Overview
Nut Grass is one of the herbs traditionally used in Ayurveda for liver disorders. Motha (Nut Grass / Cyperus rotundus) is one of the most important digestive herbs in Ayurveda. It is a perennial sedge found throughout India, growing near water bodies and in moist areas. The rhizomes (tubers) are the medicinally used part. The text describes it as bitter, pungent, and astringent with cooling potency. Despite being cooling, it is an excellent digestive and appetizer. It is widely used for diarrhea, dyspepsia, fever, thirst, and as a galactagogue purifier. The text states it pacifies Kapha and Pitta. The tubers are dark brown externally and reddish-white internally. The drug is a key ingredient in many classical formulations like Mustadi Kwatha. It acts as an anti-inflammatory and is used in menstrual disorders. The text also describes its use in skin conditions and worm infestations. The aromatic essential oil in the tubers contributes to its digestive properties.
How Nut Grass Helps with Liver Disorders
According to Ayurvedic pharmacology, Nut Grass has specific properties that make it valuable for addressing liver disorders:
- Potency (Virya): Sheeta (cold)
- Post-digestive (Vipaka): Katu (pungent)
- Taste (Rasa): Tikta (bitter), Katu (pungent), Kashaya (astringent)
- Qualities (Guna): Laghu (light), Ruksha (dry)
Safety & Precautions
Contraindications: Do not use a high dose in excessive vata aggravation as it can be; too drying
Safety: No drug–herb interactions are known. Chapter 6 PLANT PROFILES
Other Herbs for Liver Disorders
See all herbs for liver disorders on the Liver Disorders page.
▶ Classical Text References (5 sources)
) or water mixed with honey, or water boiled with jalada (musta – Nut grass).
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Ritucharya adhyaya Seasonal
Tikta Gana – group of bitters :त तः पदोल ाय ती वालकोशीर च दनम ् भू न ब न ब कटुका तगरा गु व सकम ् न तमाला वरजनी मु त मूवाट पकम पाठापामागकां यायोगुडू चध वयासकम ् प चमल ू ं महा या यौ वशाल अ त वषावचा Patoli, Trayanti – Gentiana kurroa, Valaka, Usira – Vetiveria zizanioides, Chandana – Sandalwood, Bhunimba – The creat (whole plant) – Andrographis paniculata, Nimba – Neem – Azadirachta indica, Katuka – Picrorhiza kurroa, Tagara – Indian Valerian (root) – Valeriana wallichi, Aguru, Vatsaka – Hol
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their
Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Ritucharya adhyaya Seasonal; Rasabhediyam Tastes, Their
The 500 ml of milk prepared with paste of 10 gm each punarnava, dried ginger and mustaka;
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Take 40 gm fine powder each of svarajjikā and yava-kshara, four varieties of salt, iron bhasma, trikatu, triphala, pippalimula, pealed seeds of vidanga, mustaka, ajamodā, devadāru, bilva, indrayava, root of chitraka, pāthā, ativishā and liquorice;
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
Take kuṣṭha, aguru, devadāru, kaunti, cinnamon, padmaka, cardamom, sugandhabālā, palāśa, mustaka, priyangu, thauneyaka, nāgakeśara, jatāmāmsi, tālisapatra, plava, tejapatra, coriander, sriveshtaka, dhyāmaka, piper longum, sprikkā and nakha.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा)
The poisons of the immobile (earthen and plant) origin are: the roots (including rhizomes) of mustaka, puskara, kraunca, vatsanabha (Aconitum ferox), balahaka, karkata, kalakuta, karavira (Nerium indicum / Cerbera thevetia), palaka, indrayudha taila, meghaka, kusa-puspaka, rohisa, pundarika, langalaki (Gloriosa superb), anjanabhaka, sankoca, markata, sringi-visa, halahala, and such other poisonous roots.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 23: Poison Treatment (Visha Chikitsa / विषचिकित्सा)
[190-191] (pippali, pippalimula, chavya, chitraka, nagara), talisapatra, ela, maricha, twak, alkali of palasa, mustaka and yavaksara.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 26: Three Vital Organs Treatment (Trimarmiya Chikitsa / त्रिमर्मीयचिकित्सा)
Source: Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 12: Edema Treatment (Shvayathu Chikitsa / श्वयथुचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 23: Poison Treatment (Visha Chikitsa / विषचिकित्सा); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 26: Three Vital Organs Treatment (Trimarmiya Chikitsa / त्रिमर्मीयचिकित्सा)
Patoladi Kvatha: Patola (Trichosanthes dioica), Madhuka (Glycyrrhiza glabra), Triphala, Katuka (Picrorhiza kurroa), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Mustaka (Cyperus rotundus), Parpata (Fumaria indica), and the two types of Chandana (red and white sandalwood) — these should be decocted in water.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.)
