Photo: Unknown Indian artist / Wikimedia Commons, Public domain
Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) विधारा
Argyreia speciosa
Part used: Root
| 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: Argyreia speciosa
- Part used: Root
- Dosha action: Balances Kapha & Vata
- Typical dose: Root powder 3–6 g per day with milk; usually taken over extended courses within a compound.
Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) in other languages
Introduction
Vidhara (Argyreia speciosa), the elephant creeper, is a large climber with broad silvery-backed leaves and purple trumpet flowers. Its root is the drug.
Ayurveda classes it as a Vrishya and Balya Rasayana, used in Vata disorders with weakness and in the Vajikarana group. It is warming and strengthening rather than cooling and nourishing.
Classification
Family Convolvulaceae. The root is the officinal part; the leaf is used externally. Rasa: Madhura, Tikta, Kashaya. Guna: Guru, Snigdha. Virya: Ushna. Vipaka: Madhura. Doshaghnata: pacifies Vata and Kapha.
Uses & benefits
Given in Vata disorders with pain and weakness — arthritis, sciatica and lumbar pain — and as a Vrishya drug in the Vajikarana formulations. Classical texts also list it in obesity and oedema. The leaf is applied externally as a poultice for local swelling and wounds.
Vidhara for Vata and the joints
Warming and strengthening, it is used where joint pain comes with weakness rather than heat, and appears in the classical Vata formulations.
Vidhara as a Vajikarana drug
Classical texts place it among the Vrishya drugs used in the Vajikarana preparations, where it is valued for its Balya rather than purely stimulant action.
Dosage — how much to take
Root powder 3–6 g per day with milk; usually taken over extended courses within a compound.
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 Vriddhadaru (Vidhara)?
The citations held for Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) in this catalogue are: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu (Guduchyadi Varga — Vriddhadaru).
What does the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu record about Vriddhadaru (Vidhara)?
Madhura-tikta rasa, ushna virya; vrishya and balya. Reference: Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Vriddhadaru.
What is Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) traditionally used for in Ayurveda?
Given in Vata disorders with pain and weakness — arthritis, sciatica and lumbar pain — and as a Vrishya drug in the Vajikarana formulations. Classical texts also list it in obesity and oedema. The leaf is applied externally as a poultice for local swelling and wounds.
What are the Ayurvedic properties of Vriddhadaru (Vidhara)?
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 Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) classified the way it is?
In dravya-guna a drug's dosha action follows from its taste, qualities, potency and post-digestive effect. Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) carries Ushna (Hot) virya and Katu (Pungent) vipaka, which together give the recorded action: Balances Kapha & Vata.
Which part of Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) is used medicinally?
The part used is Root.
How much Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) is taken, and how?
Root powder 3–6 g per day with milk; usually taken over extended courses within a compound. Dosage varies with age, constitution and condition — confirm it with a qualified Vaidya.
When should Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) be avoided?
Well tolerated at classical doses. Heating; may aggravate Pitta in excess. Avoid in pregnancy. Argyreia seeds contain psychoactive alkaloids and are not the medicinal part — the root is what these formulations use.
Where does Vriddhadaru (Vidhara) grow?
A large climber of forest edges and scrub across India, common in the Western Ghats, central India and the sub-Himalayan tract.
Classical references
- Bhavaprakasha Nighantu — Guduchyadi Varga — Vriddhadaru
Madhura-tikta rasa, ushna virya; vrishya and balya. - Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India — Part I — Vriddhadaru
Root of Argyreia speciosa (syn. A. nervosa); identity and dose.
Safety & precautions
Well tolerated at classical doses. Heating; may aggravate Pitta in excess. Avoid in pregnancy. Argyreia seeds contain psychoactive alkaloids and are not the medicinal part — the root is what these formulations use.
Where it grows
A large climber of forest edges and scrub across India, common in the Western Ghats, central India and the sub-Himalayan tract.
Frequently asked questions
Are the seeds used?
No. The medicinal part is the root. Argyreia seeds contain psychoactive alkaloids and have no place in these preparations.
Is Vidhara the same as Vidari?
No, though the names look alike. Vidhara is Argyreia speciosa, a warming Vata drug; Vidari is Pueraria tuberosa, a sweet cooling tuber. This site keeps separate pages for each.
