All over India, especially in dry lands and Himalayan region, natural and cultivated plants of Ashwagandha are found even at heights of 5,500 ft. Compared to the natural plants, cultivated plants are medicinally superior. But for oil extraction, it is better to use natural forest plant. Based on the location where it is grown, it has many varieties. The genuine plant is the one which when crushed gives smell of horses’ urine which is stronger in the fresh root.
Appearance
Ashwagandha plants are tall and straight with many branches. Leaves grow in bunches and are 2-4 inch long and 1-2 inch wide. Towards the tip, the leaves are narrow and pointed. Flowers are greenish or purple, without stem, and grow in bunches. Calyx is bell shaped, soft and hairy which grows with fruits and covers the fruits like raspberry. Fruits are pea shaped, reddish in color. The seeds are numerous, kidney shaped and the seed cover is like the bee hive. The root is conical in shape like white radish but slightly thinner.
Properties
It is beneficial in curing cough and acidity. It increases physical strength, is purgative, and improves vitality. It is beneficial for the digestive function and in curing weakness.
Medicinal usage
Multinodular Tuberculosis: Take fresh new leaves of Ashwagandha with equal quantities of jaggery and prepare round shaped tablets. Give 1 tablet to the patient in the morning with stale water. Grind the paste of Ashwagandha leaves on glandular tuberculosis.
Angina
- In case of pain in the heart due to acidity, give 2 gm Ashwagandha powder with water. It brings relief.
- Take equal quantities of powder of Ashwagandha and Belliric Myrobalan(Baheda). Give 5-10 gm of this mixture with jaggery. It cures heart related pain.
Tuberculosis
- Give 2 gm Ashwagandha powder with 20gm decoction of its own. It is beneficial in curing tuberculosis.
- Give 2 gm powder of Ashwagandha root mixed with 1 gm Peepal powder, 5 gm ghee and 10 gm honey. It helps cure tuberculosis
Cough
- Take 10 gm root of Ashwagandha and grind it solid. Mix 10 gm sugar candy in it and then boil the mix- ture in 400 ml water till water is reduced to 1/8th of the quantity. Give this to the patient in little portions repeatedly . It cures whooping cough and also gives relief in bronchial asthma.
- Take 40 gm thick decoction of Ashwagandha leaves, black 20 gm baheda powder, 10 gm catechu churna, 5 pepper, and 2.5 gm gm prepare tablets of 500 rock salt. Mix them all and mg each. Give these tablets tothe patient to suck. It helps cure all types of cough. It is beneficial in tuberculosis also.
Conceiving
- Take 20 gm Ashwagandha powder, 1 liter water and 250 ml milk. Cook them all together at low heat till only milk is left behind. Add 6 gm sugar candy and 6 gm ghee to it. Three days after the completion of menstrual cycle, give this mixture to the woman for three days. The woman definitely conceives with this treatment.
- Mix Ashwagandha powder with honey. Three days after the completion of menstrual cycle, give 4-6 gm of this mixture to the woman daily with cow’s milk or fresh water for at least one month. The woman definitely conceives with this treatment.
- Prepare decoction of root and mix with pulp of root and 4 times ghee. Cook them all and give to the woman. It cures acidity problems and woman is able to conceive.
Abortion
In case the foetus aborts naturally, give 10 gm each of fresh juice of Ashwagandha and white kateri (yellow berried nightshade) root from first to fifth month of pregnancy. It avoids any natural abortion.
Metrorrhagia and leucorrhoea:
Take equal quantities of Ashwagandha powder and sugar candy. Give 1 teaspoonful of this mixture with cow’s milk every morning and evening to the patient.
Helminthes (Worms):
Take equal quantities of Ashwagandha powder and guduchi powder. Mix them with 5-10 gm honey and give to the patient regularly. It cures worms.
Improving eyesight
Take 2 gm Ashwagandha powder, 2 gm amla powder and 1 gm liquorice root powder. Mix them all and give one tea spoon with water, every morning and evening. It helps improve eyesight.
