Ayurvedic Properties
- Taste (Rasa)
- Katu, Tikta
- Quality (Guna)
- Laghu, Ruksha
- Potency (Virya)
- Ushna
- Key Constituents
- Saponin, essential oil
- Also Known As
- Sanskrit: भारंगी, ब्राह्मणयष्टिका, भृंगराज, पद्मा
Hindi: भारंगी
What is Bharangi?
If you have ever had a cough that settles deep in the chest and refuses to move, you are the person Bharangi was meant for. The Bhavaprakash Nighantu calls it an important drug for respiratory disorders, and it turns up in many classical anti-asthmatic formulas.
Bharangi is Clerodendrum serratum Spreng., a plant found throughout India. Its root is the part used. Sahasra Yoga lists the Sanskrit synonyms Bharangi, Paranki and Barbura, and notes that the root is classical for cough (Kasa) and asthma (Shwasa).
It is pungent and bitter in taste, light and dry in quality, and heating in potency. That profile makes it a herb for cold, congested, mucus-heavy conditions, and Charaka Samhita uses it repeatedly in its chapter on cough treatment.
Benefits of Bharangi
Cough and Asthma
Bharangi's prime action, in the words of the Bhavaprakash Nighantu, is relieving asthma and cough (Shwasa-Kasa hara). It is antitussive (Kasahara) and relieves breathlessness (Shwasahara).
Charaka Samhita (Chikitsa Sthana 18) includes it in a powder with vidanga, dry ginger, rasna, long pepper, asafoetida, rock salt and alkali, taken with ghee, for Vata and Kapha types of cough, asthma and hiccups. Another Charaka recipe pairs Bharangi with rock salt, long pepper, fresh ginger and duralabha in warm pomegranate juice for Vata cough.
Clearing Kapha
Bharangi pacifies Kapha (Kapha Shamaka), the dosha of heaviness and mucus. Its pungent (Katu) and bitter (Tikta) tastes, with light (Laghu) and dry (Ruksha) qualities and a heating potency (Ushna Virya), are exactly the combination Ayurveda uses to dry and lift congestion.
Hiccups
Sharangadhara Samhita (Madhyama Khanda 1) records that adding Bharangi and Madhuka (Licorice) to a decoction cures hiccups (Hikka) and Pitta disorders. See Bharangi for hiccups for the full approach.
Fever
Bharangi is listed as fever-reducing (Jwara hara). Sharangadhara Samhita includes it in a decoction for fever with long pepper, black pepper, dry ginger, guduchi, haritaki, katuka and kantakari.
Swelling
The Bhavaprakash Nighantu also names it anti-inflammatory (Shotha hara), linking it to inflammation (Shotha).
How to Use Bharangi
Bharangi root is rarely used on its own at home. Classically it works inside compound powders, decoctions, tablets and confections, and Sharangadhara Samhita includes it in recipes from each of these chapters.
| Form | Dose | Best For | When to Take |
|---|---|---|---|
| Root powder (Churna) | 1 to 3 g | Cough, chest congestion | Twice daily after meals, with warm water or honey |
| Decoction with licorice (Kashaya) | 20 to 40 ml of the reduced decoction | Hiccups with cough, mixed Kapha and Pitta | Sipped warm, twice daily |
| Compound powder with ghee | Practitioner guided | Vata and Kapha cough, asthma | As Charaka describes, with ghee |
| Tablet (Gutika) or confection (Avaleha) | Per product label | Chronic respiratory patterns | Twice daily |
The vehicle (anupana) matters. Warm water or a little honey suits a cold, congested chest. For Vata cough, Charaka uses lukewarm sour pomegranate juice or a dry ginger decoction.
Safety & Side Effects
Bharangi is a useful herb, but its heat is the main thing to respect. Being pungent and heating, it can aggravate Pitta, the dosha of heat and acidity.
- Avoid it in active gastritis, acidity or burning sensations, where its heat will worsen the burn.
- Avoid it in pregnancy.
