Agasthya

Botanical name

Sesbania grandiflora

Family:

Leguminosae

Sanskrit:

Agasthya, agastya, kumbhayoni, kusuma, munidruma, munipriya,
munipushpa, raktapushpa, sthulapushpa, surapriya, vaka, vakrapushpa, vakrapuspa, vakrapuspah, vangasena, vranapaha, vranari, kanali

English

Bakphul.

Hindi

Agasti, agastoya, basna, hadaga, hathia, hathya, hatiya, jalt, jayanti.

Kannada

Agaci, agasi, bakapushpa, kempagase, agache, chinna daare,
chogache.

Malayalam

Agatti, agaty, akatti, argati, argatti, athi, atti.

Telugu

Avasinara, avesi, bakapushpam, sukanasamu, tellayavise, aushika.

Tamil

Appai, iragavinnadagam, irali, iyagam, konnai.

Marathi

Sirimonta, agastiya, agathi, agati, chopchini, shevari, agastha,
agasthi, agasthiya.

Distribution:

This species is native to indonesia and malaysia, globally distributed in the pantropics. Within india, it is cultivated in many parts of india.

Parts used:

Panchaanga (all five parts).

Dose:

Swarasa10 to 20 ml, kwatha 40 to 100 ml.

Chemical constituents:

Grandifloral, kaempferol, 3, 7-diglucoside, tryptophan, leucocyanidin, cyanidin-3-glucoside, arginine, histidine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, valine, threonine, asparagine, aspartic acid, galactose, glucuronic acid.

Ayurvedic properties:

Quality (guna)

Ruksha or dry, laghu or light.

Taste (rasa)

Tiktha or bitter.

Metabolism (vipaka)

Katu

Potency (virya)

Sheetha or cold potency.

Impact (prabhava)

Kasahara.

Pharmacological action:

Hypotensive action of agasthya will help to lower hypertension and also acts ascardiac depressant in hypertensive patients.

  •  Diuretic properties of agasthya is helpful to reduce pedal edema in many conditions which are related with renal impairment.
  • Antibacterial properties of agasthya helps to fight many intestinal bacterial infestations.
  • Antiinflammatory properties of agasthya helps to relieve inflammation when used in the form of herbal medicated oils.
  • Antipyretic property of agasthya will help to relieve cough and cold associated with fever.
  • Hypoglycaemic properties of agasthya helps to maintain blood sugar levels in diabetic patients.

Therapeutic uses

  • Respiratory problems.
  • Urinary tract infection.
  • Excretes out toxins.
  • Flowers used in leucorrhoea.
  • Skin disorders.
  • Rheumatism.
  • Laxative.
  • Diuretic.
  • Fever.
  • Arthritis.
  • Scabies.
  • Night blindness.
  • Natural sources of vitamin a.

Some of the common formulations

  • Agasthya rasayana.
  • Agasthya harithaki rasayana.