Withania Somnifera

JAY SHREE POOJYA SHREE SHREE AMMA
JAY MAHAN BRAHMASHREE GOPALAVALLIDASAR
JAY SHREE RADHEKRISHNA SATHSANG

Dear Readers,
Radhekrishna once again!

Continuing form where we left, let us learn more about the secrets in Ayurveda in this article.

“A weed is a plant whose value has not been discovered.” This sentence means that in Ayurveda, everything is considered to be useful as medicine. It sounds astounding but it is true. The statement that, ‘Truth is stranger than fiction is apt for Ayurveda or more broadly, to Hinduism!

Let us peek into an example from the glorious past of India which supports this view:

Once a well known student in Takshashila (in present Pakistan) university was Jivaka who as the royal physician of King Bimbisara of Magadha (in present Bihar) acquired great fame. A story from the life of Jivaka merits quoting. After the completion of studies, Jivaka’s master asked him to search for any substance within the radius of several miles, which could not be of medical use. Jivaka returned empty handed and passed the examination proving a central belief in Ayurveda that “nothing exists in the universe which cannot be used as medicine”.

Moving ahead, as we promised in the previous article, let us learn about a herb found in India and its usefulness. The name of that herb is ‘Ashwagandha’.

The botanical name for Ashwagandha is ‘Withania Somnifera’.

The description of this herb is explained by the below shloka:

Asvagandhanilaslemasvitrasothaksayapaha
Balya rasayani tikta kasayosnatisukrala

Meaning: The Ashwagandha is an astringent, bitter and hot (in potency) medicine which removes defects in Vata and Kapha (humours), white leprosy, swelling and general debility. It energises and enhances sperm.

If you watch advertisements on TV by any chance, then you must have heard tea making companies’ advertise, launching their latest type of tea. The ad would mention that unlike other types of tea, this one is different as it contains herbs; one of them being Ashwagandha. After reading the above shloka mentioning the diseases cured by this herb, its very clear why, isn’t it?

We shall continue with the information on this herb in the next posting.

Till then do lots of chanting.

Radhekrishna!

Sarvam Guruvarpanam