- If you run hot, use it in the classical pairing with licorice, which is cooling.
Our sources do not record drug interactions. Any cough or breathlessness that lasts or worsens, and hiccups beyond 48 hours, need medical evaluation.
Recommended: Start Here
The simplest way to start with Bharangi is a standardized root powder: 1 to 3 g twice daily after meals, with warm water or a teaspoon of honey, for a cold, congested cough.
If you tend toward heat or acidity, look instead for a preparation that pairs Bharangi with licorice, the combination Sharangadhara Samhita uses to keep its heat in check.
Find Bharangi Powder on Amazon ↗ Licorice Root Powder ↗
Safety note: avoid Bharangi in pregnancy and with acidity or gastritis, and see a doctor for a cough or breathlessness that does not improve.
Bharangi vs Other Herbs & Supplements
Bharangi is usually weighed against the other respiratory herbs it appears with in classical recipes.
| Comparison | Bharangi | Alternative | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bharangi vs Licorice | Heating, drying, pacifies Kapha | Licorice is cooling and sweet | Not rivals: Sharangadhara pairs them so Licorice offsets Bharangi's heat. |
| Bharangi vs Ajwain for hiccups | Respiratory herb for hiccups with cough or congestion | Ajwain is a kitchen-spice remedy for ordinary after-meal hiccups | Choose Bharangi when the chest is involved; Ajwain for simple digestive hiccups. |
| Bharangi vs Long Pepper (Pippali) | Specialist for cough and asthma | Long pepper appears with it in Charaka's cough powders | They are classical partners; Bharangi is the more targeted respiratory herb. |
Bharangi for Specific Populations
Pregnancy & Nursing
Avoid Bharangi in pregnancy. Our sources do not address nursing, so check with a practitioner before using it while breastfeeding.
Children
No pediatric dose is recorded in our sources. Children's coughs and breathing problems need proper assessment; use Bharangi only under a practitioner's guidance.
Elderly
Older people with a cold, phlegmy chest may suit Bharangi's warming, drying action. Start at the low end of the dose and watch for signs of heat such as acidity.
Athletes
There is no specific athletic use in our sources. Anyone with exercise-related breathlessness should see a doctor first.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which part of Bharangi is used?
The root. Sahasra Yoga describes the root as classical for cough and asthma, and the Bhavaprakash Nighantu names the root as the part used.
What is Bharangi's main use?
Respiratory complaints. Its prime action is relieving asthma and cough (Shwasa-Kasa hara), and it is used in many anti-asthmatic formulations.
Is Bharangi heating or cooling?
Heating. It is pungent and bitter, light and dry, with a heating potency. That is why it suits cold, congested conditions and can aggravate Pitta.
What does Bharangi contain?
Our sources record saponins and an essential oil as its chemical constituents.
Can Bharangi help with hiccups?
Yes, classically. Sharangadhara Samhita records that a decoction with Bharangi and licorice cures hiccups (Hikka) and Pitta disorders.
How to Use Bharangi by Condition
Explore how Bharangi is used for specific health concerns — with dosage, preparation methods, and classical references for each.
