Rudraksha Uses in Medicine

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Rudraksha Uses in Medicine

>From Research Note by Pankaj Oudhia

 

http://www.botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/357_rudraksh.html

 

Rudraksh is a tree distributed in different parts of India. Its hard

tubercled nuts are made into rosaries and bracelets and are also

used in making necklaces and buttons. There is considerable demand

for the beads in India.

 

Owing to limited occurrence of the species in the country,

commercial supplies of these beads are not available form indigenous

sources and the bulk of the requirement is met by imports from

Nepal, Malaya and Indonesia. The rosaries are sold in India mostly

at places of pilgrimage.

 

As Rudraksh herb thrives in warm localities with a high and well-

distributed rainfall, having good drainage. For the natives and

traditional healers of Chhattisgarh, Rudraksh is not a new herb.

They are aware of the nuts since time immemorial. In different

forests of Chhattisgarh many Elaeocarpus species have been reported.

Seeing its demand, now many innovative herb growers have started its

plantation in Chhattisgarh.

 

They are getting positive results from initial trials. The

traditional healers of Chhattisgarh suggest the natives to wear the

necklaces of Rudraksh in order to protect themselves from evil

spirits. But as it is costly and beyond rich of common natives, this

use is not much popular.

 

In the name of Rudraksh, adulteration of inferior species is common.

The healers informed me that they have other promising and cheap

substitute to Rudraksh necklaces.

 

I have given such details in my previous articles. The traditional

healers are not much aware of its other medicinal properties and

uses.

 

During my ethnobotanical surveys in Chhattisgarh plains, I have

observed its use in treatment of common fever. The healers rub the

Rudraksh seed with Shahad (Honey) and give it to patients

internally. It is promising remedy in hyper pyrexia.

 

I am giving the details of its botany and reported medicinal uses, I

have noted form the reference literatures. Botanically, Rudraksh (E.

Sphaericus syn. E. ganitrus) is a medium sized evergreen tree with a

spreading hand some crown leaves simple, oblong-lanceolate, sub-

entire or irregularly crenate, decurrent into the petiole, glabrous,

acute or acuminate; Flowers white in dense racemes in old leaf

axills; Fruits globose or some what obovoid purple drupes, stone

tubercled, longitudinally groved, generally 5- celled and 5 -

seeded.

 

Rarely seven - celled. The religious natives consider it lucky.

According to Ayurveda, fruits are sour, appetiser, sedative and

useful in treatment of cough, bronchitis, nerve pain, epilepsy,

migraine etc.

 

It is also considered beneficial in treatment of hypertension. Its

use in treatment of high fever is not reported in these literatures.

I am proud to write that the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh are

using it for this purpose.

 

I am trying to find out the fact that how these healers have

discovered this promising use. After successful trials of Rudraksh

plantation in Chhattisgarh, we will try to establish it as potential

medicinal crop. Through the on-going surveys I am trying to gather

more information on its traditional uses in Chhattisgarh

 

Thank you very much for reading the article.

 

>From Research Note by Pankaj Oudhia

 

http://www.botanical.com/site/column_poudhia/357_rudraksh.html