Medicinal plant No 15

Acorus Calamus Linn. Araceae (सूरण-कुलम्)

Eng : Sweet flag Hin : Bacc, Görbācc (alta, alta) Kan : Bāji (2928) Mal Vayampụ (JBM) San : Vacā, Ugragandhā (901, 341UFET) Tam : Va&ampu (sub ) Tel : Vasa (3)

Distribution: Throughout India in areas elevated upto 1,800 m, in marshes,

also cultivated The plant: A semi-aquatic rhizomatous perennial herb, rhizome creeping,

much branched, as thick as the middle finger, cylindrical or slightly compressed, light brown or pinkish brown externally, white and spongy within; leaves bright green, distichous, ensiform, base equitant, thickened in the middle, margins wavy; flowers light brown densely packed in sessile cylindric spadix; fruits oblong turbinate berries with a pyramidal top; seeds few, pendant from the apex of the

cells. Parts used: rhizomes Properties and uses: The rhizome is acrid, bitter, thermogenic, aromatic,

intellect promoting, emetic, laxative, carminative, stomachic, anthelmintic, emmenagogue, diuretic, alexeteric, expectorant, anodyne, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, anticonvulsant, resuscitative, anti-inflammatory, sudorific, antipyretic, sialagogue, insecticidal, tranquillising, nervine tonic, sedative and tonic. It is useful in vitiated conditions of vāta and kapha, stomatopathy, hoarseness, colic, flatulence, dyspepsia, helminthiasis, amenorrhoea, dysmenorrhoea, nephropathy, calculi, strangury, cough, bronchitis, odontalgia, pectoralgia, hepatodynia, otalgia, inflammations, gout, epilepsy, delirium, amentia, convulsions, depression and other mental disorders, tumours, dysentery, hyperdipsia, haemorrhoids, intermittent fevers, skin diseases, numbness and general debility,“वचोग्रगन्धा षड्यन्धा गोलोमी शतपर्विका । क्षुदपत्री च मङ्गल्या जटिलोग्रा च लोमशा ॥” (भा.प्र.) ["Vacogragandhā şadgrandhā gölomi sataparvikā Kșudrapatř ca mangalyā jațilogrā ca lõmasā" (Bha.pra.)]

"वचोग्रगन्धा गोलोमी जटिलोग्रा च लोमशा । अन्या श्वेतवचा मेध्या षड्ग्रन्धा हैमवत्यपि ॥” (ध.नि.) ["Vacogragandhā gölomi jațilogrā ca lomaśā Anyā svētavaca mēdhyā şadgrandhā haimavatyapi" (Dha.ni.)]

वचोग्रगन्धा गोलोमी जटिलोग्रा च लोमशा रक्षोनी विजया भद्रा मङ्गल्येति दशाह्वया ॥ मेध्या श्वेतवचा त्वन्या षड्ग्रन्धा दीर्घपत्रिका । तीक्ष्णगन्धा हैमवती मङ्गल्या विजया च सा ॥ (रा.नि.) ["Vacogragandhā gölómi jațilogrā ca lõmaśā Rakśöghni vijayā bhadrā mangalyēti daśāhvayā Mēdhyā svētavacā tvanyā şadgrandhā dirghapatrikā Tikşnagandhā haimavati mangalyā vijayā ca sā (Rā.ni.)]

'वचोग्रगन्धा कटुका तिक्तोष्णा वान्तिनिकृत् । विबन्धाध्मानशूलनी शकुन्मूत्रयिशोधिनी ॥ अपस्मारकफोन्मादभूतजन्त्वनिलान् हरेत् । (भा.प्र.) ("Vacõgragandhā kațukā tiktāşņā vāntivahnikệt Vibandhadhmānaśūlaghni sakmmutraviśödhini Apasmārakaphonmādabhūtajantvanilān harēt" (Bha.pra.)]

