Photo: Acabashi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Chameli जाती
Jasminum officinale
Also known as: Chameli Patra
Part used: Leaf
| 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: Jasminum officinale
- Part used: Leaf
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: External use as paste, gargle or in medicated oil.
Chameli in other languages
Introduction
Chameli here is Jasminum officinale, the common or poet's jasmine, whose leaf is the part used. It is distinct from Jati (Jasminum grandiflorum), the jasmine of the classical Jatyadi preparations, though both are used similarly.
The leaf is bitter and cooling and is chiefly a mouth and wound drug — chewed for ulcers and applied to slow-healing sores.
Classification
Family Oleaceae. The leaf is the part specified; the flower is used in perfumery and some preparations. Rasa: Tikta, Kashaya. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha. Virya: Sheeta. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Kapha and Pitta.
Uses & benefits
Chewed or applied as a paste for mouth ulcers, spongy gums and sore throat, and applied to non-healing wounds and ulcers. In this catalogue the leaf appears in Jatyadi Taila, the classical wound-healing oil.
Chameli for the mouth
The leaf is the classical application for mouth ulcers and inflamed gums, chewed fresh or used as a decoction gargle.
Chameli in wound oils
Its bitter, cleansing quality is why jasmine leaf appears in Jatyadi Taila, used on ulcers, burns and slow-healing wounds.
Dosage — how much to take
External use as paste, gargle or in medicated oil. Internally, leaf decoction 20–40 ml where a physician directs.
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 Chameli?
The citations held for Chameli in this catalogue are: Sushruta Samhita (Chikitsasthana — Vrana); Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Pushpa Varga — Jati).
What does the Sushruta Samhita record about Chameli?
Jasmine leaf used in wound management and in medicated oils. Reference: Sushruta Samhita — Chikitsasthana — Vrana.
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Chameli?
The classical entry describes Jasminum grandiflorum; J. officinale is used similarly in practice. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Pushpa Varga — Jati.
What is Chameli traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Chewed or applied as a paste for mouth ulcers, spongy gums and sore throat, and applied to non-healing wounds and ulcers. In this catalogue the leaf appears in Jatyadi Taila, the classical wound-healing oil.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Chameli?
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 Chameli classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Chameli carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Chameli is used medicinally?
The part used is Leaf.
How much Chameli is taken, and how?
External use as paste, gargle or in medicated oil. Internally, leaf decoction 20–40 ml where a physician directs. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Chameli be avoided?
Well tolerated externally. Note that two jasmine species are used medicinally: Jati (J. grandiflorum) is the species of the classical Jatyadi texts, and J. officinale is the one specified in this formulation. They are kept as separate pages here rather than merged.
Where does Chameli grow?
Native to the Himalaya and western China and cultivated across northern India in gardens and for its flowers.
Classical references
- Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Pushpa Varga — Jati
The classical entry describes Jasminum grandiflorum; J. officinale is used similarly in practice. - Sushruta Samhita — Chikitsasthana — Vrana
Jasmine leaf used in wound management and in medicated oils.
Safety & precautions
Well tolerated externally. Note that two jasmine species are used medicinally: Jati (J. grandiflorum) is the species of the classical Jatyadi texts, and J. officinale is the one specified in this formulation. They are kept as separate pages here rather than merged.
Where it grows
Native to the Himalaya and western China and cultivated across northern India in gardens and for its flowers.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the same as Jati?
Not quite. Jati is Jasminum grandiflorum, the species named in the classical Jatyadi preparations. This entry is Jasminum officinale, which the manufacturing sheet specifies. They are closely related and used similarly, but we keep them separate.
Which part is used?
The leaf, chewed, applied as a paste or cooked into a medicated oil.
