Haritaki fruit is one among The three, that constitute Triphala. It is a very famous rejuvenating herb. Its botanical name is Terminalia chebula and it belongs to Combretaceae family.
Hindi name – Harad, Harade
English name – Chebulic Myrobalan
Telugu name – karakkaya
Tamil name – Kadukkai
Gujarathi name – Harade
Arabian name – Haleelaz
Farsi name – Haleel
7 types of Haritaki –
Although Bhavaprakasha has explained seven types of Haritaki, all are the same Terminalia chebula, available in different places. The seven types explained are –
Vijaya – used in all diseases, available in Vindhya mountains
Rohini – fruit is circular in shape – Useful in wound healing – available in place called Pratishtanaka.
Putana – Having small fruits with big seed – used for external application, available in Sindh area.
Amruta – Having thick fruit pulp, useful for Panchakarma (detoxification) , available in Champa, Bhagalpur area.
Abhaya – Having five creases in fruit skin, useful in eye disorders, available in Champa, Bhagalpur area.
Jivanti – Yellow coloured fruit – useful in all diseases, available in Saurashtra region of Gujarath.
Chetaki – Having thre creases in fruit skin, useful for purgation, available in Himachal Pradesh.
Of these seven types, Vijaya variety is considered as best.
Habitat: Haritaki is abundantly found in North India, though it is distributed throughout India upto 5000 feet height.
Rasa (taste) – Five tastes except salt
Guna (qualities) – Laghu – lightness, Rooksha – dryness
Vipaka – Madhura – Undergoes sweet taste conversion after digestion.
Veerya – Ushna – Hot potency
How to test Haritaki fruit? (harad)
Chewing the Haritaki fruit causes increase in digestion power.
If it is made into a paste and eaten, it clears and cleanses bowels.
If it is steamed or boiled, it becomes absorbant, useful in malabsorption syndrome.
If it is fried and used, it is useful in Tridosha imbalance conditions.
If Hareetaki is taken after food, it helps to eliminate all the toxic effects due to food poisoning.
If it is taken along with salt, it balances Kapha.
If taken with sugar, it balances Pitta and if taken with ghee, it balances Vata disorders.
Qualities of different parts of Terminalia chebula fruit
Hareetaki seed kernel is sweet, the fiber part is sour, fruit rind is bitter, skin is pungent and seed is astringent in nature.
Vranya – it helps to improve skin complexion
Ushna – hot in nature
Sara – promotes bowel movement
Medhya – improves intelligence.
Doshaghna – natural detoxifying
Shothanut – relieves inflammation
Kushtanut – useful in skin diseases
Deepana – improves digestion strength
Chakshushya – good for eyes, improves vision power
Rasayana – anti aging, rejuvenative
Ayushya – improves life expectancy
Bruhmani – nourishing, improves body weight
Anulomani – helps in normalising bowel movements
Shwasahara – useful in Asthma, COPD< wheezing, breathing difficulty
Kasahara – relieves cold and cough
Pramehahara – Useful in diabetes and urinary tract disorders
Arshahara – useful in piles
Use of Haritaki in hemorrhoids – Haritaki helps to ease bowel movement, one of the complications in hemorrhoids. It helps in reducing the pile mass and reducing / stopping the bleeding.
A sitz bath with – 2 tablespoons of Haritaki or Triphala powder, in half a bucket of water, for 10 minutes, before bath, is useful in reducing the swelling and healing.
Kushtahara – Useful in skin diseases
Shothahara – relieves inflammation
Udarahara – useful in ascites
Krimihara – useful in worm infestation
Haritaki (harade) – effect on Tridosha –
Because of sweet, bitter and astringent tastes, it balances Pitta
Because of its pungent, bitter and astringent tastes, it balances Kapha
and because of its sour taste, Terminalia chebula balances Vata.
Harad with cow urine:
पीतं कफोत्थं शमयेत्तु शोफं गव्येन मूत्रेण हरीतकी च||२१||
pītaṃ kaphotthaṃ śamayettu śophaṃ gavyena mūtreṇa harītakī ca||21||
In Kaphaja Shotha – Edema, inflammation disorders due to Kapha dosha aggravation, cow urine is administered along with Haritaki. Charaka Chikitsa Sthana 12th chapter
Harad with hot water – 1 – 3 grams of Harad is administered with a cup of hot water to relieve Ama (altered digestion and metabolism) in case of Irritable bowel disease, associated with low digestion strength. – Charaka Chikitsa Sthana 15th chapter.
