अशोक
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