Durva Grass for Bleeding Disorders: Does It Work?
Does Durva Grass help with bleeding disorders? In classical Ayurveda, this is its signature use. The Bhavaprakash Nighantu (Varga 3) calls Durva, the common Bermuda grass (Cynodon dactylon), one of the most important anti-hemorrhagic drugs (Raktapittahara) and says the grass has strong hemostatic properties.
The same text names specific uses: nosebleeds, excessive menstruation and other bleeding conditions, with the fresh juice also applied to cuts and wounds to stop bleeding.
Why it fits
Ayurveda sees bleeding disorders (Raktapitta) as aggravated Pitta, the body's heat principle, pushing blood out of its channels. Durva is cold in potency, sweet and astringent in taste, and listed as calming Pitta (Pittahara). That makes it a direct classical match for heat-driven bleeding.
It is a supportive herb, not a substitute for diagnosis. Heavy, recurrent or unexplained bleeding needs medical evaluation first.
How Durva Grass Helps with Bleeding Disorders
Classical care for bleeding disorders rests on cooling the heat in the blood (Rakta Dhatu) and on astringent action that tones the vessels. Durva covers both, and the Bhavaprakash Nighantu lists the matching actions: alleviates bleeding disorders, alleviates Pitta, and hemostatic or astringent (Stambhana).
Cooling the heat
Its cold potency (Sheeta Virya) and sweet post-digestive effect (Madhura Vipaka) directly counter Pitta heat. The text also credits it with relieving burning sensation (Dahahara) and thirst (Trishnahara), both classic signs of excess heat that often travel with bleeding.
Binding without drying
Its astringent taste (Kashaya) supplies the binding action. Unlike many astringent herbs, Durva is also unctuous (Snigdha) and sweet, so it checks bleeding without the harsh drying effect of stronger binders. Ayurvedic sources also describe it as a coagulant.
Astringent taste is commonly linked to plant tannins, which reduce leakage from vessel walls, though our sources discuss this for astringent herbs in general rather than Durva specifically.
How to Use Durva Grass for Bleeding Disorders
For bleeding, the classical form is the fresh juice (Swarasa). The Bhavaprakash Nighantu gives a dose of 1 to 2 tola of juice, roughly 10 to 20 ml, with the paste used externally. Dried powder is less useful for this purpose.
| Form | Dose | Vehicle | Use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh juice, internal | 10 to 20 ml, once or twice daily | A teaspoon of honey or sugar | Bleeding tendency, morning on an empty stomach |
| Fresh juice as nose drops | 2 to 4 drops per nostril | Strained juice | During an active nosebleed, sitting forward |
| Fresh paste or juice, external | A thin layer | None | Fresh cuts and wounds |
Making the juice
Wash a small bundle of fresh grass from a clean, unsprayed area, crush it with a little cool water and strain through fine cloth. Use it within the hour, since fresh juice loses potency quickly.
Vehicle and course
The usual vehicle (Anupana) is a teaspoon of honey or sugar. For a recurring bleeding tendency, a course of two to three weeks of daily juice is typical. For heavy periods, see also menorrhagia.
Never use grass from a lawn treated with herbicides or pesticides.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does Durva take to work for bleeding?
As nose drops, it is used during the bleed itself. For a recurring tendency, daily juice is typically taken for two to three weeks. If bleeding persists or recurs, see a doctor.
Can I take Durva with blood thinners?
Speak with your doctor first. Anyone on anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication should not add herbs for bleeding without their physician's awareness.
Can I use grass from my garden?
Only if it has never been treated with herbicide, fungicide or pesticide. Wash it thoroughly. Wild or unsprayed grass is the only safe source.
Recommended: Start Durva Grass for Bleeding Disorders
If you want to start using Durva Grass for bleeding disorders today, here is the simplest starting point.
The best form is the fresh juice, because that is what the Bhavaprakash Nighantu describes for bleeding. Take 10 to 20 ml of freshly made juice with a teaspoon of honey in the morning on an empty stomach, or use 2 to 4 drops in each nostril during a nosebleed.
Kitchen version: crush a small bundle of washed, unsprayed Bermuda grass with a little cool water, strain through cloth, and use within the hour. If you have no clean source, dried Durva powder is the shelf-stable fallback, though less suited to bleeding.
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Safety first: heavy, recurrent or unexplained bleeding, bleeding in pregnancy, and bleeding while on blood thinners all need a physician before any herb.
Safety & Precautions
Durva is generally regarded as one of the gentlest bleeding remedies in Ayurveda. It is a common grass, used fresh, and its classical doses are small.
The main caution: where it grows
Never use Durva from a lawn or garden treated with herbicide, fungicide or pesticide. Wild or unsprayed grass is the only safe medicinal source, and it should be washed thoroughly.
Other points to keep in mind
- Pregnancy: avoid the fresh juice in significant quantity without supervision.
- Blood sugar: if you take the juice with sugar or honey and have diabetes, watch your response or take it plain.
