Rasa (Taste)
Tikta, Kashaya
The primary taste perceived on the tongue.
Ashwagandha (Winter Cherry)
Habit - A much branched wild perennial herb.Root-Tap-root.Stem Aerial, erect, cylindrical, branched, herbaceous above, woody below, with fine stellate hairs....
Medicinal Plant
Ashwagandha (Winter Cherry)
Withania somnifera (L) Dunal · Solanaceae
Habit - A much branched wild perennial herb.Root-Tap-root.Stem Aerial, erect, cylindrical, branched, herbaceous above, woody below, with fine stellate hairs....
Scientific Name
Withania somnifera (L) Dunal
Family
Solanaceae
Hindi Name
Asgandha
Used Part
Moola (Root)
Botanical Description
About the Ashwagandha Plant
Morphology and field-identification notes as documented in our Dravyaguna library.
Habit - A much branched wild perennial herb.Root-Tap-root.Stem Aerial, erect, cylindrical, branched, herbaceous above, woody below, with fine stellate hairs.Leaf- alternate or in unequal pairs, ovate, entire, petiole thick and long; reticulate unicostate ventation, covered with glandular branched hair.Inflorescence - Sub-sessile, axillary umbellate, .Flower:Greenish yellow, subsessile, pedicellates, complete, bisexual, pentamerous, actinomorphic. Fruit - Small berry, globose, yellow or red when ripe.
Ayurvedic Properties
Rasa Panchaka — Classical Properties
The five-fold framework Ayurveda uses to describe a drug — Rasa, Guna, Vipaka, Veerya and its effect on the doshas.
Guna (Qualities)
Laghu, Snigdha
Physical and energetic attributes of the dravya.
Vipaka (Post-digestive Effect)
Madhura
Taste that emerges after complete digestion.
Dosha Karma (Action on Doshas)
Kaphavata shamaka
Effect on Vata, Pitta and Kapha doshas.
Veerya (Potency)
Ushna
Heating (ushna) or cooling (sheeta) energy.
Ayurvedic Actions (Karma)
Vranahara, Balya, Rasayana , Kasahara, Kandughna
Modern Phytochemistry
Chemistry & Pharmacology
How modern science maps onto the classical understanding of this dravya.
Pharmacological Action
What the Science Says
Sedative, hypnotic, antimitotic, antiseptic, antitumour
Phytoconstituents
Active Compounds
Somniferine , withanine , nicotine , tropine , withanolide , withasomnine , analygrine, starch , b-sitosterol
Therapeutic Usage
Clinical Applications of Ashwagandha
Classical Ayurvedic indications drawn directly from the Dravyaguna tradition — paired with the preparations recommended in shastra.
01
(1)Ashwagandha taken with milk or ghee or warm water for 15 days act as rasayana . (2) - The kshara of Ashwagandha taken with honey and ghee is beneficial in swasa.(3) Ashwagandha churna mixed with sugar and ghee is very useful in nidra nasa. (4) Ghrita prepared from Ashwagandha kwatha and milk should be consumed by women at right time to help in conception.
Always consult a qualified Ayurvedic physician before using any herb therapeutically. Dose, anupana and Prakriti-specific suitability matter.
Yoga / Kalpana
Classical Formulations
Common Ayurvedic preparations where Ashwagandha is a key ingredient.
- Balaashwagandha tail, Vajikararn Rasayan, Ashwagandha ghrita, Ashwagandha Churna, Ashwagandharishta
Shastra Pramana
Classical Reference
गन्धान्ता वाजिनामादिरश्वगन्धा हयाव्या । वराकर्णी वरदा बलदा कुष्ठगन्धिनी ॥ (भा.प्र. गुडूच्यादिवर्ग-67) अश्वागन्धाऽनिल श्लेष्माश्वित्रशोथक्षयापहा । बल्या रसायनी तिक्ता कषायोष्णाऽतिशुक्रला ॥(भा.प्र. गुडूच्यादि वर्ग 190)