Overview
Chitraka is one of the herbs traditionally used in Ayurveda for dandruff. Chitraka means the ‘spotted one’, perhaps referring to its namesake, the spotted leopard, who speedily catches its prey just as chitraka rapidly cures diseases. It is also known as agni, meaning ‘fire’, or jvala, meaning ‘flame’. It is a very hot-natured herb and should be used sparingly. It strongly increases the digestive fire.
How Chitraka Helps with Dandruff
According to Ayurvedic pharmacology, Chitraka has specific properties that make it valuable for addressing dandruff:
- Potency (Virya): Very hot
- Post-digestive (Vipaka): Pungent
- Taste (Rasa): Pungent, bitter
- Qualities (Guna): Dry, light, penetrating
Ayurvedic Properties
- Taste (Rasa)
- Pungent, bitter
- Quality (Guna)
- Dry, light, penetrating
- Potency (Virya)
- Very hot
- Post-digestive (Vipaka)
- Pungent
- Dosha Effect
- Dos.aHIIHFW9.ï3DQGDJQL
- Key Constituents
- Naphthalene derivatives Plumbagin, chitranone, zeylinon Triterpenes Lupeol, lupenyl Amino acids (Williamson 2002)
- Also Known As
- Sanskrit: चित्रक, अग्नि, वह्नि, ज्वालक, दहन, पावक, अनल
Hindi: चीता, चित्रक - Dhatu
- Plasma, blood, bone, reproductive
- Srotas
- Digestive, nerve, reproductive
▶ Classical Text References (5 sources)
च को अि न समः पाके शोफाशः कृ मकु ठहा Chitraka (leadwort) is similar to fire in digesting thing and cures dropsy, haemorrhoids, worms and leprosy (and othe skin diseases).
— Astanga Hridaya, Chapter 6: Annaswaroopa Food
Example – द ती रसा यै तु या प च क य वरे चनी मधुक य च म ृ वीका, घ ृतं ीर य द पनम ् Danti and Chitraka – Though Danti – Baliospermum montanum is identical with Chitraka (plumbago zeylanica) in respect of Rasa (taste) etc, Danti is a purgative while Chitraka is not.
— Astanga Hridaya, Chapter 9: Dravyadi Vigyaniya
Katu Gana – group of pungents:कटुको ह गु म रचकृ मिजत प चकोलकम ् कुठे रा या ह रतकाः प तं मू म करम ् Hingu- Asa foetida Maricha – Black pepper, Krimijit – Vidanga, Panchakola – Chitraka, Pippalmoola, Pippali, Chitraka and ginger, leafy vegetables such as Kutheraka and others (mentioned in verse 103 of chapter 6 earlier), Pitta (bile of animals), Mutra (urines), Arushkara etc.
— Astanga Hridaya, Chapter 10: Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their
21-24 योषकटवीवरा श ु वड गा त वषाि थराः ह गुस ौवचलाजाजीयवानीधा य च काः नशी ब ृह यौ हपुषा पाठामूलं च के बुकात ् एषां चूण मधु घ ृतं तैलं च सदशांशकम ् स तु भः षोडशगुणैयु तं पीतं नहि त तत ् अ त थौ या दकान ् सवा ोगान यां च त वधान ् ोगकामलाि व वासकासगल हान ् बु मेधा म ृ तकरं स न या ने च द पनम ् Powder of Vyosha- (Trikatu – pepper, long pepper and ginger), Katvi, Vara (Triphala), Shigru (drum stick), Vidanga (False black pepper – Embelia ribes), Ativisha, Sthira (Desmodium gangeticum), Hingu – (A
— Astanga Hridaya, Chapter 14: Dvividha Upakramaneeya
For preparing Teekshna Kshara – alkali of strong potency the admixture should be similar to that of previous – alkali of medium potency and also the paste of Langalika, Danti, Chitraka, Ativisha, Vacha, Svarjika, Kanakaksiri, Hingu, sprouts of Putika, Talapatri and Bida salt and alkali prepared as usual and used after a lapse of seven days.
— Astanga Hridaya, Chapter 30: Kshar-AgniKarma Vidhi
Source: Astanga Hridaya, Ch. 6, Ch. 9, Ch. 10, Ch. 14, Ch. 30
च को अि न समः पाके शोफाशः कृ मकु ठहा Chitraka (leadwort) is similar to fire in digesting thing and cures dropsy, haemorrhoids, worms and leprosy (and othe skin diseases).
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food
Example – द ती रसा यै तु या प च क य वरे चनी मधुक य च म ृ वीका, घ ृतं ीर य द पनम ् Danti and Chitraka – Though Danti – Baliospermum montanum is identical with Chitraka (plumbago zeylanica) in respect of Rasa (taste) etc, Danti is a purgative while Chitraka is not.
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Dravyadi Vigyaniya
Katu Gana – group of pungents:कटुको ह गु म रचकृ मिजत प चकोलकम ् कुठे रा या ह रतकाः प तं मू म करम ् Hingu- Asa foetida Maricha – Black pepper, Krimijit – Vidanga, Panchakola – Chitraka, Pippalmoola, Pippali, Chitraka and ginger, leafy vegetables such as Kutheraka and others (mentioned in verse 103 of chapter 6 earlier), Pitta (bile of animals), Mutra (urines), Arushkara etc.
