Photo: MaxwellPerkins ( talk ) ( Uploads ) / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
Brihati बृहती
Solanum indicum
Also known as: Kateri Badi
Part used: Whole Plant, Plant
| Rasa (taste) | Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent) |
|---|---|
| Guna (qualities) | Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry) |
| Virya (potency) | Ushna (Hot) |
| Vipaka | Katu (Pungent) |
| Dosha | Balances Kapha & Vata |
| Prabhava | Classical systemic action |
Key takeaways
- Botanical name: Solanum indicum
- Part used: Whole Plant, Plant
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Root powder 3–6 g per day; as decoction 50–100 ml twice daily.
Brihati in other languages
Introduction
Brihati (Solanum indicum) is the larger of the two thorny nightshades that Ayurveda pairs together, its smaller partner being Kantakari. Both belong to Dashamula, and the two are so often prescribed together that texts name them jointly as Brihati-dvaya.
It is a Kapha-clearing, appetite-restoring drug used mainly for the chest and the digestion — cough, breathlessness, a heavy stomach and irregular appetite.
Classification
Family Solanaceae. Root is the officinal part; the whole plant is used in some preparations. Rasa: Katu and Tikta. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha, Tikshna. Virya: Ushna. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Kapha and Vata; one of the Laghu Panchamula.
Uses & benefits
Given for cough, breathlessness and chest congestion, and for Agnimandya with nausea and a heavy abdomen. As one of the lesser five roots it contributes the warming, Kapha-cutting side of Dashamula. Also described as Krimighna and used in Hridroga formulations.
Brihati for cough and breathlessness
The pungent-bitter root loosens and expels Kapha from the chest. It is a standard component of the Shwasahara compounds and of Dashamula-based decoctions given in respiratory Vata-Kapha conditions.
Brihati for appetite
As a Deepana and Pachana drug it is used where digestion has become sluggish and food sits heavily, often alongside its partner Kantakari.
Dosage — how much to take
Root powder 3–6 g per day; as decoction 50–100 ml twice daily. Usually given within Dashamula or a compound rather than alone.
Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm with a qualified Vaidya.
Traditional uses — questions answered from the classical texts
Answers are drawn from the citations and properties recorded for this drug. No chapter-and-verse reference appears that the record does not carry.
Which classical texts describe Brihati?
The citations held for Brihati in this catalogue are: Charaka Samhita (Sutrasthana 4 — Laghu Panchamula); Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Guduchyadi Varga — Brihati).
What does the Charaka Samhita record about Brihati?
One of the five lesser roots of Dashamula. Reference: Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Laghu Panchamula.
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Brihati?
Katu-tikta rasa, ushna virya; kasa and shwasa indications. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Brihati.
What is Brihati traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given for cough, breathlessness and chest congestion, and for Agnimandya with nausea and a heavy abdomen. As one of the lesser five roots it contributes the warming, Kapha-cutting side of Dashamula. Also described as Krimighna and used in Hridroga formulations.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Brihati?
Rasa Tikta (Bitter), Kashaya (Astringent), Guna Laghu (Light), Ruksha (Dry), Virya Ushna (Hot), Vipaka Katu (Pungent). Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata. Prabhava: Classical systemic action.
Why is Brihati classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Brihati carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Brihati is used medicinally?
The part used is Whole Plant, Plant.
How much Brihati is taken, and how?
Root powder 3–6 g per day; as decoction 50–100 ml twice daily. Usually given within Dashamula or a compound rather than alone. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Brihati be avoided?
Heating; may aggravate Pitta and cause acidity in sensitive people. Avoid in active peptic ulcer. Members of the Solanaceae should be used cautiously in pregnancy — take only under a physician's direction. Do not confuse with Makoy (Solanum nigrum), a separate drug.
Where does Brihati grow?
A common prickly undershrub of waste ground, roadsides and open scrub throughout India up to about 1,500 m.
Which classical formulations include Brihati?
Dashamula.
Classical references
- Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Laghu Panchamula
One of the five lesser roots of Dashamula. - Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Brihati
Katu-tikta rasa, ushna virya; kasa and shwasa indications.
Safety & precautions
Heating; may aggravate Pitta and cause acidity in sensitive people. Avoid in active peptic ulcer. Members of the Solanaceae should be used cautiously in pregnancy — take only under a physician's direction. Do not confuse with Makoy (Solanum nigrum), a separate drug.
Where it grows
A common prickly undershrub of waste ground, roadsides and open scrub throughout India up to about 1,500 m.
Frequently asked questions
What is Brihati-dvaya?
The pair of Brihati (Solanum indicum) and Kantakari (Solanum surattense). Classical formulae frequently call for both together, and the pair appears in Dashamula.
Is Brihati the same as Kantakari?
No — they are different species with a similar action. Brihati is the larger plant; Kantakari is the smaller, more thorny one. This site keeps separate monographs for each.
Part of: Dashamula
