तुगाक्षीरी - Curcuma angustifolia

तुगाक्षीरी - Curcuma angustifolia 

तुगाक्षीरी हिमा स्वाद्वी बल्या वृष्या च बृंहणी

रक्तपित्तारुचिश्वासकासकुष्ठज्वरापहा |

निहन्ति कामलापाण्डुतृष्णादाहक्षयव्रणान् ||

( कै.नि.)

तवक्षीरी क्षयश्वासकासाग्नि मधुरा हिमा॥

 (अ.सं.सू)

त्वक्षीरी मधुरा रूक्षा कषायाऽस्रारुचिव्रणान् 

पित्तश्वासक्षयान्हन्ति कासदाहनिषूदनी |

तुगाक्षीरी क्षयश्वासकासघ्नी मधुरा हिमा ||

(ध.नि.)

तवक्षीरं तु मधुरं शिशिरं दाहपित्तनुत् |

क्षयकासकफश्वासनाशनं चास्रदोषनुत् ||

( रा.नि )

तुगाक्षीरी , तवक्षीरी , त्वक्षीरी ,

तवक्षीरं , तवक्षीर, पयक्षीर, तालक्षीर ।

Curcuma angustifolia 

Family- Zingiberaceae

Indian arrow root

Malayalam : കൂവ koova

Hindi: तिखुर

Tamil: Kua

Kannada - Koove-hittu

Telugu - Ararutgaddulu

Morphology of Curcuma angustifolia:

Tavaksheera is a small herb, growing to a height of 1-2 feet and resembling turmeric plant. Leaves are typically simple, green, glabrous, and lanceolate, with margins that are entire. They appear in an opposite arrangement and are deciduous. They are 1-2 feet long and 2-3 inch wide. The leaf stalk is 0.5-1 foot long. The flowers are 1 inch long and yellow-green in color. They are seen in the rainy season. The plant is seen in the hilly regions of India and cultivated in Bengal and South India for its medicinal properties. The rhizome which is dug from earth, dried well and later powdered before being used.

Part used- Rhizome

Medicinal properties :-

Rasa – Madhura 

Guna – Laghu , Snigdha 

Veerya – Sheeta 

Vipaka – Madhura 

Karma – Vatapitta shamana

Uses :-

स्वाद्वी

बल्या

वृष्या

बृंहणी 

Benefits :-

रक्तपित्त

अरुचि

श्वास

कास

कुष्ठ

ज्वरापहा |

निहन्ति 

कामला

पाण्डु

तृष्णा

दाह

क्षय

व्रणान् निहन्ति ।

Formulations :-

Dadimashtaka churnam 

Tukadi churnam etc .

Uses of Tavaksheeri:

10 g of Tavaksheeri powder is added with a glass of boiled milk and sugar candy and consumed as health drink to improve the physical strength and improve the potency.

5 g of Arrow root powder is mixed with hot milk and consumed in conditions of burning micturition, difficulty in micturition and fever.

2-3 g powder of Curcuma angustifolia is mixed with honey and consumed to treat cough and dyspnea.

To treat diarrhea caused due to indigestion, 5 g of arrow root powder is mixed with hot water and consumed.

5-10 g of arrow root powder is mixed with warm milk and given in patients suffering with acidity and gastric reflux disorder.