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their
21-24 योषकटवीवरा श ु वड गा त वषाि थराः ह गुस ौवचलाजाजीयवानीधा य च काः नशी ब ृह यौ हपुषा पाठामूलं च के बुकात ् एषां चूण मधु घ ृतं तैलं च सदशांशकम ् स तु भः षोडशगुणैयु तं पीतं नहि त तत ् अ त थौ या दकान ् सवा ोगान यां च त वधान ् ोगकामलाि व वासकासगल हान ् बु मेधा म ृ तकरं स न या ने च द पनम ् Powder of Vyosha- (Trikatu – pepper, long pepper and ginger), Katvi, Vara (Triphala), Shigru (drum stick), Vidanga (False black pepper – Embelia ribes), Ativisha, Sthira (Desmodium gangeticum), Hingu – (A
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Dvividha Upakramaneeya
For preparing Teekshna Kshara – alkali of strong potency the admixture should be similar to that of previous – alkali of medium potency and also the paste of Langalika, Danti, Chitraka, Ativisha, Vacha, Svarjika, Kanakaksiri, Hingu, sprouts of Putika, Talapatri and Bida salt and alkali prepared as usual and used after a lapse of seven days.
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Kshar-AgniKarma Vidhi
Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food; Dravyadi Vigyaniya; Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their; Dvividha Upakramaneeya; Kshar-AgniKarma Vidhi
), chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica Linn.
— Charaka Samhita, Sharira Sthana — Human Body & Embryology, Chapter 8: Guidelines for Lineage (Jatisutriya Sharira / जातिसूत्रीय शरीर)
280 Kg of gandeera, bhallataka, chitraka, trikatu, vidnaga, kantakari and brihati and add 1.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
024 Kg natural-mastu (prepared by adding water in curd), 4 kg of sugar-candy and put in a pitcher lined with paste of chitraka and pippali and leave this pot at a high-open place for 10 days for fermentation to prepare arishta.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Make a decoction of 120 gm each of two types of punarnavā, balā, pāṭhā, dantī, guḍūchī, chitraka, kantakāri and triphalā by adding water (about 4.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Make decoction from the coarse powder of 160 gm each of triphala, ajawan, chitraka, pippali, iron bhasma and vidanga.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Source: Charaka Samhita, Sharira Sthana — Human Body & Embryology, Chapter 8: Guidelines for Lineage (Jatisutriya Sharira / जातिसूत्रीय शरीर); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica) is both Dipana and Pachana.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 4: Dipana-Pachana Adikathanam (Digestive Actions etc.)
Vyoshadi Churna: Vyosha (Trikatu — dry ginger, black pepper, long pepper), Triphala (three myrobalans), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), Vidanga (Embelia ribes), Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica), Chavya (Piper retrofractum), and Pippalimula (root of Piper longum) — these should be prepared as a powder.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 3: Churnakalpana (Powder Preparations)
— Chitraka, Trivrit, Danti, and Tejohva each one Pala separately;
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 4: Gutikakalpana (Tablet/Pill Preparations)
— Musali (Chlorophytum borivilianum) and Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica), each eight parts separately.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 4: Gutikakalpana (Tablet/Pill Preparations)
Mandura Vataka [for Kamala/jaundice and related conditions]: Triphala, Trikatu (Trishosana — dry ginger, black pepper, long pepper), Chavya (Piper retrofractum), Pippalimula (root of long pepper), Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica), Daru (Cedrus deodara), Attvika Dhatu, Tvak (cinnamon), Darvi (Berberis aristata), Musta (Cyperus rotundus), and Vidanga (Embelia ribes) —.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 4: Gutikakalpana (Tablet/Pill Preparations)
Source: Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 4: Dipana-Pachana Adikathanam (Digestive Actions etc.); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 3: Churnakalpana (Powder Preparations); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 4: Gutikakalpana (Tablet/Pill Preparations)
Ghee with trivrit (Operculina), indra-yava, chitraka, and danti paste, finely powdered with trikatu.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga)
A medicated ghee (Ghrita) cooked with Pippali, Ativisha, Draksha, Sariva, Bilva, Chandana, Katuka, Indrayava, Ushira, Simhi, Amalaki, Ghana, Trayamana, Asthira, Dhatri, Vishva-bheshaja, and Chitraka -- when consumed, conquers irregular digestion, chronic fever, headache, abdominal tumors, splenic disease, anemia, fear, cough with burning, and flank pain.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha
PANCHATIKTA GHRITA (Five-bitter Ghee): Triphala, Chitraka, Musta, Haridra (turmeric), Ativisha, Vacha, Vidanga, Trikatu, Chavya, and Suradaru -- prepared with Panchagavya (five cow products), this destroys irregular fever.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha
PARISARPA-JVARA GHRITA: Prepared with Triphala, Ushira, Shampaka, Katuka, Ativisha, Ghana, Shatavari, Saptaparni, Guduchi, Neem, Chitraka, Trivrit, Murva, Patola, Arishta, Balaka, Kirata-tikta, Vacha, Vishala, Padmaka, Utpala, Sariva, Yashtya-hvva, Vikara, Raktachandana, Duralabha, Parpataka, Trayamana, Aturushaka, Rasna, Kudu, Kumanjishtha, Pippali, Nagara, and Dhatri-phala juice -- this ghee eliminates spreading fever, dyspnea, tumors, and skin diseases.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha
Musta, tejovati, patha, katphala, katuka, vacha, mustard, pippali root, pippali, saindhava salt, agni (chitraka), tuttha (copper sulfate), karanja seeds, salt, and bhadradaru — a decoction made from these should be used for gargling (kavala).
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 24: Chapter 24
Source: Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha; Uttara Tantra, Chapter 24: Chapter 24
Safety & Precautions
Contraindications: Pregnancy, aggravated pitta
Safety: No drug–herb interactions are known.
Other Herbs for Dandruff
See all herbs for dandruff on the Dandruff page.
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.