Chavikasavam is an Ayurvedic medicine for indigestion and diseases of digestive system. It enhances digestive fire.
Benefits of Chavikasavam
It is useful in pain, indigestion, grahani and many other diseases of digestive system. It helps in bloating, belching, heartburn, painful & distended abdomen etc.
It is beneficial in intestinal cysts, hernia, hydrocoele, abscesses, ascites, defective peristaltic movements etc.
It improves digestive & absorptive power in deficiency diseases and compromised immunity like tuberculosis. It is beneficial in vomiting and intestinal parasites.
It enhances Agni (digestive fire), removes blockages in the lower part of Gastro Intestinal Tract and relieves constipation. It is beneficial in chronic respiratory disorders and sinusitis.
It is beneficial in diabetes insipidus. It is found beneficial in some renal diseases.
In rheumatoid arthritis and multijointed pain, it clears the blockages in channels, improves circulation and reduces inflammation. It helps reduce swelling, stiffness & pain. It helps improve the functioning of joints.
Indications of Chavikasavam
- Sarvagulmavikara – various kinds of gas trouble, distension of abdomen and indigestion.
- Prameha – Diabetes and other urinary tract disorders.
- Pratisyaya – Running nose, nasal block, upper respiratory tract disorders and sinusitis.
- Kshaya – Tuberculosis and emaciation
- Kaasa – Cough
- Ashtheela – Hydrocele
- Vaatasonita – Rheumatoid arthritis
- Udara – Distended abdomen and ascites
- Antravidradhi – Intestinal abscesses and cysts
Ingredients of Chavikasavam
| Kaattu mulak | Chavya | Piper retrofactum Vahl. |
It is useful in treating indigestion, abdominal colic, worm infestation, poisoning, anorexia, productive cough, asthma, bronchitis, fever, diarrhoea, IBS, haemorrhoids, fistula, chronic respiratory disorders, throat disorders, and rheumatic conditions.
| Ceylon leadwort | Chitraka | Plumbago zeylanica L. |
It aids digestion and increases appetite. It has anti-inflammatory action. It can also be used in liver diseases.
| Black cumin seed | Bashpika/Karavi | Nigella sativa |
It is used for headache, toothache, nasal congestion and sinusitis. Beneficial in asthma and intestinal worms.
| Indian elecampane | Poushkara | Inula racemosa HOOK. F. |
It is the drug of choice by many physicians in chronic respiratory conditions. It is an expectorant with anti-inflammatory, carminative, diuretic, and antiseptic properties. The plant is used in chronic bronchitis and rheumatism. Dried rhizomes and roots are used to cure loss of appetite and stomach problems.
| Long pepper – root | Pippaleemoola | Piper longum |
It is pungent in taste and hot in potency. It breaks down thick sputum and is beneficial in sinusitis and asthma. It is also useful in the treatment of worm infestation, infected wounds, ascites, enlargement of abdomen, distension of abdomen, splenomegaly, asthma, tuberculosis and other chronic respiratory disorders. It improves taste and relieves anorexia.
| Calamus root/sweet flag | Vacha/ Shadgrantha | Acorus calamus L. |
The root is aromatic. It has stimulant, emetic, expectorant, emmenagogue, aphrodisiac, laxative, diuretic, antispasmodic, carminative, and anthelmintic properties. It is slightly tonic, and excitant, and forms a useful adjunct to other tonics and stimulants. It may be used in cases of flatulent colic, atonic dyspepsia etc.
| Common juniper | Hapusha | Juniperus communis L. |
Juniper berries or extract of the plant has traditionally been used as diuretic, anti-arthritis, anti-diabetes, antiseptic as well as for the treatment of gastrointestinal and autoimmune disorders. The essential oil and extracts of juniper have been experimentally documented to have antioxidant, antibacterial, antiviral and antifungal activities. Recent studies have also found anti-inflammatory, cytotoxic, hypoglycaemic and hypolipidemic effects of berries.
