BRAHMI

Botanical Name : Bacopa monnieri.

Family: Scrophulariaceae.

Botanical Synonym: Herpestis moniera.
Horpesties, means: Creaping.
moniera, means: Necklace.

Classical Categorization :

• Charaka Samhita : Balya, prajasthapana, Sanjnasthapana Mahakashaya.
• Sushruta Samhita : Not mentioned.
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu : Guduchyadi varga.

Synonyms :
1. Somavalli
2. Saraswati
3. Somya
4. Divyateja
5. Mhoshadhi
6. Surya Shrestha
7. Vaidhatri
8. Swayambhuvi
9. Brahmani
10. Surajya
11. Suresa
12. Bharati
13. Medhaya
14. Vara
15. Lavanya
16. Divya
17. Smaarani
18. Sunama
19. Munika
20. Vayastha

External Morphology:
It is a prostrate or creeping, juicy, succulent, glabrous annual herb rooting at the nodes with numerous ascending branches.
Leaves-simple, opposite, decussate, sessile, ovate, oblong, spatulate, entire, fleshy, obscurely veined, punctuate.
Flowers-Pale blue or whitish, Axillary, solitary long slender pieces.
Fruit-ovoid, acute, 2-celled, 2-valved capsule, tipped with style base.
Seeds-minute, numerous.

Habitat:
Found throughout India in wet and damp places.

Major chemical constituents :
Ascorbic acid, Nicotinic acid, Brahmine, Herpestine, alanine, octacosane, monnierin, hersaponin, Beta-sitosterol, bacoside A and
B, bacogeninsA1 and A4.

Rasapanchaka :
Rasa : Tikta, Kashaya, Madhura.
Guna: Laghu.
Virya : Sheeta.
Vipaka : Madhura.
Doshakarma : Vattapitta shamaka.

Indications :
Medha vikara, Swara vikara, Kushtha, Pandu, Premeha, Kasa, Visha, Jawara, Rakta vikara.

Part Used : Panchanga.

Doses: Swarasa 10-20ml,
Chorana 500mg-1 gm.

Aamika Prayoga:
1. Masurika : Brahami swaras is given with madhu.
2. Unmada : Brahmi swarasa is given with kushtha and Honey.
3. Apasmara : Rasona, Shatavari, juice of brahmi, kushtha, vacha are taken with honey.
4. Aamavatta : Brahmi swarasa is used externally.

Yoga:
1. Brahmi ghrita
2. Dashmoola ghrita
3. Dashmoolarishta
4. Brahmi vati
5. Saraswatarishta
6.Saraswataghrita