Photo: Henry G. Gilbert Nursery and Seed Trade Catalog Collection.; Peter Henderson & Co. / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Mudgaparni मुद्गपर्णी
Phaseolus trilobus
Part used: Fruit, Whole 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: Phaseolus trilobus
- Part used: Fruit, Whole Plant
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; decoction 50–100 ml twice daily.
Mudgaparni in other languages
Introduction
Mudgaparni (Phaseolus trilobus) is the wild moong, a small trailing legume of Indian grassland whose leaf resembles that of the cultivated mung bean — the source of its name.
It belongs to the Jivaniya group and is one of the pair Mudgaparni-Mashaparni, sweet cooling drugs used together in fevers with burning and in convalescence.
Classification
Family Fabaceae. The whole plant is officinal. Rasa: Madhura, Kashaya. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha. Virya: Sheeta. Vipaka: Madhura. Doshaghnata: pacifies Pitta and Kapha.
Uses & benefits
Given in fever with burning, in thirst and in general debility after illness, and in Raktapitta. It is a component of the classical Jivaniya and Vidarigandhadi groups, and appears in Mahamash Tel and the Dashamula-based preparations of this catalogue.
Mudgaparni in fever and burning
Sweet and cooling, it settles Pitta in fevers with heat and thirst without the heaviness of a full tonic.
Mudgaparni as a Jivaniya drug
Part of Charaka's life-sustaining group, used in the recovery period where the patient is depleted but cannot yet take heavy nourishment.
Dosage — how much to take
Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; decoction 50–100 ml twice daily. Usually taken within a compound.
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 Mudgaparni?
The citations held for Mudgaparni in this catalogue are: Charaka Samhita (Sutrasthana 4 — Jivaniya group); Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Guduchyadi Varga — Mudgaparni).
What does the Charaka Samhita record about Mudgaparni?
Among the life-sustaining drugs, paired with Mashaparni. Reference: Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Jivaniya group.
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Mudgaparni?
Madhura rasa, sheeta virya; used in jwara and daurbalya. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Mudgaparni.
What is Mudgaparni traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in fever with burning, in thirst and in general debility after illness, and in Raktapitta. It is a component of the classical Jivaniya and Vidarigandhadi groups, and appears in Mahamash Tel and the Dashamula-based preparations of this catalogue.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Mudgaparni?
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 Mudgaparni classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Mudgaparni carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Mudgaparni is used medicinally?
The part used is Fruit, Whole Plant.
How much Mudgaparni is taken, and how?
Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; decoction 50–100 ml twice daily. Usually taken within a compound. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Mudgaparni be avoided?
Gentle and well tolerated. Being sweet and cooling it suits Pitta conditions better than heavy Kapha ones. Trade material is sometimes substituted with other Phaseolus species; confirm the botanical source.
Where does Mudgaparni grow?
A trailing herb of grassland, field margins and open scrub across the plains of India, appearing with the monsoon.
Classical references
- Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Jivaniya group
Among the life-sustaining drugs, paired with Mashaparni. - Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Mudgaparni
Madhura rasa, sheeta virya; used in jwara and daurbalya.
Safety & precautions
Gentle and well tolerated. Being sweet and cooling it suits Pitta conditions better than heavy Kapha ones. Trade material is sometimes substituted with other Phaseolus species; confirm the botanical source.
Where it grows
A trailing herb of grassland, field margins and open scrub across the plains of India, appearing with the monsoon.
Frequently asked questions
Is Mudgaparni the same as mung bean?
No. It is a wild relative whose leaf resembles the mung bean, which is where the name comes from. The medicinal drug is the whole wild plant, not the cultivated pulse.
Why is it always paired with Mashaparni?
The two are treated as a couple in the classical groups — similar sweet, cooling, sustaining action — and formulae generally call for both together.
