Photo: Wang.QG / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0
Prashnaparni पृश्निपर्णी
Uraria picta
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: Uraria picta
- Part used: Whole Plant, Plant
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; decoction 50–100 ml twice daily.
Prashnaparni in other languages
Introduction
Prashnaparni, classically Prishniparni (Uraria picta), is a slender legume of Indian grassland and one of the ten roots of Dashamula. Its name refers to the spotted underside of the leaf.
It is a sweet, gently astringent drug used in fevers, diarrhoea and Vata disorders, and it is the classical partner of Shalparni, with which it is nearly always prescribed.
Classification
Family Fabaceae. The whole plant and root are officinal. Rasa: Madhura, Tikta, Kashaya. Guna: Laghu, Snigdha. Virya: Ushna. Vipaka: Madhura. Doshaghnata: pacifies all three doshas; one of the Laghu Panchamula.
Uses & benefits
Given in fever with debility, in diarrhoea and dysentery, and in Vata disorders with weakness. Classical texts also use it in Raktapitta and in the post-partum period. It is met mainly within Dashamula, where it pairs with Shalparni.
Prishniparni in Dashamula
One of the lesser five roots, contributing a sweet, sustaining quality that balances the sharper roots of the compound.
Prishniparni in fever and diarrhoea
Its combination of sweetness and astringency suits fevers that come with a loose bowel and weakness, where a purely bitter antipyretic would deplete further.
Dosage — how much to take
Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; decoction 50–100 ml twice daily. Usually taken as part of Dashamula.
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 Prashnaparni?
The citations held for Prashnaparni in this catalogue are: Charaka Samhita (Sutrasthana 4 — Laghu Panchamula); Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Guduchyadi Varga — Prishniparni).
What does the Charaka Samhita record about Prashnaparni?
One of the five lesser roots forming half of Dashamula. Reference: Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Laghu Panchamula.
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Prashnaparni?
Madhura-kashaya rasa; tridoshahara, used in jwara and atisara. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Prishniparni.
What is Prashnaparni traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in fever with debility, in diarrhoea and dysentery, and in Vata disorders with weakness. Classical texts also use it in Raktapitta and in the post-partum period. It is met mainly within Dashamula, where it pairs with Shalparni.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Prashnaparni?
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 Prashnaparni classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Prashnaparni carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Prashnaparni is used medicinally?
The part used is Whole Plant, Plant.
How much Prashnaparni is taken, and how?
Whole plant powder 3–6 g per day; decoction 50–100 ml twice daily. Usually taken as part of Dashamula. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Prashnaparni be avoided?
Gentle and well tolerated. Consult a physician in pregnancy. Substitution with other Uraria and Desmodium species is common in trade; confirm the botanical source.
Where does Prashnaparni grow?
A slender herb of open grassland, forest clearings and roadsides across India up to about 1,500 m.
Which classical formulations include Prashnaparni?
Dashamula.
Classical references
- Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Laghu Panchamula
One of the five lesser roots forming half of Dashamula. - Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Prishniparni
Madhura-kashaya rasa; tridoshahara, used in jwara and atisara.
Safety & precautions
Gentle and well tolerated. Consult a physician in pregnancy. Substitution with other Uraria and Desmodium species is common in trade; confirm the botanical source.
Where it grows
A slender herb of open grassland, forest clearings and roadsides across India up to about 1,500 m.
Frequently asked questions
Why is it always mentioned with Shalparni?
The two are the classical pair of the lesser five roots and are prescribed together in nearly every formula that calls for either.
What does the name mean?
Prishniparni refers to the spotted or variegated underside of the leaf, which is one way the plant is identified in the field.
Part of: Dashamula
