Haritaki is a very large tree growing throughout the deciduous forests of India and Sri Lanka. Haritaki is described as the ‘remover of diseases’. It literally means ‘green’ like the fruit. It is considered to be the best herb for the digestive and lung diseases.
Benefits of Haritaki: Jaundice, colic, anemia, asthma, gas, fever, digestive diseases, blood purifier, liver and spleen disorders, ulcers, edema, skin diseases, hiccup, diarrhea, malabsorption, nervous disorders, headache, epilepsy, burns, constipation, lung diseases.
Action: Rejuvenative, tonic, astringent, laxative, nervine, expectorant, anthelmintic, alterative.
Scientific name: Terminalia chebula.
Useful part: Fruit.
Dosage: 3–9g per day in a decoction.
Energetics
Rasa (taste): All but salty, mainly astringent, bitter
Vırya(energy): Heating
Vipaka (post-digestive effect): Sweet
Guna (quality): Light, dry
Dosa effect: VPK=
Dhatu(tissue): All tissues
Srotas (channel): Digestive, excretory, nervous, respiratory
Description: It is a medium sized deciduous tree with a rounded crown, spreading branches and dark brown bark . Leaves are simple, alternate or subopposite, ovate or elliptic ovate. Flowers pale yellow or white in 4-10cm long axillary spikes. Fruit is a drupe, yellow to orange brown in colour.
Classical and common names
English: Chebulic myrobalan
Bengali: Haritaki
Hindi: Harara, Harir, Har
Malayalam: Kadukka
Assamesse: Hilikha
Kannada: Alale
Marathi: Habra, Hirada
Botanical Classification
Kingdom: Plantae
Division: Magnoliophyta
Class: Magnoliopsida
Order: Myrtales
Family: Combretaceae
Genus: Terminalia
Species: Terminalia Chebula