Photo: DrLee / Wikimedia Commons, CC0
Malkagani मालकांगनी
Celastrus paniculatus
Part used: Seed (Sd.)
| 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: Celastrus paniculatus
- Part used: Seed (Sd.)
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Seed powder 500 mg – 1 g per day; seed oil 5–10 drops, with milk, as prescribed.
Malkagani in other languages
Introduction
Malkagani (Celastrus paniculatus) is the black oil plant or intellect tree, a large climber whose orange-red seeds yield a warming, penetrating oil.
Ayurveda classes it as a Medhya drug — but unlike the cooling Brahmi and Shankhpushpi, it is heating and stimulating, used where the mind is dull and sluggish rather than agitated.
Classification
Family Celastraceae. The seed and its oil are officinal. Rasa: Katu, Tikta, Kashaya. Guna: Laghu, Snigdha, Tikshna. Virya: Ushna. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Kapha and Vata; aggravates Pitta.
Uses & benefits
Given for poor memory and mental dullness, and in Vata disorders with pain — the oil is applied externally in paralysis, sciatica and joint pain, and used as a nasal drop in some classical procedures. It appears in Smriti Sagar Ras in this catalogue.
Malkangani for a dull mind
Warming and stimulating, it is the Medhya drug chosen where dullness and heaviness dominate rather than anxiety — the opposite indication to Shankhpushpi.
Malkangani oil for Vata pain
Applied externally in paralysis, sciatica and stiff painful joints, where its penetrating warmth is the point.
Dosage — how much to take
Seed powder 500 mg – 1 g per day; seed oil 5–10 drops, with milk, as prescribed. Start low — the oil is strongly heating.
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 Malkagani?
The citations held for Malkagani in this catalogue are: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Guduchyadi Varga — Jyotishmati).
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Malkagani?
Katu-tikta rasa, ushna virya; medhya and vatahara. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Jyotishmati.
What is Malkagani traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given for poor memory and mental dullness, and in Vata disorders with pain — the oil is applied externally in paralysis, sciatica and joint pain, and used as a nasal drop in some classical procedures. It appears in Smriti Sagar Ras in this catalogue.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Malkagani?
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 Malkagani classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Malkagani carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Malkagani is used medicinally?
The part used is Seed (Sd.).
How much Malkagani is taken, and how?
Seed powder 500 mg – 1 g per day; seed oil 5–10 drops, with milk, as prescribed. Start low — the oil is strongly heating. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Malkagani be avoided?
Strongly heating. Excess causes burning, mouth ulcers and hyperacidity, and it aggravates Pitta markedly. Avoid in inflammatory conditions, peptic ulcer and in pregnancy. The oil is potent — do not exceed the drop dose. Not for children except under a physician's direction.
Where does Malkagani grow?
A large climber of deciduous forest across India, common in the sub-Himalayan tract, central India and the Western Ghats.
Classical references
- Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Jyotishmati
Katu-tikta rasa, ushna virya; medhya and vatahara. - Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India — Part I — Jyotishmati
Seed of Celastrus paniculatus; identity, oil and dose.
Safety & precautions
Strongly heating. Excess causes burning, mouth ulcers and hyperacidity, and it aggravates Pitta markedly. Avoid in inflammatory conditions, peptic ulcer and in pregnancy. The oil is potent — do not exceed the drop dose. Not for children except under a physician's direction.
Where it grows
A large climber of deciduous forest across India, common in the sub-Himalayan tract, central India and the Western Ghats.
Frequently asked questions
How is Malkangani different from Brahmi?
Both are Medhya drugs but they work from opposite directions. Brahmi is cooling and calming for an agitated mind; Malkangani is heating and stimulating for a dull, heavy one.
Why such a small dose of the oil?
It is strongly heating and readily aggravates Pitta — burning and mouth ulcers are the usual sign of too much. Five to ten drops is a full dose.