Ritu Haritaki –
For the purpose of Rasayana (rejuvenation, anti aging),
Haritaki is taken along with different ingredients in different seasons. This regimen is called as Ritu Haritaki. Ritu means seasons.
Varsha Ritu – In rainy season, Harade is given along with Saindhava – Rock Salt.
Sharat Ritu – In Autumn, it is given along with Sharkara – sugar
Hemanta Ritu – In early winter, it is given along with shunti (ginger)
Shishira Ritu – In winter, it is given along with Pippali – Long pepper – Piper longum
Vasanta Ritu – In Spring, it is given along with Madhu (honey)
Greeshma Ritu – in summer, it is given along with Guda (jaggery)
Medicinal uses of Terminalia chebula :
Chebulic myrobalan is useful in
Kushta – skin diseases
Gulma – Abdominal tumor, bloating
Udavarta – bloating of abdomen
Shotha – inflammation
Pandu – Anemia, intial stages of liver diseases
Mada – delirium
Arsha – haemorrhoids
Shiroroga – diseases pertaining to head, headache
Atisara – diarrhoea, dysentery
Arochaka – anorexia
Kasa – cough, cold
Prameha – diabetes, urinary tract disorders
Anaha – bloating
Pleeha – splenomegaly
nava Udara – early stages of ascites
Kaphapraseka – increased salivation due to Kapha dosha
Vaisvarya – hoarseness of voice
kaamala – jaundice
Krimi – worm infestation, infection
Shvayathu – oedema, inflammation
Tamaka – asthma
Chardi – vomiting
Klaibya – impotency
Angavasada – bodyache
Srotovibandha – obstruction to body channels, constipation
Pralepa, Hrudayoraso – stiffness of chest, heaviness of chest
Pramoa – delusion and lack of memory and intelligence
Harad for splenomegaly:
For the treatment of splenomegaly (Plihodara), Harad, in a dose of 3 – 5 grams once or twice a day, is administered along with 2- 3 grams of jaggery (Guda). (Charaka Samhita Chikitsa Sthana 13)
Haritaki – side effects and contra indications:
Though Chebulic myrobalan has immense health benefits, due to its astringent and hot nature, it is contra indicated in a few cases.
Haritaki is best avoided in
Adhva Ati Khinna – people who have walked for very long and who are tired,
Balavarjita – Who have depleted immunity and strength
Rooksha (dry) – Who are feeling dry and are emaciated
Krusha – having lean body
Langhanakarshita – who have fasted for long
Pittadhika – In people with increased Pitta (burning sensation)
Garbhavati – in pregnant woman
Vimuktarakta – After blood letting treatment, during and soon after menstruation
Kshut, Trishna, Ushnarta – who are having severe thirst, hunger and have got exposed o Sun for long.
Ajeerna – in patients suffering from indigestion
Stri madya karshita – those who are emaciated due to increased sexual activity and alcohol
Mukhashosha – in people having dry mouth
Hanusthambha – in people with neck stiffness
Galagraha – in people with dry throat
Navajvara – in early stages of fever
Though there are a few nutritive health benefits, Haritaki is more of cleansing, moisture absorbing, weight reducing in nature. Hence it is advised to avoid during pregnancy.
In most of the contra indications explained above – all have dryness, lack of water supply – kind of symptoms. Haritaki, already being astringent, is not advisable because it may further contribute to dryness.
Haritaki is best avoided in infants, upto 5 years of age. It should be given under medical supervision in children.
Single herb usage of Haritaki is contra indicated in lactating mother. It may decrease breast milk production.
1 – 6 grams of fruit powder along with required co-drink or ingredient, based on disease, once or twice a day, in single or divided dose, as per discretion of Ayurvedic doctor.
Regarding taking Haritaki based on season –
I live in the UK and seasons are different(now -1ºC), how can I determine which combination to take with Haritaki ?
