Termimalia Chebula: Best Remedy of All Diseases (Haritaki, Harad)

Table of Content

“Haritaki is known as A-ru-ra, and it is also called the King of Medicine”.

1. Introduction

Termimalia Chebula is a wonder herb known as long-life-elixir, indigenous to India. There is an old Indian proverb that says, “If one bites a piece of Hartaki every day after meals and swallows its juice, he will remain free from all diseases.”

The plant is named Haritaki because of its dark green, yellow-colored fruits. It is considered that Haritaki originated from the adobe of Lord Shiva and has the property to drive away all diseases. The Latin name “Terminalia” means proceeding from the extremity at the end and the word “chebula” is the distorted form of the word “Kabul”.

Termimalia Chebula has been used in traditional medicine as a preventive, therapeutic remedy against various human ailments since ancient times. It is rightly called the mother of herbs because it nourishes the person as a mother. There is a mythological belief that during Samudra manthan, when Lord Indra was drinking nectar, a few drops fell on earth and the Haritaki plant originated from those nectar drops. That is why it possesses immense medicinal properties.

The fruit possesses diverse health benefits and is considered as a rasayana (rejuvenator) drug. The fruit in combination with fruits of Bibhitaki and Amla in the ratio of 1:2:4 is known as Triphala, a universally acclaimed formulation used in Unani, Ayurveda, and Homeopathic medicine.

Sushrut described it in phala varga, Vagabhatta has mentioned it as the best drug to subside deranged Vata and Kapha dosha. Raj Nighantu has considered it a yogavahi drug. Bhavpraksah has described different methods of using Termimalia Chebula to attain different actions.

When it is chewed, it enhances digestion fire, when used after rubbing, it helps to cleanse toxins. When used after boiling, it acts as an absorbent, and when it is used after frying, it becomes tridoshamaka (pacify tridoshas). When it is taken after food, it readily cures digestive disorders and pacifies diseases of vatu, pitta, and kapha. To pacify vata dosha, Haritaki should be used with ghee, in pitta dosha, it should be taken with sugar and in kapha dosha, it should be taken with salt, and in all other diseases, it should be taken with jaggery.

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2. Vernacular Names

• Bengali – Haritaki
• Assamese – Shilikha, Karitaki
• Kannada – Alaekai, Harra
• Kashmiri – Halela
• Gujrati – Hirdo, Himja, Pulo-harda
• Marathi – Hirda, Harda
• Oriya – Harida, Harira
• Malayalam – Katukka
• Tamil – Kadukkay
• Telugu – Karaka, Karakkaya
• Urdu – Haejarad
• Punjabi – Halela, Harar, Hurh

3. Synonyms

• Abhya – Its daily intake removes the fear of being diseased.
• Amogha – It is an unfailing remedy for diseased condition.
• Amrita – The plant bears rasayana properties.
• Avyatha – It is a potent remedy for pain or makes the body disease-free.
• Chetaki – It promotes the health of the mind and body.
• Kayastha – It promotes body health.
• Panvhbhadrika – Its fruit has five rasas.
• Pathya – Its fruit is beneficial for everyone, and it cleanses all the body channels.
• Putana – It eliminates impurities and purifies the body.
• Rohini – It regenerates tissues and enhances wound-healing activity.
• Shiva – It shows salutary effect on the body.
• Vayastha – It exhibits an antiaging effect and thus helps in maintaining youthfulness.

4. Classical Categorization

• Charaka Samhita – Jwaraghna, Arshoghna
• Sushrut Samhita – Amalakyadi, Mustadi
• Ashtang Hridaya – Parushakyadi
• Dhanvantari Nighantu – Guduchyadi varga
• Madanpal Nighantu – Abhayadi varga
• Kaiyadev Nighantu – Oshadi varga
• Raj Nighantu – Shatahwadi varga
• Bhavaprakasha Nighantu – Haritakyadi varga

5. Distribution

Termimalia Chebula is found throughout India, chiefly in deciduous forest and areas of life rainfall, but occasionally also in slightly moist forests about 155m elevation. It is mainly found in West Bengal, Orrisa, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, M.P and Western Ghats.

6. Morphology

A large deciduous tree of above 15 to 25m in height, with a cylindrical trunk, rounded crown, and spreading branches. Its fruit of a middle-sized or large tree which has egg-shaped leaves and dull white flowers in spikes. The bark is dark brown with longitudinal cracks.

Leaves – Simple, alternate, short petioled, ovate, or elliptic with a pair of large glands on both sides of midrib on the upper surface of leaf, glabrous, tomentose beneath.

