Secrets of Indian Herbs for Good Health

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In India the knowledge of medicinal plants has been continuously passed on through generations right from the Vedic period. The earliest and the main source of Ayurved is Atharvaveda. In the ancient days the sages used to live in gurukuls (traditional schools of that era) established in secluded areas in forests. They routinely investigated and used medicinal plants. Their collaborators were inhabitants of nearby villages tending herds in the forest, who also collected fresh herbs. The medicines prepared from these herbs were used for treating people. The results were miraculous because the herbs were pure and fresh collected only after confirming their identity in consultation with the sages. The people were impressed so much that in course of time Ayurved developed and grew into the first medical system due to the untiring efforts of great minds like Dhanavantari, Charak, and Sushrut. It soon progressed to its peak form. It is not hard to believe that at that time there was no comparable system anywhere else. There is enough evidence from the Vedic literature and writings of Sushrut, the ancient practitioner of surgery, that the system had even developed artificial limbs. From India this medical system spread into the neighbouring countries – Tibet, China, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, and also to Islamic countries further west. With time and circumstance it underwent and imbibed many changes and advanced.

The impact of Ayurved on the public mind in India was so profound that even under Islamic and British rule people retained their faith in it and it was widely practiced inspite of the negative attitude of the rulers. People in remote areas of the country depended solely on medicinal herbs for treating diseases because the Greek (Yunani) and Allopathic medicines were not available. Even today people in remote villages and the tribals in far-flung areas have great faith in the effectiveness of the medicinal herbs provided by nature. Rich and vast traditional experience and knowledge of herbs in still available in villages and tribal areas, but not much consolidated effort has been made to preserve and disseminate this valuable information. On the other hand it is becoming quite clear that people are not convinced about the efficacy of allopathic medicines which provide quick relief but also produce other undesirable effects leading to new problems. Medicinal herbs do not have such side effects. In addition the cost of the treatment and medicines is constantly increasing and is burdensome. People are also getting frustrated by the inordinate delays in getting proper treatment and with the callous behaviour of the doctors in some cases. Ayurvedic treatment is relatively inexpensive especially for common diseases like cold, cough, headache, stomach and skin disorders that can be treated with easily available medicinal herbs. Therefore a thorough knowledge of the herbs and of the methods of their use becomes all the more important.

The present book provides information about the medicinal use of commonly available herbs in a simple and easy to understand language. It gives step by step instructions for using them, which should be followed depending on the nature of the disease and in consultation with a knowledgeable Ayurved practitioner. The book gives the names of the herbs in different languages along with Ayurvedic description, chemical composition, properties, medicinal uses and their coloured photographs. Where possible, we have also included shlokas pertaining to properties and uses of a particular herb as found in ancient Ayurvedic texts. The main drawback in producing this type of book is that it becomes very difficult to identify the herb if a herb is found only in a specific location, the only way to get it is through a dealer. In such cases it is important to see the parts of the plant that is used for medicine. To help the reader identity these parts, pictures of the specific parts of the plant that is used for medicine. To help the reader identify these parts, pictures of the specific parts of the plant are also given. The doses to be taken are also given wherever possible. If this information is not given, the Ayurvedic physician should be consulted before starting medication. Many herbs are available in different varieties, in which case pictures of all plant species are given.

The decision for bringing out this book was made six years ago but the busy schedule and a desire to come up with an authoritative and visually appealing book delayed the completion. Still that desire is not completely fulfilled and we will keep striving towards that goal. While material from ancient scriptures has been used in the preparation of the book, inputs from modern day practitioners have also been incorporated for which we are grateful.

Through this book our aim is to make people aware of important Ayurvedic herbs and their uses. To facilitate identification, we have tried our best to give photographs of these herbs and their species as they appear in different seasons. We have also given photographs of dry from of herbs as they are sold in the market so a layperson can easily identify them.

For the English edition, we have revised and reworked the contents and have included many new pictures. I thank Sumegha Agarwal, Dr Kaushal Kumar and Priyata Raghavan for their dedicated efforts towards finalsing this edition. They have my best wishes and blessings.

It is our sincere hope that the book will help in making the general public more conscious of Ayurved and thereby increasing the interest in learning about and using the medicinal herbs. It is quite possible that knowledgeable persons will find some mistakes in the book. We will appreciate the feedback and suggestions. We will try to incorporate those in subsequent editions.

Back of the Book

Lack of physical labour, mental stress, negative thinking, imbalanced lifestyle, unnatural diets and dilution of life-sustaining natural processes has led to the scary rise of cancer, heart problems, diabetes, high blood pressure and obesity all over the world.

Nature sustains life. It has cure for all kind of diseases, afflictions mankind is grappling with. In the absence of much integrated knowledge available about these natural remedies, people are unable to make good use of the herbal treasure India is endowed with.

Honourable Acharya Balkrishnaji has worked hard over the years traveling into the deep jungles, mountain ranges and tribal areas of India and also abroad, collecting and collating information about many of these herbs, including their photographs and knowledge of their medicinal uses.

Secrets of Indian Herbs – For Good Health, based on research and experience-based traditional knowledge of herbs and their medicinal usage, shall prove to be a significant contribution towards the well-being of the humanity at large. It is a major work making knowledge of rare herbs easily accessible to all.

My blessings are with the Ayurved exponent and scholar, Acharya Balkrishnaji. I thank him and applaud him for tireless and exemplary work he has done over the years for the promotion and preservation of Ayurved and Vedic traditions.