- Blood thinners: if you take anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication, speak with your doctor before using any herb for bleeding.
- Not a substitute for care: recurrent, heavy or unexplained bleeding needs medical evaluation. Durva is a traditional supportive herb.
Other Herbs for Bleeding Disorders
See all herbs for bleeding disorders on the Bleeding Disorders page.
▶ Classical Text References (4 sources)
For Greeshma (summer) – कुमुदो पलक हारद ुवामधुकच दनम ् Kumuda, Utpala, Kalhara, Durva, Madhuka and Chandana (Sandalwood).
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Gandushadi Vidhi Gargles
30 सदा मू ना च धारयेत ् ल मीं गुहाम तगुहां ज टलां मचा रणीम ् वचां छ ाम त छ ां द ुवा स ाथकाना प ततः ने ह दनेहो तं त याचारं समा दशेत ् दवा व ने णे क डूराग शोफपूयकृत ् The patient should always wear on his head, potent herbs such as Lakshmi, Guha, Atiguha, Jatila, Brahmacharini, Vacha, Chatra, Atichatra, Durva or Siddharthaka.
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Shastrakarma Vidhi
Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Gandushadi Vidhi Gargles; Shastrakarma Vidhi
Nalada (Vetiveria zizanioidis), harenu (Vitex negundo Linn), lodhra (Symplocos racemosa), madhuka (Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn), padmaka (Prunas cerasoides), durva (Cynodon dactylon) and sarjarasa (Shorea robusta) should be mixed with ghee and used externally as a pralepa.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 21: Erysipelas Treatment (Visarpa Chikitsa / विसर्पचिकित्सा)
The external application mentioned as pradeha may also be used for sprinkling or for preparation ghrita yoga or churna yoga used for dusting in wounds of visarpa, ghee cooked with durva juice promotes wound healing.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 21: Erysipelas Treatment (Visarpa Chikitsa / विसर्पचिकित्सा)
Oil cooked with durva juice or kampillaka or paste of daruharidra bark is an important ulcer healer.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 25: Wound Management (Dwivraniya Chikitsa / द्विव्रणीयचिकित्सा)
Source: Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 21: Erysipelas Treatment (Visarpa Chikitsa / विसर्पचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 25: Wound Management (Dwivraniya Chikitsa / द्विव्रणीयचिकित्सा)
Durva grass is cooling and anti-pruritic, Chakramarda is specifically antifungal (its seeds contain chrysophanol), and holy basil is antimicrobial.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11: Lepa Vidhi (Topical Paste Application)
Turmeric's curcumin is a proven anti-inflammatory, antipruritic, and antimicrobial agent, while Durva grass is cooling and anti-allergic.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11: Lepa Vidhi (Topical Paste Application)
Another paste for Karandu and Pama: Durva (Cynodon dactylon, bermuda grass), Abhaya (Haritaki/Terminalia chebula), Saindhava (rock salt), Chakramarda (Cassia tora), and Kutheraka (Ocimum basilicum/basil), mixed with buttermilk as a paste, destroys Karandu (itching) and Pama (scabies).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11: Lepa Vidhi (Topical Paste Application)
Durva grass is cooling and anti-pruritic, Chakramarda is specifically antifungal (its seeds contain chrysophanol), and holy basil is antimicrobial.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11: Lepa Vidhi (Topical Paste Application)
Another: a paste of Durva (bermuda grass) and Nisha (turmeric, Curcuma longa) destroys Karandu and Pama, eliminates Krimi (parasites) and Dadru (ringworm), and is known to cure Shita Pitta (urticaria/hives).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11: Lepa Vidhi (Topical Paste Application)
Source: Sharangadhara Samhita, Uttara Khanda, Chapter 11: Lepa Vidhi (Topical Paste Application)
In case of pain or redness post-surgery, learn from me further formulations: gairika (red ochre), sariva, durva grass, barley paste, ghee, and milk.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga)
Paste of madhuka (licorice), utpala (blue lotus) filaments, and durva (Bermuda grass) applied on the head.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 15: Chhedya Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases Requiring Excision)
In case of pain or redness post-surgery, learn from me further formulations: gairika (red ochre), sariva, durva grass, barley paste, ghee, and milk.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga)
Shatavari, black sesame, madhuka, blue lotus, durva (Bermuda grass), and punarnava should be properly applied as poultice.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 26: Chapter 26
Durva (grass), nalamula (vetiver root), madhuka (licorice), chandana (sandalwood), and all the cooling groups — a plaster of these removes Pitta-type swelling (verse 4).
— Sushruta Samhita, Sutra Sthana, Chapter 37: Mishrakaadhyaya - The Miscellaneous Chapter
Source: Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 17: Drishtigata Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases of Vision / Drishti Roga); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 15: Chhedya Roga Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Diseases Requiring Excision); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 26: Chapter 26; Sutra Sthana, Chapter 37: Mishrakaadhyaya - The Miscellaneous Chapter
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.