Kushmanda:- Benincasa hispida.thunip
INTRODUCTION
Genus name was given to it by famous italian botanist Gaetano salvin in 1518 to honourGuseppebeninosa an Italian paron of botany.He called plant as Benincasahispida which means hairy.
IN ‘taitiryopanishad’ kushmanda is designated as for ritual practices as it’s the case with other vedictexts.vishnudarshana mentioned it among vegetables.
Brihattrayi’s have described it under phalavarga and its use is limited to mainly in mutravikara’s and apasmara. All nighantus quoted it extensively.
Dhanvantarinighantu mentions it as the best.
SYNONYMS &INTERPRETATIONS
Pushpaphala:-Fruit carry the ruminant of flowers.
Peetapushpa:-Flowers are yellow coloured.
Brihatphala:-Fruits are big in size
Sthiraphala:-Fruits are hard.
Valliphalottama:-Fruits is considered best among cucurbitaceae family.
Kushmanda:-Seeds does not possesushnata.
Kumbaphala:-Fruits are like pitcher.
Somasrishta:-Fruits are watery.
VERNACULAR NAMES
Hindi:-petha,kumbherha,bhalua
English:-white gourd melon
Malayalam:-kumpalam
Kannada:-budhikumpala
Tulu:-karkumbuda
Tamil: -pusanikka
Telugu:budidajummea,gummadi
Punjabi:-petha
Bengali:-kumarha
Marathi:-kohala
Gujarathi:-bhurumkohulu
Arabic:-mahadav
Nepali:-kubindo
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
Fruits :- Contain starch ,protein,minerals,an alkaloid(cucurbitine),vitb,sugar& other substance.
Seeds:- Yield a fixed oil which possesantihelmenthicproperties,seeds oil is pale yellow.
Fruit:-Has moisture 96%,protein-0.4%,fat-0.1%,matter-0.3% &vit b,21 iu,carbohydrate-3.2%.
DOSAGE
- Phala choorna:10-20g
- Beeja choorna;3-6g
- Beeja taila:5-10ml
- Swarasa:30-60ml
FORMULATIONS
KUSHMANDA RASA:(bangasena ,apasmara)
(bhavaprakasa,madhyamakanda)
Kushmandagrita:(bhavaprakasa,madhyamakanda)
( Charakasamhitasutrasthana)
Khandakushmandaavaleha-(bavaprakasha ,amlapittadhyaya)
Vasakhandakushmandaka-(chakradutta,raktapittachikitsa)
Kushmandaksharam-(bhavaprakasa,madhyamakhanda)
Kushmandayogam-(bhavaprakasa ,asmarirogadhyaya)
Kushmandaswarasam-(cakradutta,asmariroga)
PROPERTIES & DOSHAGNATA
Rasa:-Madhura
Guna:-Laghu ,snigdha
Virya:-Sheeta
Vipaka:-Madhura
DOSHAGNATA:-vata-pitta samaka
Sarvadosahara(pakvaphala/ripe fruits)
KARMA
| Medhya
Balya Nidrajanana Santapahara Dahaprasamana anulomana |
RAJA NIGHANTU |
| Trishnanigrahana
Krimighna Hridya Raktapittasamaka |
DHANVANTARI NIGHANTU |
| Shonitastapana
Puphusabalya Khayahara Mutrajanana sukravardaka |
BHAVAPRAKASHA |
| Sandhaniya
Balya Brahmana
|
KAYADEVA NIGHANTU |
PRAYOGA
- Unmada
- Apasmara
- Mastishkadaurbalya
- Smrutibrishta
- Manasaroga
- Vibanda
- Udarasoola
- Trishna
- Daha-jwara
- Daurbalya
- Hrudaurbalya
- Kshaya
- Rajayakshma
- Puffusavikara
- Kasaswasa
- Raktapitta
- Amlapitta
THERAPUTIC USES
The juice of the fruit pulp is very useful in haemoptysis and other internal discharges and beneficial in pthisis.
Drug is a tonic ,brain tonic carmintive,diuretic,refrigerant,antihelmenthic,haemostatic,vitaliser.it pacify thist burning sensation brin and raktapitta.its wholesome for heart ,body life being rasyana&bhramana promoting dhatu.
Seeds specially oil obtained from seed of drug kushmanda are useful in abdominal worms specifically tapeworms.