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Vat ke वट के कोपल
Calamus rotang
Also known as: Vat ke Copal
Part used: Wood
| 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: Calamus rotang
- Part used: Wood
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: As part of the compound formulation in which it appears; independent dosing is not well established.
Vat ke in other languages
Introduction
Vat Ke Copal is given in the manufacturing sheet as Calamus rotang — the rattan palm, a spiny climbing palm of Indian and South-East Asian forest better known as the source of cane furniture.
Its use in Ayurveda is limited. The tender shoot and wood are described as cooling and astringent, used in fever, bleeding and skin complaints. The name in the sheet suggests a tender shoot or bud.
Classification
Family Arecaceae. The wood and tender shoot are the parts indicated. Rasa: Kashaya, Tikta. Guna: Laghu, Ruksha. Virya: Sheeta. Vipaka: Katu. Doshaghnata: pacifies Pitta and Kapha.
Uses & benefits
Used in fevers with burning, in bleeding disorders and in chronic skin complaints, and applied externally to inflamed skin. In this catalogue it appears in Nasht Pushpantak Ras.
Vetra as a cooling astringent
Its astringent, cooling character places it with the drugs used in Pitta conditions with heat and bleeding.
A minor classical drug
Rattan has a small place in the classical materia medica compared with its economic importance as cane, and its therapeutic record is correspondingly thin.
Dosage — how much to take
As part of the compound formulation in which it appears; independent dosing is not well established.
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 Vat ke?
The citations held for Vat ke in this catalogue are: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Vatadi Varga — Vetra).
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Vat ke?
Kashaya rasa, sheeta virya; a minor entry among the astringent drugs. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Vatadi Varga — Vetra.
What is Vat ke traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Used in fevers with burning, in bleeding disorders and in chronic skin complaints, and applied externally to inflamed skin. In this catalogue it appears in Nasht Pushpantak Ras.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Vat ke?
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 Vat ke classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Vat ke carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Vat ke is used medicinally?
The part used is Wood.
How much Vat ke is taken, and how?
As part of the compound formulation in which it appears; independent dosing is not well established. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Vat ke be avoided?
Little used as a single drug and with a limited safety record, so it is best taken only within a finished formulation from a licensed manufacturer. The plant is fiercely spiny — fresh material is handled with care. Consult a physician in pregnancy.
Where does Vat ke grow?
A climbing palm of moist forest in the Western Ghats, eastern India and South-East Asia, harvested chiefly for cane.
Classical references
- Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Vatadi Varga — Vetra
Kashaya rasa, sheeta virya; a minor entry among the astringent drugs. - Regional practice — Limited classical record
Rattan has a small therapeutic literature relative to its economic use; claims here are kept correspondingly modest.
Safety & precautions
Little used as a single drug and with a limited safety record, so it is best taken only within a finished formulation from a licensed manufacturer. The plant is fiercely spiny — fresh material is handled with care. Consult a physician in pregnancy.
Where it grows
A climbing palm of moist forest in the Western Ghats, eastern India and South-East Asia, harvested chiefly for cane.
Frequently asked questions
Is this the cane used for furniture?
The same genus. Calamus rotang is a rattan palm, harvested mainly for cane; its medicinal use is minor and local.
Why is the entry brief?
Because the classical literature on it is brief. We would rather keep the page modest than pad it with claims the texts do not support.