Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda · Unani
Agarwood (Aquilaria sinensis), of the Thymelaeaceae family. Evergreen tropical tree yielding a resin-saturated heartwood; native range: the monsoon forests of southern China and Indo-Malaysia. Globally recognized as aguru / krimija in Sanskrit, agar in Hindi, chen xiang (沉香) in Chinese, ood / oud (عود) in Arabic, and aloeswood, eaglewood, lign-aloes in English. The part used is the resin-impregnated (diseased) heartwood. Heavy dark-veined wood that sinks in water; nearly scentless cold, but on warming releases a deep, sweet-balsamic, animalic smoke of great persistence.
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 sinensis (Lour.) Spreng.
- Family
- Thymelaeaceae
Form
- Part used
- the resin-impregnated (diseased) heartwood
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent · bitter
- Ayurveda
- pungent (katu) · bitter (tikta)
- Unani
- bitter · aromatic
Temperature
TCM: warm
Ayurveda: heating (ushna)
Unani: hot (2nd degree) & dry
convergence: all {witness_count} witnesses call it a warming, downward-settling aromatic
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Spleen · Stomach · Kidney
- Unani
- heart · brain · stomach
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- promotes the movement of qi and alleviates pain, directs rebellious qi downward to stop vomiting and hiccup, warms the Kidneys and aids their grasping of qi
- Ayurveda
- aromatic dipana, kapha-vata-hara, a fragrant nervine and skin remedy, deodorant and antimicrobial
- Unani
- muqawwi-e-qalb (cardiac tonic), muqawwi-e-dimagh (brain tonic), mufarrih (exhilarant) and hazim (digestive)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- yin-deficient heat and high pitta / heat states; caution in pregnancy
- Toxicity
- very low in ordinary dose; the essential oil is heating and drying in excess
- Sourcing status
- cites-ii
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