Triphala, Mustaka (Cyperus rotundus), Khadira (Acacia catechu), Nimba (Azadirachta indica), the two Haridras (turmeric and tree turmeric), Patola (Trichosanthes dioica), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Katuka (Picrorhiza kurroa), and Vidanga (Embelia ribes) — this decoction destroys Kushtha (skin diseases).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 2: Kvathakalpana (Decoction Preparations)
Avipattikar Churna: Shunthi (dry ginger — Zingiber officinale), Maricha (black pepper — Piper nigrum), Pippali (long pepper — Piper longum), Amalaki (Emblica officinalis), Vibhitaki (Terminalia bellirica), Haritaki (Terminalia chebula), Mustaka (Cyperus rotundus), Vidanga (Embelia ribes), and Sharkara (sugar) —.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 3: Churnakalpana (Powder Preparations)
Trivrit (Operculina turpethum), Svarnapatri (Cassia angustifolia, senna), Mustaka (Cyperus rotundus), Madhuka (Glycyrrhiza glabra, licorice), Bala (Sida cordifolia), both Haridras (turmeric and daruharidra), Nagara (Zingiber officinale, dry ginger), Triphala, and Katurohi (Picrorhiza kurroa).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Parishishtam, Chapter 18: Brain Tremor / Parkinsonism (Mastishka Vepana)
Trivrit (Operculina turpethum), Svarnapatri (Cassia angustifolia, senna), Mustaka (Cyperus rotundus), Madhuka (Glycyrrhiza glabra, licorice), Bala (Sida cordifolia), both Haridras (turmeric and daruharidra), Nagara (Zingiber officinale, dry ginger), Triphala, and Katurohi (Picrorhiza kurroa).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Parishishtam, Chapter 17: Brain Tremor / Parkinsonism (Mastishka Vepana)
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); Parishishtam, Chapter 18: Brain Tremor / Parkinsonism (Mastishka Vepana); Parishishtam, Chapter 17: Brain Tremor / Parkinsonism (Mastishka Vepana)
Musta (nut grass), phena (coral calcium), sea utpala (lotus), krimi (worm-wood), ela (cardamom), amalaki seeds, talisha, shaila (rock), gairika (red ochre), ushira (vetiver), and shankha (conch) — these ground with breast milk make the anjana.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 10: Pittabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Pitta-type Conjunctivitis)
Mahaushada (ginger), pippali (long pepper), musta (nut grass), saindhava (rock salt), and white maricha (pepper) — ground with matulunga (citron) juice — this eye anjana quickly destroys pishtaka (paste-like eye lesion).
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 11: Kaphabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Kapha-type Conjunctivitis)
Source: Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 10: Pittabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Pitta-type Conjunctivitis); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 11: Kaphabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Kapha-type Conjunctivitis)
Kala-kuta, Vatsa-nabha, Sarshapaka, Palaka, Kardamaka, Vairataka, Mustaka, Sringi-visha, Prapaun-darika, Mulaka, Halahala, Maha-visha and Karkataka, numbering thirteen in all, are the bulb-poisons.
— Sushruta Samhita, Kalpa Sthana, Chapter 2: Sthavara-Visha-Vijnaniya
Shivering and a numbness of the limbs are the effects of a case of Mustaka-poisoning.
— Sushruta Samhita, Kalpa Sthana, Chapter 2: Sthavara-Visha-Vijnaniya
Kala-kuta, Vatsa-nabha, Sarshapaka, Palaka, Kardamaka, Vairataka, Mustaka, Sringi-visha, Prapaun-darika, Mulaka, Halahala, Maha-visha and Karkataka, numbering thirteen in all, are the bulb-poisons.
— Sushruta Samhita, Sthavara-Visha-Vijnaniya
Shivering and a numbness of the limbs are the effects of a case of Mustaka-poisoning.
— Sushruta Samhita, Sthavara-Visha-Vijnaniya
Source: Sushruta Samhita, Kalpa Sthana, Chapter 2: Sthavara-Visha-Vijnaniya; Sthavara-Visha-Vijnaniya
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.