CHITRAK HARITAKI

Introduction

Chitrak haritaki is an Ayurvedic classical formulation which has been mentioned in classical books of the ayurveda. These medications are made after many trials for particular disorders than these classical medications are mentioned in books with certain indications. It mainly focuses on the problems related to the respiratory disorders and increases the prana of a person. It’s a famous quote which says that “A healthy mind has an easy breath” so we can say that when the respiratory system is healthy then it will lead to a healthy mind.

Ingredients

It contains many ingredients which are used to make these formulations which are mentioned below:

1. Chitraka (Plumbago Zeylanica)
2. Amalaki (Emblica officinale)
3. Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia)
4. Dashmoola (Group of 10 herb roots)
5. Haritaki (Terminalia chebula)
6. Gur (Jaggery)
7. Shunthi (Zingiber officinale)
8. Maricha (Piper Nigrum)
9. Pippali (Piper longum)
10. Dalchini (Cinnamon zeylanica)
11. Ela (Elettaria cardamomum)
12. Patra (Cinnamomum tamala)
13. Yavakshara (Hordeum vulgare)
14. Madhu (Honey)

Ingredients

Sr. No.	Indian Name	Botanical Name	Parts Used	Quantity
1.	Chitraka	Plumbago zeylanica	Root bark	200 Parts
2.	Haritaki	Terminalia chebula	Fruit	200 Parts
3.	Amla	Emblica officinalis	Fruit	128 Parts
4.	Guduchi	Tinospora cordifolia	Seeds	100 Parts
5.	Dashmoola			4 Parts
6.	Maricha	Piper nigrum	Seeds	200 Parts
7.	Pippali	Piper longum	Fruit	4 Parts
8.	Shunthi	Zingiber officinalis	Rhizome	4 Parts
9.	Ela	Elettaria cardamomum	Fruit	4 Parts
10.	Yavakshara	Hordeum vulgare	Whole Plant	4 Parts
11.	Tejpatra	Cinnamomum tamala	Flower	4 Parts
12.	Dalchini	Cinnamomum Zeylanicum	Bark Leave	1 Part
13.	Madhu (Mel)			200 Parts
14.	Gud (Saccharum)			16 Parts

Ref. Ayurvedic Text – [ Bhaishajya ratnavali-Nasaroga adhikara / A.F.I. (1) ]

Description Of The Ingredients

Each herb has different actions and different potentials, combining these herbs produces a special effect which is known as the medicinal properties of this formulation.

