Abstract

“MEDICINAL IMPORTANCE OF CHAKRAMARDA (CASSIA TORA LINN)”

Dr. Prabhat Kumar Srivastava*, Dr. Anil Kumar Singh, Dr. Kamal Nayan Dwivedi

Abstract

Chakramarda (Cassia tora Linn) has been used in the Indian system of medicine since long time. In Charaka samhita, it has been classified under shakavarga & shimbivarga while Sushruta has classified it under urdhvabhaghara dravya (drugs which expel out the doshas of stomach through mouth i.e. by vomiting) and shakavarga. It has properties like katu rasa, laghu guna, ushna virya and katu vipaka. Its action includes kaphavatashamana (pacifies kapha and vata dosha), hridya (beneficial for heart), swasaghna (antidyspnoeic), kusthaghna (cures skin disorders), dadrughna (cures ringworm), krimighna (removes worm infestation), kandughna (antipruritic), vishaghna (removes entoxication), gulmaghna (destroys abdominal lump), kasaghna (antitussive) etc. In Ayurvedic texts, it has been widely used either alone or with other drugs in the form of different preparations like paste, oil, powder etc for the treatment of kushtha, ringworm, nadivrana (sinuses), infected wounds, suryavarta roga (the headache increasing with rise of sun and decreasing with sunset), all types of severe shotha (inflammation) especially having predominance of kapha and vata, difficult delivery, vatavyadhi, difficult types of gandamala (goiter), chronic wound, spots of skin, swasa (dyspnoea), kasa (cough), jwara (fever), prameha, aruchi (anorexia), krimi, medavriddhi (increase in body fat) etc. This article summarizes the uses of Chakramarda especially in ayurvedic texts with an aim to provide the new treatment measures in various diseases.

Keywords: Chakramarda, Cassia tora Linn, Ringworm plant, Ayurveda.