Flowers – Monoecious inflorescence, dull white to yellow, with a strong unpleasant odor, borne in terminal spikes or short panicles.

Fruits – Ellipsoidal, obovoid, smooth, 3 to 5 cm long, initially green changes to yellow to orange, brown on maturity, sometimes tinged with red or black, dried fruit is black, wrinkled shiny surface, hard, five-ribbed longitudinally.

Seeds – Single, hard, and pale yellow, the plant is propagated by seeds and stem cuttings.

7. Haritaki Fruit

Haritaki ripe or unripe fruits are mainly used in Ayurveda for medicinal purposes. The fruiting time of the tree is November to march. The unripe fruit is more purgative and the ripe is astringent.

It is considered in Ayurveda a medicinal plant, and it is well-known tanning material in the world. Both unripe and ripe fruits as eaten raw or used as medicine.

The unripe harad fruit is light brown in color and the dried fruit is black in color, unripe fruit is mainly used in making Triphala powder, an Ayurveda-renowned medicine. If unripe fruit is picked from the tree and dried, it becomes black in color, and then it is called black myrobalan.

The fruit is yellow when it is fully ripe, when the yellow fruit has dried, it becomes very hard and is known as yellow myrobalan. The tannin contains in the fruit increases when it fully ripens.

In some places, tender fruit is collected and soaked in salted water and then made a tangy pickle of this soaked Terminalia chebula.

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8. Types of Termimalia Chebula

Harad, is one of the most revered and versatile herbs in Ayurveda. It is a key component of the classical Ayurvedic formula, Triphala, and is valued for its numerous medicinal properties.

Kaiyadeva: There are three types of Termimalia Chebula (Aquatic origin), (Wild origin) and (Mountain’s origin)

According to the Bhavaprakash and Raj Nighantu has classified Termimalia Chebula into seven types.

9. Ayurvedic Properties

• Guna – Laghu and Ruksha.
• Rasa – Kashaya, Tikta, Madhura, Katu.
• Vipaka – Madhura.
• Virya – Ushna.
• Prabhava – Rasayana.

The fruit of Haritaki contains five rasas in different parts of the fruits as follows:

• Fruit Pulp – Madhura rasa
• Ridges – Amla rasa
• Stalk – Tikta rsa
• Outer Covering – Katu Rasa
• Seed - Kashaya

10. Chemical Constituent

Termimalia Chebula fruit contains tannin, chebulagic acid, chebulic acid, chebulanin, corilagin, ellagic acid, gallic acid, tannin acid, vitamin C, proteins. The fruit kernel has behenic, linoleic, oleic, palmitic and stearic acid. The flowers contain chebulin and leaves have terflavins B, C and D.

11. Identity, Purity, and Strength

• Foreign Matter – Not more than 1%
• Total Ash – Not more than 5%
• Acid-insoluble ash – Not more than 5%
• Alcohol-soluble extractive – Not less than 40%
• Water-soluble extractive – Not less than 60%

(Source: The Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia of India 1989)

12. Ayurvedic and Pharmacological Actions

Ayurvedic Actions

Ayurveda classics have attributed laxative, scraping, intellect promoter, beneficial for vision, appetizer, digestive, carminative, cardiotonic, pleasant for sense organ, healthy long life, bulk promoting, antiaging, rejuvenating, promotes physical strength, intellect power and memory enhance, reduces swelling, astringent, wound cleansing and healing properties.

• Doshakarma – Tridoshamaka
• Dhatukarma – Rasayana
• Malakarma – Vataanulomana

Pharmacological Actions

The fruit has multiple pharmacological and medicinal actions like astringent, laxative, antiulcer, anthelmintic, antiviral, antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antimicrobial, antiviral, antidiabetic, diuretic, purgative, radioprotective, blood purifier, adaptogenic and wound healing activity.

13. Characteristics of Best Quality of Termimalia Chebula

It should be new, fresh, smooth, bulky, ovoid shape, heavy, drown when dipped in water and weight about 2 equal Termimalia Chebula fruit. This type of Termimalia Chebula is considered the best for medicinal usage.

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14. Health Benefits

Termimalia Chebula singly or used in Triphala is beneficial in constipation, wounds/ulcers, hemorrhoids, worm infestation, skin diseases, diabetes, indigestion, flatulence, jaundice, anemia, asthma, dysuria, conjunctivitis, diarrhea, vomiting, acidity, arthritis, obesity and dandruff.

For the purpose of rasayana, Termimalia Chebula is taken along with different vehicles in different seasons. This regiment is called Ritu Haritaki.

