Photo: George Chernilevsky / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Soya सोया
Anethum sowa
Also known as: Dill
Part used: Fruit
| 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: Anethum sowa
- Part used: Fruit
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Fruit powder 1–3 g per day; decoction 40–60 ml.
Soya in other languages
Introduction
Soya (Anethum sowa) is Indian dill, a feathery annual whose small ridged fruits carry a warm caraway-like aroma. It is Shatapushpa in the classical texts — 'the hundred-flowered'.
Ayurveda uses it as a digestive and a uterine drug: given for colic and wind, and after childbirth to clear the uterus and restore digestion.
Classification
Family Apiaceae. The dried fruit is officinal; the leaf is used as a vegetable. Rasa: Katu, Tikta. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha, Tikshna. Virya: Ushna. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Kapha and Vata.
Uses & benefits
Given in abdominal distension, colic and poor appetite, and in infant colic in very small quantity. Classical texts use it as an Artavajanana and Garbhashaya-shodhana drug, given after delivery, and in painful or scanty menstruation. It appears in Maha Narayan Tel among the warming ingredients.
Soya for wind and colic
A warming carminative used for distension and griping pain, traditionally taken as a decoction or with warm water after food.
Soya after childbirth
Classically given in the post-partum period to clear the uterus and rekindle digestion, often alongside ajwain and fenugreek.
Dosage — how much to take
Fruit powder 1–3 g per day; decoction 40–60 ml. Culinary use of the leaf is unrestricted.
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 Soya?
The citations held for Soya in this catalogue are: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Haritakyadi Varga — Shatapushpa).
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Soya?
Katu-tikta rasa, ushna virya; deepana and artavajanana. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Haritakyadi Varga — Shatapushpa.
What is Soya traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in abdominal distension, colic and poor appetite, and in infant colic in very small quantity. Classical texts use it as an Artavajanana and Garbhashaya-shodhana drug, given after delivery, and in painful or scanty menstruation. It appears in Maha Narayan Tel among the warming ingredients.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Soya?
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 Soya classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Soya carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Soya is used medicinally?
The part used is Fruit.
How much Soya is taken, and how?
Fruit powder 1–3 g per day; decoction 40–60 ml. Culinary use of the leaf is unrestricted. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Soya be avoided?
Heating; may aggravate Pitta in excess. Because of its classical uterine action, medicinal doses are avoided during pregnancy — culinary use of the leaf is not a concern. Distinguish from European dill (Anethum graveolens), a closely related but distinct drug.
Where does Soya grow?
Cultivated across India as a cool-season crop, particularly in Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Classical references
- Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Haritakyadi Varga — Shatapushpa
Katu-tikta rasa, ushna virya; deepana and artavajanana. - Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India — Part I — Shatapushpa
Fruit of Anethum sowa; identity and dose.
Safety & precautions
Heating; may aggravate Pitta in excess. Because of its classical uterine action, medicinal doses are avoided during pregnancy — culinary use of the leaf is not a concern. Distinguish from European dill (Anethum graveolens), a closely related but distinct drug.
Where it grows
Cultivated across India as a cool-season crop, particularly in Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh.
Frequently asked questions
Is Soya the same as soya bean?
No — no relation at all. Soya here is the Hindi name for dill, Anethum sowa, an umbelliferous herb. The soya bean is Glycine max, a legume.
Can it be taken in pregnancy?
Culinary use of the leaf is ordinary food. Medicinal doses of the seed are avoided in pregnancy because of the drug's classical uterine action.
