Photo: From Vines’ Students’ Text-Book of Botany . / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Kala Jera काला जीरा
Carum carvi
Also known as: Jeera Kala, Kala Jeera
Part used: Fruit
| 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: Carum carvi
- Part used: Fruit
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Fruit powder 1–3 g per day; decoction 40–60 ml.
Kala Jera in other languages
Introduction
Kala Jera (Carum carvi) is caraway, a slender-ribbed fruit with a warm anise-like aroma, grown in the Himalayan valleys and in Kashmir. The texts call it Krishna Jiraka or Kashmiri Jiraka.
Ayurveda uses it much as it uses cumin — as a digestive and carminative — but it is warmer and is the one classically chosen for the post-partum period.
Classification
Family Apiaceae. The dried fruit is officinal. Rasa: Katu, Tikta. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha. Virya: Ushna. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Kapha and Vata.
Uses & benefits
Given in bloating, colic and poor appetite, and in diarrhoea with undigested stool. Classical texts use it as a Garbhashaya-shodhana drug after delivery, to clear the uterus and restore digestion, and it appears in Mahayograj Guggulu and Ashokarishta in this catalogue for that reason.
Kala Jera for digestion
A warming carminative for distension and colic, taken after food, and gentler on the stomach than the sharper seeds.
Kala Jera after childbirth
The classical Garbhashaya-shodhana use — given in the weeks after delivery to clear the uterus and rekindle appetite.
Dosage — how much to take
Fruit powder 1–3 g per day; decoction 40–60 ml. Culinary use is unrestricted.
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 Kala Jera?
The citations held for Kala Jera in this catalogue are: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Haritakyadi Varga — Krishna Jiraka).
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Kala Jera?
Katu rasa, ushna virya; deepana and garbhashaya-shodhana. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Haritakyadi Varga — Krishna Jiraka.
What is Kala Jera traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in bloating, colic and poor appetite, and in diarrhoea with undigested stool. Classical texts use it as a Garbhashaya-shodhana drug after delivery, to clear the uterus and restore digestion, and it appears in Mahayograj Guggulu and Ashokarishta in this catalogue for that reason.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Kala Jera?
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 Kala Jera classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Kala Jera carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Kala Jera is used medicinally?
The part used is Fruit.
How much Kala Jera is taken, and how?
Fruit powder 1–3 g per day; decoction 40–60 ml. Culinary use is unrestricted. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Kala Jera be avoided?
Well tolerated in culinary and classical doses. Heating; may aggravate Pitta in excess. Medicinal doses avoided in pregnancy because of the classical uterine action; culinary use is not a concern.
Where does Kala Jera grow?
Cultivated in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the higher Himalayan valleys, and imported from Europe and West Asia.
Classical references
- Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Haritakyadi Varga — Krishna Jiraka
Katu rasa, ushna virya; deepana and garbhashaya-shodhana. - Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India — Part I — Krishna Jiraka (Carum carvi)
Fruit of Carum carvi; identity and dose.
Safety & precautions
Well tolerated in culinary and classical doses. Heating; may aggravate Pitta in excess. Medicinal doses avoided in pregnancy because of the classical uterine action; culinary use is not a concern.
Where it grows
Cultivated in Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and the higher Himalayan valleys, and imported from Europe and West Asia.
Frequently asked questions
Is Kala Jera the same as Kalunji?
No. Kala Jera is caraway, Carum carvi — ribbed and brown. Kalunji is Nigella sativa — angular and jet black. The names overlap in trade but they are different drugs.
Why is it given after childbirth?
The texts classify it as Garbhashaya-shodhana — clearing the uterus — and it also restores the digestion that is typically weak in the post-partum weeks.