15. Therapeutic Uses

External Uses

Fever – Linctus is prepared with Termimalia Chebula, ghee, honey and oil, and cures all types of fever.

Mouth Ulcers - Termimalia Chebula is broken into pieces and boiled in a cup of water. This infusion is cooled and used to rinse the mouth, two or three times a day for a week. It will heal the ulcers completely or take few pieces of Termimalia Chebula and chew it four to five times a day in mouth ulcers and tonsillitis.

Eye Disease - Termimalia Chebula decoction is used for washing eyes in conjunctivitis, eye infections, chronic purulent wounds, diabetic ulcers and bed sores.

Skin Problems - Mix Terminalia chebula powder with coconut oil or goat milk and apply it to wound.

Internal Uses

Joint Pain and Arthritis - Mix Terminalia chebula powder with ghee and consume 1 tsp daily is helpful in joint pain and arthritis.

Dysentery - Taking 1 tsp of Haritaki powder with clarified butter or ghee with rock sugar helps to control dysentery problems.

Constipation And Piles - For constipation and piles problems, take 3-4 grams of Harad Churn with jaggery powder to give relief.

Pyorrhea - Rub the Haritaki churn on gums, which gives relief from pyorrhea.

Inflammation - Take 3–4-gram Terminalia chebula Powder and mix with rock sugar and take it with cold milk, gives relief from inflammation.

Burning Sensation - Take 4-6 grams of Terminalia chebula Powder and mix it with rock sugar and milk, gives relief from the burning sensation in the body.

Cough, Cold and Sore Throat - Take 3-4 grams harad powder with honey, which gives relief from cough, cold and sore throat.

Loss of Appetite, Indigestion - Terminalia chebula powder taken regularly with ginger or jaggery or Himalayan salt initiates digestive fire and gives relief in indigestion.

Enlargement of Liver and Spleen - Terminalia chebula, Rohitaka kwath mixed with Yavakshra and Pippali should be taken in the morning.

Hemorrhage - Terminalia chebula powder impregnated seven times with Vasa swarasa.

Diabetics – Regular consumption of Terminalia chebula powder with honey helps to control blood sugar level and diabetes.

Edema - Terminalia chebula powder should be taken with gomutra.

Rejuvenation – Regular intake of Terminalia chebula powder fried in ghee, followed by intake of ghee for a month, prevents aging, impart youthfulness and strength.

Inguinal Hernia - Terminalia chebula paste fried in castor oil mixed with Pippali and saindhava should be used.

16. Official Part Used

Fruit

17. Formulations

Triphala churna, Abhayaristha, Pathyadi vati, Pathyadi kwath, Vyaghriharitaki, Chitrakaharitaki, Dantiharitaki, Pathyadi churna, Abhayadi Guggulu, Abhayamalakiya rasayana.

18. General Doses

Powder – 3 to 6gm

19. Toxicity and Side Effects

Due to its ruksha properties, it should not be consumed in excess by weak, malnourished individuals, during fasting, depression, pregnant women, or a person who has lost a considerable amount of blood.

20. Contradictions

Thirst, dryness in the oral cavity, lockjaw, neck stiffness, acute fever, pregnancy, severe emaciation, weak person, after fast, pitta dominant person, and after bloodletting. 

21. Terminalia chebula Pickle Recipe

You can make Terminalia chebula fresh fruit pickle at home with minimum ingredients. It is very easy to make and ready in minutes. Here is the full recipe.

Ingredients

Yield - 4

• Fresh Terminalia chebula – 1 kg
• Long Pepper powder – 1 tbsp.
• Black Pepper powder– 1 tbsp.
• Cinnamon powder – 2 tsp
• Saffron – 1 gram
• Cardamom seed powder – 2 tsp
• Raisins – ½ cup
• Water – 2 liters for boiling and 1 liter for sugar syrup
• Sugar – 1 kg (you can take rock sugar or brown sugar)

Method of making Sweet Pickle of Haritaki

• Take a fresh fruit of Terminalia chebula and wash them thoroughly, let them dry and wipe with a cotton cloth.
• Take a pan, add water, and put it on heat. Add Terminalia chebula in boiling water and boil it until the pulp becomes softer and tender.
• Take a pan, add 1-liter water, and boil it. Add sugar to boil water and heat until sugar dissolves and heat the liquid until sugar syrup attains one thread consistency.
• Once the sugar syrup cools down, add long pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, cardamom, raisin, and saffron. Mix it well and add boiled Terminalia chebula.
• Keep this pickle in a jar.