Yavasa – Alhagi camelorum

Introduction of Yavasa Alhagi camelorum – 

• Botanical Name of Yavasa is Alhagi camelorum, Fisch.
• Family of Yavasa is Leguminosae.

Yavasa plant is commonly grown as a weed. It is beneficial in Raktapitta, Madatyaya etc.

LITERARY REVIEW OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• The drug Yavasa, was mentioned in Rigveda, as a fodder for camels.
• Another drug named Yavasa is also mentioned in vedic literatures, but it is not confirmed whether these two are one and the same as the Yavasa of the samhitas.
• Charaka, Sushruta as well as Vagbhatta have mentioned about this drug in their texts. But none of them have classified it under any vargas.
• Dalhana explained the watery extract of Yavasa as Yasa Sharkara. It is commonly accepted that Yavasa and Duralabha are synonymous.
• Thakurji described that both have similar properties and may be used in each others place.
• Bhavamishra explained both these herbs separately, but their properties are mentioned as similar.
• There are references about this drug in Raja Nighantu, Dhanwatari Nighantu, Kaiyadeva Nighantu, Nighantu Ratnakar, Bhavaprakasha Nighantu etc.

TYPES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

5 Types of Yavasa are mentioned as follows-

1. Alhagi camelorum
2. Alhagi persarum
3. Alhagi pseudalhagi
4. Hedysorum pseudalhagi
5. Alhagi maurorum

According to Sodhala Nighantu, 2 varieties of the plant Yavasa are-

• Yasa
• Dhanvayasa

SYNONYMS OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum AND ITS INTERPRETATIONS- 

GANAS OR VARGAS OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

The plant Yavasa has not been classified by Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbhata in to any of the ganas or vargas. Where as various Nighantus have mentioned it under different vargas.

Kula- Shimbi kula.

Upakula- Aparajita upakula

• Dhanwantari Nighantu- Guduchyadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu- Guducyhadi varga
• Raja Nighantu- Shatahvadi varga
• Kaiyadeva Nighantu- Oshadhi varga
• Shaligrama Nighantu- Ikshu varga

VERNACULAR NAMES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• Arabic – Al- gol, Haj
• Bengali – Jawasa, Dullalabha
• English – Camel thorn, Persian manna plant
• Gujarati – Javaasso
• Hindi – Javaas
• Kannada – Balli turuche
• Malayalam – Kappathumba, Kodithuva
• Marathi – Jawas, Kas, Javaasa
• Parsi –  Khareshuthur
• Tamil – Tellanginiyo
• Telugu – Tellanginiya Chettu
• Punjabi – Tamiya
• Chinese – Tz’u Mi
• Cutch – Zuwasha
• French – Agoul, Alhagi, Plante Epineuse
• Persian -Kharebuz, Kharishutr, Shutakhar
• Sind – Kas
• Urdu – Athariyum

SYSTEMIC CLASSIFICATION OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• Kingdom- Plantae (Plants)
• Sub Kingdom- Tracheobionta (Vascular Plants)
• Super Division- Spermatophyta (Seed Plants)
• Division- Magnoliopsida (Dicotyledons)
• Class- Magnoliopsida ( Dicotyledons)
• Subclass- Rosidae
• Order- Fabales
• Family- Fabaceae (Pea Family)
• Genus- Alhagi
• Species- Camelorum

PRAYOJYA ANGA (PARTS USED) OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• Panchanga (Whole Plant)
• Yasa Sharkara (Gummy exudates)

CHEMICAL COMPOSITION OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

Twigs Contain:

• B – Phenethylamine
• N – Methyl – B – Phenethylamine
• N – Methyl tyramine
• Hordmine
• 3,4 – Dihydroxy – B – phenethyl – trimethyl ammonium hydrozide.
• 3 methoxy – 4 – hydrozyl –  B Phenethyl trimethyl ammonium hydroxide
• N – methyl mescaline
• Salsolidine
• Small quantity of choline & Betaline

Roots and stem contain:

• Alkaloid
• Also phytosterols

The Gummy exudates Yasa Sharkara contains:

• Glucose
• Mannitol

If boiled with sour drugs, it gets converted into glucose.

AYURVEDIC PROPERTIES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• Rasa – Madhura,  Tikta, Kashaya
• Guna – Laghu, Snigdha
• Veerya – Sheeta
• Vipaka – Madhura
• Doshaghnata – Kapha Pitta Shamaka

PHARMACO-THERAPEUTIC PROPERTIES & ACTIONS OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

The Yavasa plant is bitter and acrid with a distinct flavour, refrigerant, digestible, antipyretic, tonic, laxative, diuretic. It removes excess of fat, cures brain affections, leprosy skin diseases, bronchitis, allays thirst and improves appetite. It is also found useful in espistaxis. The plant has a bitter taste, it is alexeteric, maturant, aperient and atennuate. It is good for piles, opacity of cornea and hemicrania.

The manna or the sweet exudates is aperint, cholagogue, expectorant, diuertic, fattening, aphrodisiac, purifies the blood, good in vomiting, small pox eruptions, asthma and piles, it has a slightly bad taste.

ACTIONS (KARMA) OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

The various karmas enumerated are:

PHARAMACO-THERAPEUTIC USES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• As a whole, the plant serves as a good medicine for skin diseases, epistaxis, leprosy, opacity of cornea and hemicrania.
• An oil extracted from leaves is found to be effective in case of rheumatism.
• The flowers are good for piles.
• The manna or the exudates is good in vomiting, asthma, piles and small pox eruptions.
• The plant is smoken along with black datura, tobacco and ajwain seeds as a remedy for asthma.
• The infusion has a diaphoretic action.
• The decotion made out of root is found effective in curing swellings, abscesses and also mixed with water for bathing.

THERAPEUTIC USES OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• Nasagata Raktapitta – Nasya is done with Yavasa mula (Ch. Chi. 4).
• Madatyaya – Pana of Yavasa panchanga kwatha (Ch. Chi. 12).
• Kasa – Dhoomapana is done with Yavasa (Vaidyamruta).
• Amavata – Yavasa siddha taila is applied externally (Bha. Pr.).
• Arshas – Internal administration, as well as application of panchanga kalka (Bha. Pr.).
• Tamaka Shwasa – Dhoomapana of kwatha made by mixing Yavasa and Muleti (Bha. Pr).
• Raktapitta – Root of Yavasa and Bhringaraja are suspended in cowdung juice and taken with  Tandulodaka (Cha. Chi. 4)
• Arshas – Kwatha of Yastimadhu, Panchavalkala, Badari, Udumbara, Dhawa, Patola, Vasa, Arjuna, Yavasa and Nimba is used for seka (Ch. Chi . 14)
• Daha – Kalka of Yavasa , Kusha, arka, Balaka, Kasa, Eraka is applied externally (Ch. Su. 3).
• Rheumatism – Oil extracted from the leaves is used for application.
• Asthma – The plant is smoked with black dhatura, tobacco and ajwain seeds as a remedy.
• Swellings, Abcesses – A decoction of root is made and used externally .

POSOLOGY / DOSAGE (MATRA) OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• Yasa Sharkara – 250 mg – 500mg
• Choorna – 500 mg – 10 g
• Swarasa – 10 -20 ml
• Kwatha – 40 -80 ml

VISHISHTHA YOGA (Pharmaceutical preparation) OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

• Agastyaavaleha
• Khadiradi gutika
• Vasa ghrita
• Kalayshyadi ghrita
• Yasa sharkara

PHOTOGRAPHS OF YAVASA Alhagi camelorum

The high-quality images may be found at Theferns.info