Overview
How Vasaka Helps with Nosebleed
According to Ayurvedic pharmacology, Vasaka has specific properties that make it valuable for addressing nosebleed:
- Potency (Virya): Sheeta (cold)
- Post-digestive (Vipaka): Katu (pungent)
- Taste (Rasa): Tikta (bitter)
- Qualities (Guna): Laghu (light), Ruksha (dry)
Ayurvedic Properties
- Taste (Rasa)
- Bitter (Tikta)
- Quality (Guna)
- Light (Laghu), Dry (Ruksha)
- Potency (Virya)
- Cold (Sheeta)
- Post-digestive (Vipaka)
- Pungent (Katu)
- Key Constituents
- Vasicine, Vasicinone
- Also Known As
- English: Adhatoda variety
Sanskrit: अटरूषक
Hindi: अडूसा
▶ Classical Text References (4 sources)
Vasa-Majja-Medas-(muscle-fat, marrow and fat) :वसा म जा च वात नौ बल प तकफ दौ ६१ मांसानुग व पौ च व या मेदो अ प ता वव Vasa (muscle-fat) and Majja (bone-marrow) and fat mitigate Vata, cause increase of strength, Pitta and Kapha and similar in properties with the meat of animals from which they are obtained.
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Drava Vigyaniya Drinkables
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
व ृषं तु व मकास नं र त प तहरं परम ् Vrusha (Vasa) cures vomiting, cough and especially so the haemorragic disease.
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Annaswaroopa Food
Oleating substances – Sneha Dravyah – स पम जा वसा तैलं त ाप ने हेषु वरं मतम ् चो तमं स पः सं कार यानुवतनात ् माधुयात ् अ वदा ह वात ् ज मा येव च शीलनात ् Sarpi (ghee, clarified butter), Majja (bone marrow), Vasa – muscle fat and Taila (oil) – are considered best among oleating substances;
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Snehavidhi oleation therapy
Vasa Majja Yogya: वातातपा वभार ी यायाम ीणधातुषु लेश मा यि नवाताव ृतपथेषु शेषौ, वसा तु सं यि थममको ठ जासु च तथा द धाहत टयो नकण शरो िज Vasa and Majja - Muscle-fat and marrow are suited for persons Vatatapa – who are depleted of their tissues from exposure to breeze, sunlight, long distance walk, carrying heavy load, women (sexual activity) and physical activities;
— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Snehavidhi oleation therapy
Source: Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Drava Vigyaniya Drinkables; Annaswaroopa Food; Snehavidhi oleation therapy
Ghrita (ghee), oil, vasa (muscle fat), and majja (bone marrow) are considered the four superior therapeutic fats, with ghee being best due to its adaptability.
— Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana — Fundamental Principles, Chapter 13: Oleation Therapies (Snehadhyaya / स्नेहाध्याय)
Vata gets immediately aggravated in an individual whose body is pre-conditioned by above mentioned (verse 5) factors and exposed to the following factors: The aggravated vata spreads throughout the body, and along with vasa (muscle fat), enters the ureter leading to the manifestation of vasameha.
— Charaka Samhita, Nidana Sthana — Diagnostic Principles, Chapter 4: Urinary Disorders Diagnosis (Prameha Nidana / प्रमेह निदान)
tasyÁnÁpyÁyamÁnasya viÒamÁÐanopacitÁ doÒÁh pªuthak pªuthagupadravairyu¿janto bhÚyah ÐarÍramupaÐoÒayanti| tatra vÁtah ÐÚlama¿gamardam kaÆÔhoddhva¿sanam pÁrÐvasa¿rujanama¿sÁvamardam svarabhedam pratiÐyÁyam copajanayati;
— Charaka Samhita, Nidana Sthana — Diagnostic Principles, Chapter 6: Consumption Diagnosis (Shosha Nidana / शोष निदान)
The hemorrhoids mass should be sprinkled with decoction of the leaves vasa (Adhatoda zeylanica Medic.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 14: Hemorrhoids Treatment (Arsha Chikitsa / अर्शचिकित्सा)
Duralabha (Fagonia criteca) (one prastha) and chitraka (Plumbego zylenicum), vasa (Adhatoda vasika), haritaki (Terminalia chebula), amalaki (Embelica officnalis), patha (Cesalpinia pareira), nagara (Zingiber officinalis) and danti (each two pala) should be added with two dronas of water and boiled till one fourth remains.
— Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 14: Hemorrhoids Treatment (Arsha Chikitsa / अर्शचिकित्सा)
Source: Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana — Fundamental Principles, Chapter 13: Oleation Therapies (Snehadhyaya / स्नेहाध्याय); Nidana Sthana — Diagnostic Principles, Chapter 4: Urinary Disorders Diagnosis (Prameha Nidana / प्रमेह निदान); Nidana Sthana — Diagnostic Principles, Chapter 6: Consumption Diagnosis (Shosha Nidana / शोष निदान); Chikitsa Sthana — Therapeutic Principles, Chapter 14: Hemorrhoids Treatment (Arsha Chikitsa / अर्शचिकित्सा)
Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Kutaja (Holarrhena antidysenterica), Vasa (Adhatoda vasica), Kushmanda (Benincasa hispida), Shatavari (Asparagus racemosus), Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera), Sahacharya, Shatapushpa (Anethum sowa), and Prasarini (Paederia foetida).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 1: Paribhashakathana (Definitions)
The oily substance derived from pure muscle tissue is called Vasa (muscle fat).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 5: Kaladikakhyanam (Description of Kalas etc.)
Vasadi Kvatha: Vasa (Adhatoda vasica) and Kantakari (Solanum xanthocarpum) are supreme in alleviating Shvasa (dyspnea) and Kasa (cough).
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.)
Punarnavadi Kvatha: Punarnava (Boerhavia diffusa), Nimba (Azadirachta indica), Vasa (Adhatoda vasica), Patola (Trichosanthes dioica), Nidigdhika (Solanum xanthocarpum), Katuki (Picrorhiza kurroa), Guduchi (Tinospora cordifolia), Shunthi (dry ginger), and Daruharidra (Berberis aristata) — this decoction alleviates Kapha disorders.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 2: Kvathakalpana (Decoction Preparations)
The suitable Anupanas (after-drinks/vehicles) for Avaleha are: milk, sugarcane juice, meat broth (Yusha), decoction of Dashamoola (ten roots), or decoction of Vasa (Adhatoda vasica) — these should be used as adjuvants according to the disease being treated.
— Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 8: Avalehakalpana (Confection/Electuary Preparations)
Source: Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 1: Paribhashakathana (Definitions); Purva Khanda, Chapter 5: Kaladikakhyanam (Description of Kalas etc.); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 1: Svarasadikalpana (Svarasa, Kalka, Kvatha, etc.); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 2: Kvathakalpana (Decoction Preparations); Madhyama Khanda, Chapter 8: Avalehakalpana (Confection/Electuary Preparations)
Before undertaking any of these operations, the physician should first arrange the following materials: Instruments (yantra), sharp surgical tools (shastra), caustics (kshara), fire/cautery (agni), metal probes/rods (shalaka), leeches (jalauka), gourds (labu), bottles (jamba), cotton swabs (vaishti-pichu), threads/sutures (sutra-prota), leaves (patra), bandages (patta), honey (madhu), ghee (ghrita), animal fat (vasa), milk (payas), oil (taila), soothing collyria (tarpana), decoctions (kashaya),
— Sushruta Samhita, Sutra Sthana, Chapter 5: Agropaharaniya Adhyaya - Surgical Instruments and Procedures
Or vasa (muscle fat) from marshy or aquatic animals mixed with rock salt and a little ginger — this is the anjana for shushka-paka (dry ophthalmia).
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 9: Vatabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Vata-type Conjunctivitis)
Ghee prepared from decoction of Guduchi, Triphala, Vasa, Trayamana, and Yavasa.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha
From the accumulation of doshas (vasa, bala, etc.
— Sushruta Samhita, Uttara Tantra, Chapter 25: Chapter 25
The Vataja Types: The types of Prameha which are produced by an aggravated condition of the bodily Vayu are divided into four subgroups, such as Sarpi-meha, Vasa-meha, Kshoudra-meha and Hasti-meha.
— Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana, Chapter 6: Prameha Nidanam - Diseases of the Urinary Tracts
Source: Sushruta Samhita, Sutra Sthana, Chapter 5: Agropaharaniya Adhyaya - Surgical Instruments and Procedures; Uttara Tantra, Chapter 9: Vatabhishyanda Pratishedha Adhyaya (Chapter on Treatment of Vata-type Conjunctivitis); Uttara Tantra, Chapter 39: Jvarapratishedha; Uttara Tantra, Chapter 25: Chapter 25; Nidana Sthana, Chapter 6: Prameha Nidanam - Diseases of the Urinary Tracts
Safety & Precautions
Safety: No negative drug–herb interactions are known but it may cause a positive interaction with anti- tussive medication (Braun & Cohen 2003, 2004).
Other Herbs for Nosebleed
See all herbs for nosebleed on the Nosebleed 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.