If it is rainy season, then you can consume Haritaki with rock salt,
During early part of winter, you can consume it with ginger, during winter, with long pepper, post winter season – with honey, during summer, with jaggery. If you think that this system cannot be followed, you can take Haritaki just with honey or long pepper.
Harad for chronic oral ulcers:
Dr Nayyar Mumtaj, Pakistan –
Dr JV Hebbar I m Homeopathic Dr in Pakistan but i also uses herbals .I would like to share my personal experience. few years back I had mouth ulcer ,Which remain with me more than four years.I did use a lot many Homeo,Herbal, and English medicines .make allergy vaccination I consult dental,skin ,and many other specialists
result zero. I could not eat chilli whole this period ,some says it’s bacterial, some says viral and some say that its fungus.One day I meet a BABA(old man) he suggest me to chew bari Harir( a herbal) also called Harar in Urdu.I used that and got 100% relief with in 7 days.Its use is very simple just to chew its body in spit it 4-5 times a day.I would like to share it with other needy persons to get relief.
Question: i have chronic constipation and I have been taking softovac sugar free powder but the problem is i feel like going to the toilet at 12.30 in the afternoon with whatever method i try. Can you tell me a method by which i will be able to go to the toilet at 8.00 am in the morning any medicine without side effects.
Let’s consider a few factors.
The person is having chronic constipation. So, whatever the herb that we choose, the person should be able to use it for quite a long term. Hence, Haritaki – Terminalia chebula, chebulic myrobalan is very useful in this regard. It has Rasayana – rejuvenating, anti aging effect. So, good for long term use.
The patient is already using a laxative, but it is yielding the result next day afternoon.
Hence, if we administer Haritaki at night, chances are there that the patient will have motions quite late in the day.
Haritaki is a bit milder when compared to other laxatives. The words – Anulomani and Mala Shodhani are used to describe qualities of Haritaki.
Hence, it makes sense to administer Haritaki churna – half to one teaspoon in the afternoon and at night, after food.
The exact dose between half – 1 teaspoon should be decided based on patient’s age, weight and seriousness of constipation problem.
Why after food? Because, in the context of Haritaki, Bhavaprakasha book uses the term – Bhuktasyopari Yojita.
Which Anupana – co drink?
If the patient has Kapha symptoms such as obese, vomiting sensation, heaviness of abdomen, anorexia, excessive salivation, then it is administered with a pinch or two of Saindhava Lavana – rock salt.
If the patient has Pitta Symptoms such as burning sensation in chest and abdomen, then it is administered with a teaspoon of sugar candy powder.
If the patient has Vata symptoms such as bloating, gas etc, then it is administered along with half to one teaspoon of ghee (clarified butter).
The other alternative to administering in the afternoon and night is, to administer a higher dose at night.
Having said that, Haritaki comes with some contra indications such as – it should be avoided during pregnancy, very lean person, who has been emaciated due to heavy work or exercise etc, which I have explained in the article above.
Dry Haritaki fruit Vs Fresh fruit –
द्राक्षाबिल्वशिवादीनां फलं शुष्कं गुणाधिकम् ||५१|| – Bhavaprakasha.
drākṣābilvaśivādīnāṃ phalaṃ śuṣkaṃ guṇādhikam ||51|| –
In case of grapes, bael fruit and Harad fruit, the dried fruits are better than the fresh.
Haritaki for hemorrhoids:
The powder of Harad fruit is made into paste with equal amount of jaggery. This is administered before food to reduce pain, itching and size of hemorrhoids.
Harad along with buttermilk is administered for piles. (Charaka Chikitsa Sthana 14th chapter).
Chebulic myrobalan for diarrhea:
In the initial stage of Diarrhea (Atisara), which is not associated with Ama (impaired digestion and metabolism), Haritaki is administered to induce laxative action. This helps to evacuate morbid Doshas out of the body and brings about lightness to the colon and to the body. By this, the disease gets cured. – Charaka Chikitsa Sthana 19th chapter.
Harad for vomiting treatment:
Kapha and Pitta chardi (Because the Doshas are aggravated in excess)
Along with honey, the powder of Abhaya – Terminalia chebula is given in a linctus form for the purpose of purgation. – Virechana treatment.