Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda · Unani
Agarwood (Aquilaria malaccensis), of the Thymelaeaceae family. Evergreen tropical tree yielding resin-impregnated heartwood after injury; native range: the rainforests of Southeast Asia and Northeast India (Assam). Globally recognized as agaru / aguru / krishnaguru in Sanskrit, agar in Hindi, chen xiang (沉香) in Chinese, ood hindi (عود هندي) in Arabic, and aloeswood · eaglewood · oud · sinking incense in English. The part used is resinous heartwood (and its distilled oil, oud). Dense dark resin-soaked wood, warmly aromatic and balsamic with a bittersweet pungency, releasing a deep sweet-woody smoke when burnt.
In this cross-tradition database, we analyze how this substance operates across world medicine systems — tracking its traditional tastes, temperatures, tissue affinities, post-digestive effects, and planetary correspondences across Ayurveda, Unani, and Western herbalism.
AGARWOOD
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Agarwood
- Scientific name
- Aquilaria malaccensis Lam.
- Family
- Thymelaeaceae
Form
- Part used
- resinous heartwood (and its distilled oil, oud)
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent · bitter
- Ayurveda
- pungent · bitter (katu , tikta)
- Unani
- pungent · bitter, aromatic
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
- Unani
- hot & dry (2nd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Kidney · Spleen · Stomach
- Unani
- heart · brain · stomach · liver
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- moves qi and alleviates pain, directs rebellious qi downward, warms the Kidney and aids the grasping of qi, warms the middle and stops vomiting
- Ayurveda
- vata-kaphahara, dipana (digestive), hridya (cardiac), vedanasthapana (analgesic), durgandhahara (deodorant), tvachya (for the skin)
- Unani
- mufarreh-e-qalb (cardiac exhilarant), muqawwi-e-dimagh (brain tonic), muqawwi-e-meda (stomach tonic), habis (astringent), kaasir-e-riyah (carminative)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- yin deficiency with heat, and qi deficiency without stagnation (TCM); high pitta and bleeding
- Toxicity
- no notable toxicity in customary dose; the aromatic oil is heating in excess
- Sourcing status
- cites-ii
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