1. Chitrak – Chitrak is tikshna (Sharp), light to digest and dry properties. When used in excess it increases heat in the body due to ushna virya (Hot potency). Root of this plant is used for making the formulation. It is vata kapha shamak and pitta vardhak i.e. it decreases the vata and kapha dosha from the body and increases the pitta dosha.It is stimulant in lower doses and in higher doses it is sedative. Due to it’s kapha shamak and pitta increasing properties it is helpful in treating cough, cold, and rhinitis. It can be used in the people who have debility after fever (Mainly kaphaj). It can be used for the organs which are liver, duodenum, rectum, spleen, uterus for proper functioning of the organs.
2. Amalaki – Fruit pulp of amalaki is used for making the formulation as this has qualities such as being light to digest, dry in nature, and cold. Has 5 tastes except salty. It has a sweet taste after digestion with cold potency. It acts as a rasayan or rejuvenator. Amalaki can be used in conditions like cough, asthma, and tuberculosis. It helps in strengthening the nervous tissues of the body. This herb is tridosha shamak. Mainly it helps in pacifying pitta dosha.
3. Guduchi – Juice of the stem of the guduchi is used for making this formulation. In classical ayurveda books it is kept in groups like mootra virechana, shothahara, krimighna, anuvasanopag etc. It acts as a good expectorant i.e it helps in promoting the secretion of the sputum through the air passages. It also acts as a laxative. Guduchi is very good for general debility, analgesic. It helps in balancing and pacifying all the three doshas. It is also good for promoting digestion.
4. Dashamoola – Dashmoola is the name given to the group of 10 roots of 10 herbs. All the herbs in this formulation are helpful in pacifying the vata dosha in the body. It is very effective for problems like pyrexia, cough, pain in the flanks and all the problems related to respiratory disorders. It can be given in disorders in which there is vitiation of the vata dosha like anxiety, Insomnia, and gynecological disorders.
5. Haritaki – It is the main content of the triphala and fruits of the haritaki are used for making this formulation. It is light and dry to digest and has all the 5 rasa except the salty taste. Haritaki undergoes sweet taste conversion after digestion. Due to all the combined properties it is helpful in balancing all the three doshas of the body. It is a potent laxative and also helps in balancing vitiated tridoshas of the body. It can be used in respiratory disorders like rhinitis (Originating due to constipation), cough, and hoarseness of the voice. It relieves congestion so it will help in treating hiccups and dyspnoea. It also acts as a rejuvenator as it helps in clearing the malas of the body.
6. Gur (Jaggery) – Gur is made from the juice of sugarcane when cooked on heat for some time it gets thick and then dried up. It is sweet in taste but does not increase the kapha dosha in the body. This property is known as the natishleshmalkara. It helps in increasing the volume of urine and feces. Gur decreases pitta dosha and balances the vata dosha in the body. It gives a natural sweetening taste to the formulation.
7. Shunthi – Dried tuberous part of the shunthi is used for making the formulation. This is the best medication for the vata type of disorders and also acts as a kapha ghana (eliminates kapha dosha from the body) also it acts as antihistamines as it has tikta (bitter) taste and snigdha (Unctuous) properties, So it will help in treating the respiratory tract infections like pharyngitis, asthma, cough and cold. It acts as a great appetizer so it will help in anti satiety.
8. Maricha – Maricha will act as a deepniya (Increases digestive fire), Shulaprashmana (Analgesic), krumi ghana (Anti parasitic). It has sharp properties and is light to digest with a pungent taste. Marich is hot in potency. Maricha is the best herb to reverse the sluggishness of the pranavaha srotas (Respiratory channels) and also reduce the secretion of the mucus. It helps in opening the channels of the body so facilitates the action of all the ingredients of the chitrak haritaki i.e. it acts as a catalyst.
9. Pipali – Fruits of the pippali are used for the making of this formulation. It is teekshna (Sharp) in properties due to which it acts as a yogavahi (Catalyst), It is also light to digest and has uctous properties. Its taste is pungent and the taste after the digestion is sweet. Pippali is not so cold and not so hot in potency. Due to the sharp and light properties it helps in traveling to the minute channels of the body and lungs and eliminates the kapha dosha so it will treat severe respiratory disorders. It also acts as a good digestive agent and also good as a rejuvenating agent. Pippali helps to eliminate the vata and kapha dosha and increases the pitta dosha.
10. Dalchini – Bark means twak of the plant and is used for making chitrak haritaki. It has hot potency so if it will be vata and kapha dosha balancing simultaneously it will increase the pitta dosha from the body. It is a great appetizer, digestive and carminative agent. This herb can be used in many respiratory disorders as it has hot and sharp properties. It travels in the minute channels and melts the kapha collected in the tracts of the respiratory system. It also acts as an aphrodisiac and has oxytocic properties. This herb is very good for the treatment of tuberculosis, This acts as an antitubercular herb due to the cineremic oil which is present in the dalchini. It also has antioxidant effects on the lungs.
11. Ela – Seeds of the cardamom are used in making the formulation of the chitrak haritaki. It is light to digest and dry in nature with a pungent and sweet taste. Its taste conversion after digestion is sweet with cold potency. Ela will eliminate all the vitiated doshas. It has expectorant properties so it can be used in lung disorders, It relieves dyspnoeic attacks in pertussis.
12. Patra – Tamala’s dried leaves are used for making the formulation. This has light and hot properties due to which it is easy to digest and acts as an appetizer. Helps to eliminate excess kapha and vata dosha from the body. It is sweet, pungent and bitter in taste with hot potency and helps to reduce the kapha and vata dosha from the body. It is very well used for coughs and asthma. It can be used for the complications which are arising due to TB. For the problem of a runny nose it can be used with a mixture of other herbs also it is a best remedy for the kaasa (Cough).
13. Yavakshara – This is made by burning the whole plant of the barley. This has best uses in treating the difficult micturition and urinary stones also it can be used in treating bloating, abdominal pains. Charaka has mentioned that It is used to relieve the obstruction of the throat due to any factor. It clears away all the channels and minute channels by any deposition or blockages due to its sharp, minute and piercing nature. It will treat the cough, cold and respiratory disorders due to its kapha and vata balancing nature. It will help in digesting the ama dosha.
14. Honey – Honey is used as a sweetening agent in this formulation and also to give it a paste like consistency. Honey is used in many respiratory tract disorders and is also very good in treating as well as supporting due its astringent nature. It helps in balancing the kapha and pitta dosha in the body. It has scrapping properties and is drying in nature so it will eliminate the deep rooted kapha dosha from the body.

