Medicinal plant No 12

Achyranthes aspera Linn. Amaranthaceae (तण्डुलीय-कुलम्)

Eng : Prickly chaff-flower plant Hin : Circitā, Cicimdā (forfalat, ferest) Kan : Uttarani (eva do) Mal : Katalāți, Vankațalāți, Valiyakațalāți

(കടലാടി, വൻകടലാടി, വലിയ കടലാടി) San : Apāmärgah (3797417:) Tam: Katalāti, Nāyuruvi (UL_OUT14, brucial) Tel

: Apamargámu (utstop.30)

Distribution: Throughout India, along roadsides and waste places as well

as on hills upto 900 m The plant: An erect, much branched suffruticose or diffuse shrub upto one

metre in height with quadrangular striate pubescent branches, thickened just above the nodes; leaves simple, opposite, exstipulate, velvery tomentose, orbicular, obovate or elliptic, 10 cm long and 7.5 cm broad; flowers bracteate and bracteolate, greenish, deflexed, in slender spikes often 45 cm long; fruits easily disarticulating oblong

urticle; seeds single, inverse. Parts used: whole plant Properties and uses: The plant is acrid, bitter, thermogenic, expectorant,

revulsive, carminative, digestive, stomachic, laxative, anodyne, depurative, anthelmintic, diuretic, linthontriptic, sudorific, demulcent, haematinic and anti-inflamatory. It is useful in cough, asthma, bronchitis, dyspepsia, flatulence, colic, painful inflammations, dropsy, ophthalmopathy, vomiting, leprosy, skin diseases, pruritus, helminthiasis, strangury, renal and vesical calculi, cardiac disorders, anaemia, vitiated conditions of kapha and vāta and general debility.

"अपामार्गस्तु शिख़री किणिही खरमजरी । दुर्ग्रहश्चाप्यधःशल्यः प्रत्यक्पुष्पी मयूरकः ।। काण्डकण्टः शैखरिको मर्कटी दुरभिग्रहः । 1 afgre ça arayout pouzi honefacesittil कर्मजरिको नन्दी क्षवकः पङ्क्तिकण्टकः ।मालाकण्टश्च कुब्जश्च त्रयोविंशतिनामकः ॥ (रा.नि.) ["Apamargastu śikhari kinihi kharamañjari Durgrahascăpyadhaḥsalyaḥ pratyakpuşpi mayurakah Kandakantah saikhariko markați durabhigrahaḥ Vasirasca parakpuspi kanti markatapippali Katurmanjariko nandi kşavakah panktikantakan Malakantasca kubjasca trayovirnsatinamakan" (Ra.ni.)]

"अपामार्गः सरस्तीक्ष्णो दीपनस्तिक्तकः कटुः । पाचनो नावनश्छर्दिकफमेदो/निलापहा ।। निहन्ति हृदुजाध्मानार्शःकण्डूशूलोदरापची ।" (भा.प्र.) ("Apamargaḥ sarastikşno dipanastiktakaḥ kațuḥ Pācano nāvanaśchardikaphamēdāſnilāpahā Nihanti hydrujādhmānarśaḥkandūsulodarāpaci" (Bhā.pra.)]

"अपामार्गो ग्निकृत् तीक्ष्णो नस्यात् शीर्षकृमीन् जयेत् । वामको रक्तसंग्राही रक्तातीसारहन्मतः ॥ (सो.नि.) ["Apamärgõlgnikrt tikşno nasyāt sīļşakşmin jayēt Vamako raktasamgrahi raktatisarahmmatah" (So.ni.)]

कफमेदो/निलहरा छेदनी संसनी तथा । रसे पाके च कटुका वीर्योष्णा खरमञ्जरी ॥ (म.नि.) ["Kaphamēdāſnilaharā chēdaní srarsani tathā Rase pake ca katuka viryosna kharamanjari" (Ma.ni.)]

"अपामार्गस्तु तिक्तोष्णः कटुश्च कफनाशनः । अर्शकण्डूदराध्मानो रक्तहृद् ग्राहि वान्तिकृत् ॥ (ध.नि., रा.नि.) . ["Apāmārgastu tiktoşnaḥ kațuśca kaphanaśanaḥ ArśakanŅūdarādhmānā raktahrd grāhi vāntikrt" (Dha.ni., Rā.ni.)]

'नस्ये वान्ते प्रशस्तः स्यात् ददुकण्डूकफापहः । अपामार्गाग्निकृत् तीक्ष्णः क्ळेदनः संसनः परः ॥ (रा.व.) ["Nasyē vāntē pļaśastaḥ syāt dadrukaņķūkaphāpahaḥ Apamargagnikrt tiksnahkledanah srarmsanah parah (Ra.va.)]

കടലാടി ശമിപ്പിക്കും വാതത്തേയും കഫത്തെയും പിന്നെ വസ്തിയിലുണ്ടാകും രോഗങ്ങൾക്കൊക്കെയും ഗുണം (ഗു.പാ.) ["Katalați samippikkum vātattēyum kaphatteyum Pinne vastiyiluntakum rogannalkkokkeyum gunam". (Gu.pa.)]