Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Arjun Tree (Terminalia arjuna) Did you know that Arjun Tree, botanically Terminalia arjuna, has been cited in Lord Krishna's childhood stories and alluded to in religious offerings as early as 800 BC, apart from its unique herbal virtues? Arjun Tree or simply Arjuna with botanical name Terminalia arjuna belongs to the genus Terminalia, a herbal plant, is a deciduous riparian tree, which has incidents narrated to it in the Bhagavata Purana on childhood mystical and divine displays of Lord Krishna in the Dwapara Yuga, but is also cited for its uses in religious practices around 800 BC. It is also conjectured that the hero of the Mahabharata epic, the third Pandava Prince, was named after this tree as Arjuna for its protective effects and its relation to the early life of Lord Krishna. Arjuna tree is found across the Indian Subcontinent, and usually found growing on river banks or near dry river beds. It is known as Matthimara ( ಮತಿಮರ) or Hole Matthi in Ka...

Sarsaparilla Did you know that Sarsaparilla, a plant whose root is said to be used to make medicines to slow down cancer growth or even cure, is also used as a flavoring agent in foods and beverages? Sarsaparilla (SAR), botanically under the ambit of Smilax genus, a member of lily family, the plant is known to have 350 species spread throughout the world, including India where it is known as Hemidesmus indicus with common name: Indian Sarsaparilla. The words Sarsaparilla and Smilax are interchangeable, and very similar in appearance, uses, and even chemical structure. Sarsaparilla (a.k.a. zarzaparilla), a derivative from the Spanish word zarza (bramble or bush), parra (vine), and illa (small) is “a small, brambled vine”. It is native to tropical and temperate parts of the world, such as South America, Jamaica, the Caribbean, Mexico, Honduras, the West Indies, indigenous to China and Japan, and India and Burma. Sarsaparilla grows as a prickly, woody...

Vanjula tree or Indian Willow (salix tetrasperma) Did you know that the Vanjula Tree or Indian Willow with botanical name salix tetrasperma is Sthala Vriskha (a monumental tree) in many South Indian temples, and is also a herbal species cultivated in many countries?  Vanjula is a Sanskrit name for the tree or plant, with Vetasa as its synonym, and with the botanical name salix tetrasperma of the Genus Salix (Family Salicaceae). It is the Sthala Vriskha (a monumental tree that is indigenous to every historical Hindu temple) in many South Indian temples, and is also a herbal species cultivated in many countries, apart from India. The 13th century Rajanighaṇṭu (an Ayurvedic encyclopedia), an Ayurvedic medicinal thesaurus, identifies this plant as Vetasa, which is eaten as a vegetable (shaka), and it is therefore part of the Shakavarga group of medicinal plants, referring to the “group of vegetables/pot-herbs”.  Vanjula is a pious tree as it is associ...