| Aromatic ginger/ sand ginger/kenkur/cutcherry/resurrection lily | Satthi | Kaempferia galanga Linn. |
It is an anti-tussive, expectorant, anti-pyretic, diuretic, anabolic, antiseptic, analgesic, anti-inflammatory, wound healing and carminative. It is a blood purifier. It is used in the treatment of gastro-intestinal disorders, asthma, rheumatism, epilepsy, wounds, skin diseases, diarrhoea, dyspepsia, flatulence, and cancer.
| Pointed gourd | Patolamoola | Trichosanthes dioica Roxb. |
It has ant-diabetic, hepato-protective, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and wound-healing properties. It has anti-oxidants. It is useful in lowering cholesterol and skin diseases. It acts as a laxative.
Thriphala-a group of 3 drugs namely,
| Chebulic myrobalan | Abhaya/Pathya | Terminalia chebula RETZ. & WILLD. |
It is one of the main drugs in Ayurveda, one of the Rasayana and a member of an important group, Triphala. It is used in a wide variety of diseases as it possesses anti-bacterial, antiseptic, anti-fungal, anti-viral, anti-diabetic, anti-mutagenic, anti-oxidant, anti-ulcer, and wound-healing properties
| Beleric myrobalan, Bahera | Aksha | Terminalia bellirica (GAERTN.) ROXB. |
A very good healer of gastric diseases, common cold, leukoderma and also cures digestive disorders. It has laxative and anti-inflammatory actions. It is one of the important ingredients in triphala an Ayurvedic formulation. Other properties for which it is used are as health tonic and as rejuvenator. It is used in treatment of piles also.
| Amla, Indian gooseberry | Dhatri/Amalaka | Emblica officinalis GAERTN. |
Amla exhibits strong antioxidant activity. It is one of the most important plants in the traditional Ayurvedic medical system as well as in other traditional health systems for immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, antiulcer and hepatoprotective actions. It is widely used for anti-diabetic effect.
| Ajwain | Yavaani / Deepyaka | Trachyspermum ammi (L.) SPRAGUE |
The seeds of this plant are used in the form of powder to treat worms. It acts as an appetiser, carminative and aids digestion. It is also beneficial in treatment of colic.
| Conessi | Vathsaka/Kutaja | Holarrhena antidysentric). Wall. |
It has been used in bleeding piles, diarrhoea, eczema, fever and colic. It is beneficial in amoebic dysentery and many other gastro-intestinal disorders.
| Colocynth/Bitter apple | Visaala | Citrullus colocynthis. |
It is used to treat jaundice, scrotal enlargement, warts, alopecia, greying of hair, arthritis, amenorrhoea, for inducing vaginal secretion and abortion. It is beneficial in cleaning and healing the wounds. It is used in the treatment of insanity.
In older days, it was used to learn the method for extraction of foreign bodies.
| Cilantro seeds | Dhanyaka | Coriandrum sativum Linn. |
It is an anti-oxidant, anti-diabetic, diuretic, and anti-pyretic. It improves digestion and absorption; it is good for heart.
| Siamese ginger | Rasna | Alpinia galanga (L.) WILLD |
It is known to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic actions. It is one of the main ingredients of various formulations alleviating pain.
| Red physic nut | Danti | Baliospermum solanifolium (Burm.) Suresh |
It is a strong purgative. It has anthelmintic, diuretic and hepato-protective properties. It is used to treat pain, enlarged spleen, inflammations, jaundice, leukoderma, abdominal tumours, and cancer.
| False black pepper | Krimighna/Vidanga | Embelia ribes |
It is an appetiser and mild laxative. It has carminative, stimulant, anti-oxidant, anti-bacterial, anti-cancerous and anthelmintic properties.
| Coco grass, nut grass, purple nutsredge | Musta | Cyperus rotundus L. |
It has marked anti-inflammatory action. It also has anthelmintic, antioxidant and antifungal properties. The drug improves lactation, relieves fever, burning sensation, and excessive thirst. It is also used in treating diarrhoea, dyspepsia and skin diseases.
| Indian madder | Manjishtha | Rubia cordifolia L. |
It is a blood purifier. Used in the treatments of almost all skin diseases. It improves complexion. It enhances the liver functions. Beneficial in diarrhoea and eye diseases.
| Himalayan cedar | devadaru | Cedrus deodara |
It is useful as an expectorant in cough. It relieves asthma and other respiratory diseases by clearing the airways and enhancing the movements of respiratory tract.