Method Of Preparation

Following is the method of preparation for the Chitrak haritaki:

1. Take 200 parts of chitraka, 128 parts of amla juice, 100 parts of guduchi juice, decoction of dashmool in 4 parts, badi harad churna in 200 parts and jaggery 16 parts; all these ingredients are mixed and cooked.
2. When this mixture gets a paste like consistency than the powder of shunthi 4 parts, maricha 200 parts, pippali 4 parts, dalchini in 1 part, tejpatra in 4 parts, ela 4 parts and yavakshara in 4 parts are mixed in the cooked paste.
3. Next day 200 parts of the honey is mixed in that paste of herbs and kept in a closed jar.

Medicinal Properties

This medication has different medicinal properties which are like mucolytic and antitussive due to which it helps in secretion of the excess mucus from the body and treat the conditions like cold and cough. It helps in preventing certain infections as it has antibacterial properties due to various herbs in it so with that it can be used in conditions like TB, fever, and any infective condition of the respiratory tract or digestive tract. Due to certain herbs like marich, pippali, yavakshara, guduchi and shunthi it acts as an appetizer, digestive, and aam pachak (Detoxifier). As it helps in digesting the Ama (Toxins) from the body so it will act as an Immunomodulator means it will treat the auto-immune disorders and also due to the digestion of the toxins it acts as an antioxidant, It will help in maintaining the oxidative stress of the body.

Dosha Karma

• Chitrak haritaki mainly helps in balancing the vata and kapha dosha from the body.

Classical Indications

In ayurvedic classical textbooks its main indications are:

1. Gumla (Abdominal tumor or lump)
2. Udavarta (Upward movement of the abdominal gasses)
3. Pinasa (Rhinitis)
4. Kasa (Cough)
5. Swasa (Dyspnoea)
6. Arsa (Hemorrhoids)

Indications

Chitraka haritaki is the formulation which can be used in many conditions other than classical indications and it is very beneficial for it like:

1. Cough
2. Chronic cold
3. Allergic rhinitis
4. Abdominal distention
5. Udavarta
6. Dyspnoea
7. Piles
8. Low digestion
9. Chronic bronchitis
10. Tuberculosis
11. Loss of appetite
12. Gas in the intestines
13. Chronic sinusitis
14. Bronchial asthma

Dosage

It can be used in 6 to 12 gm in a day.

Side Effects

This medication is to be taken under the supervision of medical supervision

1. It generally does not have any side effects but when taken in higher doses it can cause gastritis and acidity.
2. It should be avoided by pregnant ladies or lactating mothers.
3. It should be avoided by people having diabetes.

Conclusion

This is a medication which is in avaleha (Jam) like consistency and it is a classical formulation which is the best medication for respiratory tract disorders. This medication is provided by the planet ayurveda and it can be used by anyone excluding infants.