Improving eyesight
Take 2 gm Ashwagandha powder, 2 gm amla powder and 1 gm liquorice root powder. Mix them all and give one tea spoon with water, every morning and evening. It helps improve eyesight.
Improving eyesight
Take 2 gm Ashwagandha powder, 2 gm amla powder and 1 gm liquorice root powder. Mix them all and give one tea spoon with water, every morning and evening. It helps improve eyesight.
Arthritis
- Take Ashwagandha whole plant, grind it and strain it. Give 25-30 gm of this to the patient. It cures arthritis pain. Also, take 30 gm fresh leaves and boil in 250 ml water till water is reduced to half. Strain the solution and give to the patient. Within a week, the patient feels quite relieved of the pain and stiffness due to arthritis. Its paste is also is also very beneficial.
- Give 2 gm Ashwagandha powder with warm milk or water every morning and evening. It gives relief to the patient.
Lumbago
Give 2-5 gm powder with ghee or sugar. It cures lumbago and lack of sleep.
Joints pain
- Mix 3 gm Ashwagandha powder with 3 gm ghee and 1 gm sugar. Give this to the patient every morning and evening.
- Take 15 gm buds or fresh leaves and boil them in 200 ml water. When the leaves turn soft, strain the solution and give to the patient 3-4 times a day. It helps cure cough.
Sexual vitality
- Take equal quantities of Ashwagandha powder and sugar. Give 1 teaspoonful of this mixture with cow’s milk in the morning, 3 hours before breakfast. Take a pinch of powder and drink milk. At night, mix the powder with jasmine oil and apply this paste. It eradicates the weakness and enhances the muscles. The muscles become strong and tight.
- Take equal quantities of Ashwagandha, cinnamon and bitter kuth. Grind them all and sieve. Take 5-10 gm of this mixture and form a paste with cow’s butter. Apply it all over the male organ except the mouth. Wash the organ with warm water before and after applying the paste.
Weakness, fatigue
Treatment with Ashwagandha for a year makes the body healthy and disease free. When administered in winters, even a lean and thin person gains strength. It helps avoid old and makes the person youthful. age
- Take 10 each of Ashwagandha, sesame oil gm and ghee and 3 gm honey. Mix them all and in winter season give this to the patient. Even a lean, thin child becomes healthy and strong.
- Take 6 gm Ashwagandha powder and same amount of sugar candy and honey. Mix 10 gm ghee in it. In winter season, give this mixture to the patient and continue for 4 months. It helps even an old person gain strength and energy and the person feels good and happy due to good health.
- Take 3 gm powder of Ashwagandha and give to the patient. In case of people with hot temperament, give the mixture with hot cow’s milk. In case patient is of vata nature, give the mixture with pure sesame seeds and in case patient is of kapha nature, give the mixture with warm water. Give this mixture for 1 year. It eradicates kind of weakness and disorders in any the body. Any person, old, young, or weak, will gain strength.
- Take 20 gm Ashwagandha powder, double the amount Secrets of Indian Herbs for Good Health of sesame seeds, and 8 times that of horse bean (160 gm).Grind them all into a fine powder and then prepare vadas (make small balls and deep fry) of this mixture and eat fresh for a month.
- Take equal quantities of Ashwagandha powder and chiretta. Grind them together. Give 10 of this mixture to the patient every morning and evening with milk.
- Take 1 gm Ashwagandha powder and add 125 mg ash and sugar candy to it. Give this mixture with boiled milk. It promotes sexual potency and vitality and improves physical strength.
Blood disorders
Take equal quantities of chopchini and Ashwagandha powder and mix them. Take 4 gm of this mixture with honey every morning and evening. It helps cure disorders of blood.
Fever
Take 5 gm powder of Ashwagandha, 4 gm powder of guduchi salt. Mix and take daily in the evening with warm water. This helps cure fever.
All kinds of disorders
Take mixture of 250 gm guduchi salt with 5 gm ashwagandha powder. Give this mixture with honey. It helps cure all types of disorders.
Harmful: For the hot-tempered people
Antidote: Ghee.
