“Rasna Vataharanam” — Charak Samhita, Sutrasthan 25.
Rasna is considered the finest herb for relieving Vata (wind/air dosha). Vata-related diseases are extremely common today — almost every household has someone suffering from one or another of the eighty recognised types of Vata disorders. Joint pain, in particular, is one of the biggest challenges in medicine. What is a major challenge for Allopathic treatment is, thanks to divine herbs like Rasna, comparatively easy to treat within Ayurveda.
If a list of herbs were made to showcase Ayurveda’s strengths, Rasna could not be left out. Of the roughly 140 diseases Ayurveda attributes to Vata, Pitta and Kapha, about 80 arise from Vata dosha alone, and Rasna is described as ashiti vatikamaya — the curer of eighty types of Vata disorders. In other words, Rasna is a vital medicine for treating more than half of all diseases.
Charak Samhita describes it as Vedana Sthapan (a pain-reliever, what we today call a painkiller), and as Shukrashodhan (a purifier of Shukra dhatu/reproductive tissue). Unlike allopathic painkillers, which can damage sperm, Rasna purifies it and removes the doshas within it. It also acts as Vayahsthapan (an age-stabiliser) — since Vata is understood to bring on old age, removing Vata helps preserve youthfulness.
Rasna’s botanical name is Pluchea Lanceolata. It is a bushy shrub, 1 to 4 feet tall, with hairy branches. It grows on the high banks of the Ganga river region, and in the saline, dry lands of Punjab, Rajasthan and Gujarat; its root is used medicinally.
Properties and Actions (Gun-Karma):
Rasna is heavy, bitter and hot (ushna) in potency, with a pungent (katu) post-digestive effect. Being hot in nature, it destroys Kapha and Vata, and as noted, all types of Vata dosha. It is a pain-reliever (Vedana Sthapan) — effectively a painkiller, but without side effects.
It reduces swelling, is cooling in the sense of relieving excess cold (Sheethar), digests Aama (metabolic toxins), acts as a mild purgative (Rechan), purifies the blood, relieves cough (Kasahar), relieves breathlessness/asthma (Shwas-dam), and reduces fever — especially Vata-type fever (Jwar). It is also detoxifying (Vishaghna) among other qualities.
Medicinal Uses:
- Being the foremost medicine for Vata disorders, Rasna holds a central place in most formulations used for these conditions — such as Rasna Saptak Kwath, Maharasnadi Kwath, Rasnadi Guggul, Yograj Guggul, Mahanarayan Oil, Prasarini Oil, Baladya Oil, Brihad Saindhavadi Oil, Mahamash Oil, and Mahavishagarbha Oil, among others, all of which use Rasna generously.
- Chakradatta recommended tablets of Rasna and Guggul prepared with ghee for Ranjhan (sciatica).
- Rasna is used in various forms across the eighty types of Vata disorders, with decoctions (kwath) being the most common. In both Shodhan (cleansing) and Shaman (pacifying) treatments for Vata disorders, it is used as a powder, oil, ksheerpak (milk decoction), kwath, and ghrit.
- It is also used liberally in various Panchakarma procedures — Pralepan (application), Udvartan (powder massage), Avsechan, Parisek, Lekhan, Swedan, Asthapan and Niruha Basti, Uttar Basti, and Nasya.
- For relieving coldness — When the body has become cold, making a paste of finely powdered Rasna in boiled water and applying it to the body, removing it after an hour and repeating every 3–4 hours, brings warmth back to the body. Grinding Rasna together with dried black raisins and applying the paste also removes coldness and restores warmth.
- For swelling — When joint problems are accompanied by swelling, heating Rasna powder together with Guggul and applying it as a lukewarm paste gradually reduces the swelling.
- For pain — Besides the paste above, massaging with Rasna-processed oil, or oils containing Rasna such as Brihad Saindhavadi Oil, Mahanarayan Oil, Baladya Oil or Mahamash Oil, along with treatments such as Kati Basti, Janu Basti and Greeva Basti, brings very quick relief from pain.
- For Vata-related joint disease — Boiling 20 grams of Rasna root in eight times its volume of water until reduced to a quarter, adding one part castor oil, and taking this regularly together with other Vata-pacifying medicines and dietary discipline (pathya) helps cure Vata-related joint disorders.
- Aamvat (Rheumatoid Arthritis) — Rasna is an infallible remedy for Aamvat, since it digests Aama and is hot in potency. Using Rasna’s decoction, guggul, oil, Panchakarma procedures, or an external application in any of these forms reliably benefits patients with Aamvat.
- Shwas-Kas (Asthma and Chronic Cough) — For cough caused by Vata and long-standing breathlessness, taking a decoction of Rasna root with black raisins regularly, along with dietary discipline, provides definite benefit.
- Jwar/Fever — Since Rasna aids digestion of Aama, it also helps digestion during fever and is therefore fever-reducing (Jwaraghna), which is also why it is primarily used in Aamvat.
- Detoxifying, Strengthening and Aphrodisiac Action — Due to its hot potency that destroys Vata, Rasna nourishes the nervous system and works excellently as a nervine tonic for neurological disorders, offering strong protection in toxic conditions by stimulating the nervous system. Since it destroys Vata, it also helps relieve premature ejaculation and impotence caused by Vata dosha, thereby acting as a Vajikaran (aphrodisiac) agent.
Despite its countless qualities, Rasna is not always easy to obtain in its authentic form, and there have long been concerns about adulteration in the market. It is therefore advisable not to buy it from just any herb shop, but to purchase ready-made formulations only from a trusted pharmacy, or medicines prepared directly by a qualified Ayurvedic physician (Vaidya).
What is Rasna?
Rasna (Pluchea Lanceolata) is an excellent herb used in Ayurveda to treat Vata-related diseases. Charak Samhita describes it as the best among “Vataharanam” — herbs that alleviate Vata.
What are the main benefits of Rasna?
Rasna is considered useful in 80 types of Vata disorders, and is especially effective for joint pain, Aamvat (rheumatoid arthritis), sciatica and neurological problems.
How is Rasna used?
Rasna is used in various forms such as powder, oil, ksheerpak, kwath and ghrit, and is also used liberally in various Panchakarma procedures (pralepan, udvartan, basti, nasya, etc.).
How does Rasna relieve joint swelling and pain?
Heating Rasna powder with Guggul and applying it as a warm paste gradually reduces joint swelling, while Rasna-processed oil (such as Mahanarayan Oil) helps relieve pain.
How is Rasna used to relieve coldness in the body?
When the body has become cold, applying a paste of finely powdered Rasna mixed with boiled water, or a paste of Rasna ground together with dried black raisins, helps restore warmth to the body.
Dr. Nikul Patel (B.A.M.S.)
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