop : Liniments, drops, paint, paste etc. for external uses
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