Nagabala – Sida Veronicaefolia – Ayurvedic Herb

 

 

 

 

 

Synonyms in sanskrit

 

Nagabala

Ganngeruki

Khargandhinika

Visvedeva

Arista

Khanda

Jhasa

Hrsvagavedhuka

Kala

Sita bala

Udanika

Mahasamga

Vrisharuha

Valadwaya

Vridhivala

Bhoomibala

 

VERNACULAR NAMES

 

English – Heart leaf fan petals, snake mallow.

Hindi – Bananiyar, Bhyunli bhuinii

Tamil – Palampasi

Marathi – Nagabala

Gujarati – Gangeti

Bengali – Goraksha chakule

Telugu – Gayapaaku, bekkinata legida

Kannada – Nagabala, Turuvegida

Malayalam – Vallikkuruntotti, Nagabala.

VARITIES

Two plants are mainly used with this name.

 

1. Nagabala – Sida veronicaefolia
2. Gangeruki – Grewia hirsuta
3. Guda sarkhara – Grewia species
4. Grewia populifolia

 

HABITAT

• Distributed in hotter parts of India.
• It grows in tropical countries, but also grows in stony and hilly regions. Abundant in Bihar, Vindhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Konkan.

 

PARTS USED

• Whole Plant

 

DOSAGE

 

Mula Curna – 3 – 6 gms

Kwatha – 50 – 100 ml

Phala – 3 – 6 gms

Puspa – 3 – 6 gms

Pancanga curna – 3 – 6 gms

 

CHEMICAL CONSTITUENTS

 

β– Phenenthylamines

Quinazoline

Gossypol

Sterculic acid

Linoleic acid

 

PROPERTIES

Rasa – Madhura, Kasaya

Guna – Guru, snigdha, picchila

Virya – Sita

Vipaka – Madhura

Doshagna – Vata – pitta samaka

 

 

KARMA

Nadibalya – Medhya

Snehana – Amlatanasaka

Hrdya – Raktapittasamaka

Vrsya – Garbhasthapana

Kaphanihsaraka

Rasayana

Mutrala

Dahaprasamana

Jvaraghna

Raktastambhana

Vedanasthapana

Vranaropana

 

PRAYOGA

Kosthagatavata – Vibandha

Kasa – Svasa – Svarabheda

Raktapradara – Garbhapata

Amlapitta

Urahksata

Sosa

Sukradourbalya

Mutrakrcchea

Jvara

Hrdroga

Raktapitta

Vrana – Ksata

Nadidourbalya

Vata vyadhi

 

CONTROVERSIAL STUDIES

The controversy on Nagabala or Gangeruki seems to be relatively recent cakrapani considered Gangeruki as Nagabala Fruit [C.S.27/142]. In this context Gangadhara clarified that this plant is also known as Guda sarkara. In another context cakrapani described Nagabala as Goraksa Tandula (S.S. Su 15/33] Sivadas sen also opined that Nagabala is Goraksa Cakuliya. Another commentator Adhamalla also mentioned that Nagabala and Guda sarkara are the synonyms of Gangeruki.

From the above finding it is apparent that the controversy started with the synoymn / vernacular name Guda sarkaea which is Grewia species Thakurji described that different plants viz. Sida spinosa, sida vermicaefolia, urena lobata, Grewia populifolia & Grewia hirsuta have been accepted as Nagabala at various places.

Gangeruki and Guda sarkara may be the two species of Grewia i.e Grewia populifolia and Grewia hirsuta respectively . Therefore Nagabala can be accepted as sida veronicaefolia.

 

 

PHARMACO – THERAPEUTIC ACTION & USES

 

EXTERNAL USES:

It has haemostatic, analgesic and wound healing properties. Paste of either root or leaves used for bleeding disorders & wounds.

 

INTERNAL USES:

• It is used in nerve debility, loss of memory & vata disorders.
• Useful in acid – peptic disorder & constipation.
• Effective in cough, dyspnoea, tuberculosis & hoarseness of voice.
• Used in retention of urine, dysuria & gonorrhoea.
• Useful in Fever.
• General debility and muscle wasting.

 

THERAPEUTIC USES

• The drug Nagabala is used to pacify provocation of Vata & Pitta.
• Used in nervine tonic, brain tonic, demulcent, diuretic & cardiac tonic.
• It pacifies burning sensation & raktapitta.
• It has foetus stabilizing properties.
• It has wound healing, blood coagulant and analgesic action.
• It is given in diarrhoea & dysentery.
• Used in heart disease, cough & dyspnoea.
• Excellent rasayana & balya medicine.
• A paste of the root in water is applied to wounds to hasten suppuration and as a dressing of wounds.
• For Rasayana, Nagabala rasayana is recommended in classical texts of medicine. ( caraka samhita, cikitsa, 12 – 11 and Ash. Hri, uttara 39 / 54 – 55]
• The drug Nagabala is used in treatment of ksaya, raktapitta, hrdroga, ksata ksina & klaivya.

 

YOGAS

 

Indrokta Rasayana

Nagabala rasayana

Yastyahvadi ghrta

Nagabala kalpa

Brahma rasayana

Nagabala yoga

Nagabala ghrta

Bala taila

Bala rista

Ksheerabla taila