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Mochras मोचरस
Bombax ceiba
Part used: Exudate, Exudate (Gum)
| 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: Bombax ceiba
- Part used: Exudate, Exudate (Gum)
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Gum powder 1–3 g per day in divided doses, with water, honey or as directed.
Mochras in other languages
Introduction
Mochras is the dried gum that seeps from a wound in the trunk of the silk cotton tree (Bombax ceiba) — a reddish-brown, brittle exudate known in the texts as Mocharasa.
It is a purely astringent drug, used wherever there is bleeding or discharge: in heavy menstruation, in dysentery with blood, and in leucorrhoea.
Classification
Family Malvaceae (Bombacoideae). The dried gum exudate is the officinal part. Rasa: Kashaya, Madhura. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha. Virya: Sheeta. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Kapha and Pitta.
Uses & benefits
Given in Raktapradara — excessive menstrual bleeding — and in bleeding piles, dysentery with blood and chronic leucorrhoea. Its Grahi and Stambhana action makes it a standard ingredient of the women's formulations, and it appears in Ashokarishta and the cooling asavas of this catalogue.
Mochras for heavy bleeding
The classical Raktastambhaka indication. It is used in excessive menstrual flow and in bleeding piles, usually within a compound rather than alone.
Mochras for discharge
Its astringency checks chronic white discharge, and it is combined with Lodhra and Ashoka in the classical women's preparations for this purpose.
Dosage — how much to take
Gum powder 1–3 g per day in divided doses, with water, honey or as directed. Usually taken within a compound formulation.
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 Mochras?
The citations held for Mochras in this catalogue are: Sushruta Samhita (Chikitsasthana — Raktapradara); Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Vatadi Varga — Shalmali / Mocharasa).
What does the Sushruta Samhita record about Mochras?
Used in the management of excessive uterine bleeding. Reference: Sushruta Samhita — Chikitsasthana — Raktapradara.
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Mochras?
Kashaya rasa, sheeta virya; grahi and raktastambhaka. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Vatadi Varga — Shalmali / Mocharasa.
What is Mochras traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in Raktapradara — excessive menstrual bleeding — and in bleeding piles, dysentery with blood and chronic leucorrhoea. Its Grahi and Stambhana action makes it a standard ingredient of the women's formulations, and it appears in Ashokarishta and the cooling asavas of this catalogue.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Mochras?
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 Mochras classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Mochras carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Mochras is used medicinally?
The part used is Exudate, Exudate (Gum).
How much Mochras is taken, and how?
Gum powder 1–3 g per day in divided doses, with water, honey or as directed. Usually taken within a compound formulation. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Mochras be avoided?
Well tolerated. Strongly astringent, so may cause constipation with prolonged heavy use. Persistent or unexplained bleeding needs medical investigation, not self-treatment — see a physician first.
Where does Mochras grow?
The silk cotton tree grows throughout India in deciduous forest and along roadsides; the gum is collected from natural wounds and cuts in the trunk in the dry season.
Classical references
- Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Vatadi Varga — Shalmali / Mocharasa
Kashaya rasa, sheeta virya; grahi and raktastambhaka. - Sushruta Samhita — Chikitsasthana — Raktapradara
Used in the management of excessive uterine bleeding.
Safety & precautions
Well tolerated. Strongly astringent, so may cause constipation with prolonged heavy use. Persistent or unexplained bleeding needs medical investigation, not self-treatment — see a physician first.
Where it grows
The silk cotton tree grows throughout India in deciduous forest and along roadsides; the gum is collected from natural wounds and cuts in the trunk in the dry season.
Frequently asked questions
What exactly is Mochras?
The dried gum that exudes from a cut or wound in the trunk of the silk cotton tree. It is not a root, bark or seed.
Can it be used for heavy periods on its own?
Heavy or changed bleeding should be investigated by a physician first. Mochras is used within classical formulations under a Vaidya's direction, not as a self-selected remedy.
