Photo: Marie Portas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr
Parpata पर्पट
Fumaria parviflora
Also known as: Pitta Papra, Pitta Papda
Part used: Whole Plant, 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: Fumaria parviflora
- Part used: Whole Plant, Plant
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; as decoction 40–80 ml twice daily; fresh juice 10–20 ml.
Parpata in other languages
Introduction
Parpata (Fumaria parviflora) is a slender annual fumitory that appears in Indian wheat fields through the cool season. The whole plant, bitter and light, is the drug.
It is one of Ayurveda's principal fever herbs, valued because it reduces fever without heating and settles the thirst and burning that accompany it. Classical texts place it first among the Jwaraghna drugs of the Pittaja type.
Classification
Family Papaveraceae (Fumarioideae). The whole plant is officinal. Rasa: Tikta, Kashaya. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha. Virya: Sheeta. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Pitta and Kapha.
Uses & benefits
Given in fever with burning and thirst, in Raktapitta, and where the blood needs cleansing in chronic skin disease. It is a common ingredient of the classical fever decoctions and appears in Ushirasava and Chandanasava in this catalogue.
Parpata in fever
Bitter and cooling, it settles Pittaja Jwara — fever with heat, thirst and restlessness — where a warming antipyretic would make matters worse.
Parpata as a blood cleanser
Its Raktashodhaka action makes it a component of the large blood-purifying decoctions used in chronic skin complaints.
Dosage — how much to take
Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; as decoction 40–80 ml twice daily; fresh juice 10–20 ml.
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 Parpata?
The citations held for Parpata in this catalogue are: Charaka Samhita (Chikitsasthana 3 — Jwara Chikitsa); Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Guduchyadi Varga — Parpata).
What does the Charaka Samhita record about Parpata?
Used in the management of fever with burning and thirst. Reference: Charaka Samhita — Chikitsasthana 3 — Jwara Chikitsa.
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Parpata?
Tikta rasa, sheeta virya; jwaraghna and raktashodhaka. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Parpata.
What is Parpata traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in fever with burning and thirst, in Raktapitta, and where the blood needs cleansing in chronic skin disease. It is a common ingredient of the classical fever decoctions and appears in Ushirasava and Chandanasava in this catalogue.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Parpata?
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 Parpata classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Parpata carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Parpata is used medicinally?
The part used is Whole Plant, Plant.
How much Parpata is taken, and how?
Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; as decoction 40–80 ml twice daily; fresh juice 10–20 ml. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Parpata be avoided?
Well tolerated. Cooling and drying, so not suited to cold, Kapha conditions or to prolonged use in those with weak digestion. Consult a physician in pregnancy.
Where does Parpata grow?
A cool-season weed of cultivated fields and waste ground across northern and central India, appearing with the winter crop and dying back before summer.
Classical references
- Charaka Samhita — Chikitsasthana 3 — Jwara Chikitsa
Used in the management of fever with burning and thirst. - Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Parpata
Tikta rasa, sheeta virya; jwaraghna and raktashodhaka.
Safety & precautions
Well tolerated. Cooling and drying, so not suited to cold, Kapha conditions or to prolonged use in those with weak digestion. Consult a physician in pregnancy.
Where it grows
A cool-season weed of cultivated fields and waste ground across northern and central India, appearing with the winter crop and dying back before summer.
Frequently asked questions
Is Parpata the same as Pitta Papda?
Yes — Pitta Papda and Parpata are the same drug, Fumaria parviflora. The sheet in this catalogue uses both spellings.
When is Parpata preferred over other fever herbs?
Where the fever is hot and dry with thirst and burning. For fevers with heaviness and congestion, warmer drugs such as Guduchi or Trikatu are usually chosen instead.
