ASHOKA

Botanical Name : Saraca asoca.

Family: Caesalpiniaceae.

Classical Categorization :
Charaka Samhita : Vedana sthapana Mahakashaya.
Sushruta Samhita : Rodhradi varga.
Bhavaprakasha Nighantu : Pushapavarga.

Synonyms: 
Latin-सराका अशोका ( Saraca asoca (Roxb.)
संस्कृत -अशोक, हेमपुष्प ( स्वर्ण वर्ण पुष्प वाला), ताम्र पल्लव;
हिन्दी -मराठी-गुजराती-अशोक;
बांग्ला -अशोक;
तामिल-अशोघम्;
तेलगु -अशोकमु ।

External Morphology:
It is a medium sized tree upto 9 m height with numerous spreading and drooping glabrous branches,
Leaves-pinnate, 30-60 cm long, rachis glabrous, corky at the base petioles very short stipules intra petiolar completely united. Leaflets 4-8 paired, rigidly
subconscious, lanceolate.
Flowers orange or yellow in dense
axillary corymbs.
Fruits-pod, flat black, leathery, compressed, seeds 4-8 per pod.
Bark is dark brown to grey or black with a warty surface, fresh cut ends are pale yellowish red. The entire cut surface turn
reddish on exposure to air.

Habitat:
It grows throughout India, in evergreen forests upto an elevation of about 750m.

Chemical Composition :
Bark-alkanes, esters and primary akohols, n-octacoanol, tannin, catechin, catechol, epicatechin etc.
Flowers : Fatty acids, gallic acid, sitosterol quercetin etc.

Rasa panchaka :
Rasa : Kashaya, Tikta.
Guna: Laghu, Ruksha.
Virya : Sheets.
Vipaka : Katu.
Dosha Karma : Kapha-pitta shamak.

Indications :
Grahani, Vrana, Shotha, Visha, Vedana, Trisha, kTimi ,  Garbhashaya vikara.

Part Used: Bark, Leaves, Flowers, Seeds.

Dosages : Twaka kwatha 50-100ml
Beeja chorana 1-2 gms.
Pushpa Churana 1-3gm.

Aamika Prayoga :
1. Rakta Pradara: Milk boiled with decoction of Ashoka is useful in Rakta pradara.
2. Ashamari : Ashoka beeja chorana with water is give Ashamari.
3. Vatavyadhi : Ashoka ghrita is useful in Vatavyadhi.

Yoga :
1. Ashokarishta
2. Ashok Ghrita