▶ Classical Text References (3 sources)
References in Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan
74 पटोलस तला र टशा गे टाव गुजा अम ृताः वे ा ब ृहतीवासाकु तल तलप णकाः म डूकपण कक टकारवे लकपपटाः नाडीकलायगोिज वावाताकं वन त तकम ् कर रं कु कं न द कुचैला शुकलादनी क ट लं के बुकं शीतं सकोशातकककशम ् त तं पाके कटु ा ह वातलं कफ प तिजत ् Patola, saptala, arista (neem leaves), sharngeshta (angaravalli/bharangi), Avalguja (Bakuchi), amruta (Tinospora), Vetra (shoot of vetra), Brhati (Solanum indicum), vasa (Adhatoda vasica), kutill, tilaparnika (badraka), mandukaparni (Gotu kola), Karkota, karavella
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food
Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food
References in Charaka Samhita
Two prasthas of ghee should be cooked with the juice dhatri (two prasthas), juice of vidari (two prasthas), sugarcane juice (two prasthas), soup of the meat of goat (two prasthas), milk (two prasthas), and the paste (one karsha each) of jivaka, rsabhaka, vira, jivanti, nagara, shati, shalaparni, prushniparni, mashaparni, mudgaparni,meda, mahameda, kakoli, kshirakakoli, kantakari, bruhati, shveta punarnava, rakta punarnava,madhuka, atmagupta, shatavari, riddhi,parushaka, bharangi, mridvika, briha
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 11: Chest Injury and Emaciation Treatment (Kshatakshina Chikitsa / क्षतक्षीणचिकित्सा)
Intake of the powder prepared out of vidanga, nagara, rasna, pippali, hingu, saindhava lavana, bharangi and kshara along with appropriate quantity of ghrita is beneficial in vataja kasa, kaphaja kasa, shwasa, hikka and suppression of digestion power.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 18: Cough Treatment (Kasa Chikitsa / कासचिकित्सा)
In half tula of the decoction of nidigdhika(Solanum xanthocarpum), the powder or paste of one karsha of each of chitraka, pippalimula, vyosha, hingu, duralabha, shati, pushkaramoola, shreyasi, surasa, vacha, bharangi, chinnaruha, rasna, shringi, draksha should be added.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 18: Cough Treatment (Kasa Chikitsa / कासचिकित्सा)
Two palas of each among dashamoola, swayamgupta, shankahpushpi, shati, bala, hasti pippali, apamarga, pippalimoola, chitraka, bharangi, pushkaramoola should be added with one adhaka of water, these drugs should be cooked till the grains of yava becomes soft.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 18: Cough Treatment (Kasa Chikitsa / कासचिकित्सा)
Intake of the powder of saindhava, pippali, bharangi, shringavera and duralabha along with lukewarm juice of sour dadima or the decoction of nagara cures vataja kasa.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 18: Cough Treatment (Kasa Chikitsa / कासचिकित्सा)
Source: Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 11: Chest Injury and Emaciation Treatment (Kshatakshina Chikitsa / क्षतक्षीणचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 18: Cough Treatment (Kasa Chikitsa / कासचिकित्सा)
References in Sharangadhara Samhita
With Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum) and Madhuka (Glycyrrhiza glabra) added, this decoction also cures Hikka (hiccups) and destroys Pitta disorders.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.)
Pippali (long pepper — Piper longum), Maricha (black pepper — Piper nigrum), Shunthi (dry ginger), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Abhaya (Haritaki — Terminalia chebula), Katuka (Picrorhiza kurroa), Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum), and Kantakari (Solanum xanthocarpum) — this decoction alleviates Jvara (fever).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 2: Kvathakalpana (Decoction Preparations)
— Indravaruni (Citrullus colocynthis), Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum), Devadaru (Cedrus deodara), Yavanika (Trachyspermum ammi), Kustumburu (Coriandrum sativum), and Shiva (Terminalia chebula) — all in equal proportions should be powdered.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 3: Churnakalpana (Powder Preparations)
— Katuka (Picrorhiza kurroa), Ativisha (Aconitum heterophyllum), Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum), Vacha (Acorus calamus), and Murva (Marsdenia tenacissima) — each one Shana.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 4: Gutikakalpana (Tablet/Pill Preparations)
Also add: Bharangi (Clerodendrum serratum), Rasna (Pluchea lanceolata), and Shati (Hedychium spicatum).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 8: Avalehakalpana (Confection/Electuary Preparations)
Source: Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 2: Kvathakalpana (Decoction Preparations); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 3: Churnakalpana (Powder Preparations); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 4: Gutikakalpana (Tablet/Pill Preparations); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 8: Avalehakalpana (Confection/Electuary Preparations)
Medical Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. Ayurvedic treatments should be pursued under the guidance of a qualified practitioner (BAMS/MD Ayurveda). Always consult your healthcare provider before starting any new treatment. Content is sourced from classical Ayurvedic texts and may not reflect the latest medical research.