It has anti-diabetic effect as it helps reduce high blood sugar levels in blood.
It helps to calm the mind and improves sleep quality.
Thrikatu/Vyosha – a group of three herbs namely,
| Long pepper | Krishna | Piper longum |
It is unctuous and hot in potency with pungent taste but becomes sweet after digestion. It is an aphrodisiac and balances Vata and Kapha.
It improves ability to taste and promotes digestion. Relieves cough cold and other respiratory problems. It is not a laxative, rather causes constipation
| Black pepper | Maricha | Piper nigrum L. |
Black Pepper is extremely useful for respiratory disorders and asthma. In conditions like hoarse voice, dental caries, in removing bad breadth (halitosis), the gargling of Black Pepper Powder along with salt and warm water may be used. Black pepper is also used in case of Heavy diets as it aids digestion. Black pepper is also used in the weakness and loosening of the anal sphincter especially in case of piles. For Headache and migraine, nasal drops of Black pepper powder prepared in milk is used. It helps to remove the chronic headache. The same preparation can also be used as local application on fore head in the form of paste. Black pepper reduces itching and discharge through the lesions when used in the form of local application on skin disorders.
| Long pepper | Pippali | Piper longum |
It has carminative action and maybe used as appetizer. The fruit and root of Pippali are used in the form of powder to treat fever, diarrhoea, piles, cough, hiccough, asthma, hoarseness of voice, flatulence, colic, vomiting, acid gastritis, oedema, diseases of mouth, eye diseases, diseases of semen, diseases of women, jaundice, and earache.
Pippali mixed with honey alleviates cough, dyspnoea, fever splenomegaly, and hiccough.
| Fire flame bush | Dhaataki | Woodfordia fruiticosa Kurtz |
It is an anthelmintic, in dysentery, leprosy, blood diseases, leucorrhoea, and menorrhagia.
Chaturjata- A group of four drugs namely,
| Cinnamon/Dalchini | Twak | Cinnamomum zeylanica |
It has anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-oxidant, and anti-diabetic properties. It helps lower the cholesterol levels in blood. It is used in vomiting, gastro-intestinal problems and breathing disorders. It can strengthen the heart muscles.
| Cardamom | Ela | Elettaria cardamomum (L.) Maton |
It can help in controlling asthma. It is beneficial in teeth and gum infections, cataracts, nausea, diarrhoea, as well as cardiac, digestive and kidney disorders.
| Indian bay leaf | Tejapatra | Cinnamomum tamala |
It has gastro-protective properties. It enhances immune system, gastro-intestinal tract, and functions of liver. it has antioxidant, antidiabetic, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, carminative, anthelmintic, diuretic and antimicrobial activity. It is used in colic, dyspepsia, and diarrhoea.
| Indian rose chest nut/Ceylon ironwood/cobra’s saffron | Nagakesara | Mesua ferrea L. |
It clears kapha, it is beneficial in urinary tract infection, poisoning, rheumatoid arthritis, pruritus, and oedema. It is beneficial in the treatment of fever, excessive thirst, sweating, vomiting & nausea, bad body odour, skin diseases, herpes etc. It is useful in some types of headache.
| Indian clove | Lavanga | Syzygium aromaticum |
It has anti-oxidant, microbial, antinociceptive, anti-viral, anti-cancerous, and analgesic properties. It can prevent metastasis related to oxidative stress. It improves taste & digestion. It is useful in excessive thirst, vomiting, pain & distension of abdomen, colic pain, cough, breathing difficulties, hiccups, tuberculosis, emaciation etc.
| Tail pepper/Java pepper | Kankola | Piper cubeba |
It has anti-inflammatory, anti-parasitic, anti-tumour, anti-bacterial and cytotoxic activities. It is used in the treatment of erectile dysfunction, oedema, inflammations and parasite infestation.
