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Vidari विदारी
Pueraria tuberosa
Also known as: Vidari Kand, Bidari Kand
Part used: Root Tuber, Root, Tuber
| Rasa (taste) | Madhura (Sweet) |
|---|---|
| Guna (qualities) | Guru (Heavy), Snigdha (Unctuous) |
| Virya (potency) | Sheeta (Cold) |
| Vipaka | Madhura (Sweet) |
| Dosha | Balances Pitta & Vata |
Key takeaways
- Botanical name: Pueraria tuberosa
- Part used: Root Tuber, Root, Tuber
- Dosha action: Balances Pitta & Vata
- Typical dose: Tuber powder 3–6 g twice daily with milk; fresh juice 10–20 ml.
Vidari in other languages
Introduction
Vidari, or Vidarikanda (Pueraria tuberosa), is the Indian kudzu — a large woody climber with a heavy starchy tuber that can weigh several kilograms. The tuber is sweet, cool and moistening.
Ayurveda classes it as a Brimhana and Vrishya drug: one that builds tissue and restores strength after depletion. It appears in the Jivaniya and Balya groups and in the classical Vajikarana and lactation formulae.
Classification
Family Fabaceae. The tuberous root is the officinal part. Rasa: Madhura. Guna: Guru, Snigdha. Virya: Sheeta. Vipaka: Madhura. Doshaghnata: pacifies Vata and Pitta; may increase Kapha.
Uses & benefits
Given in emaciation, convalescence and general debility, and where dryness and heat have depleted the tissues. Classically a Stanyajanana drug, promoting breast milk, and a Vrishya drug used in the Vajikarana compounds. In this catalogue it appears in Mahamash Tel and Laxmivilas Ras as the nourishing counterweight to sharper ingredients.
Vidari as a Brimhana drug
Sweet, heavy and cooling, it is used to rebuild after illness, fever or overwork, particularly where the patient is thin, dry and hot.
Vidari for lactation and vigour
Classical texts list it among the Stanyajanana drugs and in the Vajikarana group; both uses rest on the same nourishing, moistening quality.
Dosage — how much to take
Tuber powder 3–6 g twice daily with milk; fresh juice 10–20 ml. Milk is the traditional vehicle and reinforces the drug's action.
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 Vidari?
The citations held for Vidari in this catalogue are: Charaka Samhita (Sutrasthana 4 — Balya and Brimhaniya groups); Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Guduchyadi Varga — Vidari).
What does the Charaka Samhita record about Vidari?
Among drugs giving strength and building tissue. Reference: Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Balya and Brimhaniya groups.
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Vidari?
Madhura rasa, sheeta virya, madhura vipaka; vrishya. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Vidari.
What is Vidari traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in emaciation, convalescence and general debility, and where dryness and heat have depleted the tissues. Classically a Stanyajanana drug, promoting breast milk, and a Vrishya drug used in the Vajikarana compounds. In this catalogue it appears in Mahamash Tel and Laxmivilas Ras as the nourishing counterweight to sharper ingredients.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Vidari?
Rasa Madhura (Sweet), Guna Guru (Heavy), Snigdha (Unctuous), Virya Sheeta (Cold), Vipaka Madhura (Sweet). Dosha action: Balances Pitta & Vata.
Why is Vidari classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Vidari carries Sheeta (Cold) virya and Madhura (Sweet) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Pitta & Vata.
Which part of Vidari is used medicinally?
The part used is Root Tuber, Root, Tuber.
How much Vidari is taken, and how?
Tuber powder 3–6 g twice daily with milk; fresh juice 10–20 ml. Milk is the traditional vehicle and reinforces the drug's action. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Vidari be avoided?
Heavy and sweet — may aggravate Kapha, and is not suited to those with sluggish digestion, obesity or high ama. Diabetics should note the starch content and take it only under supervision. Otherwise well tolerated.
Where does Vidari grow?
A large climber of forest edges and hill slopes across India, common in the sub-Himalayan tract, central India and the Western Ghats. Tubers are dug in the dry season.
Classical references
- Charaka Samhita — Sutrasthana 4 — Balya and Brimhaniya groups
Among drugs giving strength and building tissue. - Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Vidari
Madhura rasa, sheeta virya, madhura vipaka; vrishya. - Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Vol. II — Monograph 76, Vidari (Tub.Rt.), "Properties and Action", PDF p. 195
Source of the Rasa, Guna, Virya and Vipaka shown on this page (Official pharmacopoeia).
Safety & precautions
Heavy and sweet — may aggravate Kapha, and is not suited to those with sluggish digestion, obesity or high ama. Diabetics should note the starch content and take it only under supervision. Otherwise well tolerated.
Where it grows
A large climber of forest edges and hill slopes across India, common in the sub-Himalayan tract, central India and the Western Ghats. Tubers are dug in the dry season.
Frequently asked questions
Is Vidari the same as Vidarikanda?
Yes — the names are used interchangeably for the tuber of Pueraria tuberosa. Some texts substitute Ipomoea species, which is why the botanical name matters on a label.
How is Vidari usually taken?
As a powder with warm milk, which suits its sweet, nourishing character. It is generally taken over several weeks rather than briefly.
In the Ayurvedic Formulary: Ashwagandharishta Mahamasha Taila Saraswatarishta