“वामिनी कटुतिक्तोष्णा वातश्ळेष्मरुजापहा । कण्ठ्या मेध्या च कृमिहृद्विबन्धाध्मानशूलनुत् ।। वचाद्वयं तु कटुकं रूक्षोष्णं मलमूत्रळम् । दीपनं कफवातघ्नं मेध्यायुष्यं च पाचनम् ॥ जन्तुघ्नं चोग्रगन्धं स्याल्लघु कण्ठास्यरोगजित् । (ध.नि.) ("Vāmini kațutiktāşņā vātaslēşmarujāpanā Kanthyā mēdhyā ca kmihrdvibandhādhmānaśūlanut Vacădvayam tu kațukam rūkşõşņam malamūtaļam Dipanam kaphayātaghnam mēdhyāyușyam ca pācanam Jantughnam cögragandham syāllaghu kanthāsyarögajit" (Dha.ni.)

"मेध्या कफहरा चैव तिक्ता कट्वी विपाकतः । उन्मादापस्मृतिहरा रक्षोनी चे वचा मता ॥ (म.नि.) ("Mēdhya kaphaharä сaiva tiktā katvi vipäkataḥ Unmādāpasmrtihara raksoghni ca vaca mata (Ma.ni.)]

'वचा तीक्ष्णा कटूष्णा च कफामग्रन्थिशोफनुत् । वातज्वरातिसारनी वान्तिकृन्मदभूतनुत् ॥

श्वेतवचा तिगुणाढ्या मतिमेधायुः समृद्धिदा कफनुत् । वृष्या च वातभूतकृमिदोषघ्नी च दीपनी च वचा ॥” (रा.नि.) ["Vacā tiksnā katūşņa ca kaphāmagranthiśõphanut Vātajvarātisāraghní vāntikrnmadabhūtanut Svētavacāſtiguņādhyā matimēdhāyuḥ samrddhidā kaphanut Vrsyā ca vātabhūtakrmidosaghni ca dipani ca vacā" (Rā.ni.)]

“वचा तिक्ता कटुः पाके कटुरुष्णामपाचनी । दीपनी वामनी मेध्या जीवनी वाक्स्वरप्रदा । हन्त्युन्मादमपस्मारं रक्षोजन्तुकफानिलान् । शूलं विबन्धमाध्मानं शकृन्मूत्रविशोधनी ॥ (कै.नि.) ["Vacā tiktā katuh pakē katuruşņāmapacani Dipani vāmani mēdhyā jīvani vāksvarapradā Hantyunmādamapasmāram rakṣājantukaphānilān Sulamvibandhamadhmānam Sakrnmutravisodhanf" (Kai.ni.)]

“वचायुर्बुद्धिस्मृतिदा कफवातामभूतहृत् । (सो.नि.) ["Vacayurbuddhismrtida kaphavatamabhutahrt" (So.ni.)]

वचोष्णा कटुका तिक्ता वामनी स्वरवह्निकृत् । अपस्मारकफोन्मादभूतशूलानिलाञ्जयेत् ॥ (म.पा.नि.) ["Vacoșnā kațuka tiktā vamani svaravahnikệt Apasmārakaphònmādabhūtaśūļānilāñjayēt; (Ma.pā.ni.)]

'वचायुष्या यातकफतृष्णाघ्नी स्मृतिवर्दिनी । (रा.व.) ["Vacayusya vatakaphatrsnāghni smrtivarddhini" (Ra.va.)]

വയമ്പു നന്നു ബുദ്ധിക്കും കാർഷ്യം ദീപനപാചനം momg. comopediyo colnaionimuevld. (..) ("Vayampu nannu buddhikkum kārsnyam dipānapācanam Nannettamdantasulakkumkusthavātavalasajit". (Gu.pa.)]

Remarks: The Materia Medicas like 'Bhavaprakasam', 'Rajanighantu' etc.,

mention another variety of vacā, svētavaca or hymavati (veļvayampu), which 'Dravyagunavijnan' identifies as Iris germanica.

reported that there is another variety of vacă (Acorus gramineus Soland.) found growing abundantly in the Himalayas. The svētavaca mentioned in ancient textbooks mighi perhaps be this plant.

It is