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Guda
Details of the manufacturing
As already discussed, Chavikasavam has 32 herbal ingredients and jaggery.
All herbal ingredients should be washed well and dried up in shade.
Take
In a clean vessel.
Chavika – ½ Tulam
Chitraka – ¼ Tulam
10 Pala each of powdered
Bashpika
Pushkaram
Moola
Shadgrantha
Hapusha
Sathi
Patolamoola
Thriphala
Yavani
Kutajatwak
Visaala
Dhanyaka
Rasna
Danti
5 Pala each of powdered
Krimighna
Musta
Manjishtha
Devadaru
Thrikatu
In a clean vessel.
Add 8 drona clean water into it. Make it boil. The fire should be kept low to make sure that all the active ingredients in the herbs needed are absorbed well into the water. Make sure to mix it in between with a wooden ladle. Reduce the quantity into one by eighth the of the initial quantity. Once the quantity is reduced to one by eighth of the initial amount of water, remove the vessel from the fire. Squeeze and drain through a clean white cloth. Collect the decoction in a clean vessel and discard the solid waste. To this decoction,
add
300 Pala of Jaggery,
8 Pala of Chaturjata
1 Pala each of powdered
Lavanga
Vyosha
Kankola
And
20 Pala of Dhataki flower.
It should be transferred into an earthen pot coated inside with ghee. Cover it with a clean white cloth and keep it closed and airtight. Keep it for 30days in a dark place with low temperature. After 30 days, open it and filter through a clean white cloth. Keep it in an airtight glass bottle. Asavam can be used for a longer period of time without any preservatives.
Dosha Dooshya Predominance with roga margas.
Chavikasavam is Kapha-Vaatahara and anulomana.
It acts on aabhyantara rogamarga
Dosage and Usage of Chavikasavam
Dosage: 25-30 ml after food
Usage:
Arishtam is advised to be taken after food, once the ingested food and arishtam will digest together.
It is taken two times or three times a day immediately after food.
In the text, it is advised to be taken as 4 Pala(192ml) in the morning. But the dose should be decided considering the condition of disease and patient.
Exercises and Yoga.
As Chavikasavam targets mainly GIT, following stretching exercises and specific yoga asanas like pavanamuktasana, vajrasana, bhujangasana etc are recommended.
Regular exercise helps improve bioavailability of the medicine and food ingested and leads to positive health.
Yoga can maintain harmony within and with surroundings.
Pavanamuktasana
Vajrasana
Bhujangasana
Exercises for Low backache
All the exercises and physical exertions must be decided and done under the supervision of a medical expert only.
Recommended diet and behaviour
Diet:
- To be avoided
Heavy meals and difficult to digest foods – cause indigestion.
junk foods- cause disturbance in digestion and reduces the bioavailability of the medicine
carbonated drinks – makes the stomach more acidic and disturbed digestion
refrigerated and frozen foods – causes weak and sluggish digestion by weakening agni (digestive fire)
curd – causes vidaaha and thereby many other diseases
- To be added
Light meals and easily digestible foods
Green gram, soups, buttermilk boiled with turmeric, ginger and curry leaves
freshly cooked and warm food processed with cumin seeds, ginger, black pepper, ajwain etc
Behaviour:
Better to avoid exposure to excessive sunlight wind rain or dust.
Avoid lifting heavy weights and other vigorous physical activities.
Maintain a regular food and sleep schedule.
Avoid sitting continuously for a long time and avoid squatting.
Side effects and contraindications
No known side effects reported.
Diabetic people and people with gastric ulcer should not take arishta-asavas.
Classical references
YOGARATNAKARA GULMACHIKITSA
Equivalent medicines.
Pippallyasavam
Brands Available
Research papers
Hareetaki
ANTI OXIDANT AND RADIO PROTECTOR
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15500265/
Dhataki
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20731559/#:~:text=Context%3A%20Woodfordia%20fruticosa%20Kurz.,diseases%2C%20leucorrhea%2C%20and%20menorrhagia.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/18639619/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8133651/
Pippali
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2639691/
Musta
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