Witnessed by: Ayurveda · Unani
Indian Birthwort (Aristolochia indica), of the Aristolochiaceae family. Slender twining perennial climber with heart-shaped leaves and curious pipe-shaped, purplish-green flowers; native range: India and Sri Lanka, in hedges, thickets and wasteland across the plains. Globally recognized as ishvari / ishwarmuli in Sanskrit, isarmul in Hindi, zarawand hindi in Arabic, and Indian birthwort, Indian snakeroot in English. The part used is root, whole plant. Root thin, wiry, intensely bitter and acrid, faintly aromatic.
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.
INDIAN BIRTHWORT
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Indian Birthwort
- Scientific name
- Aristolochia indica L.
- Family
- Aristolochiaceae
Form
- Part used
- root, whole plant
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- bitter · pungent (tikta, katu)
- Unani
- bitter · acrid
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
- Unani
- hot & dry (3rd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Unani
- stomach · uterus · intestines
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- vishaghna (antitoxic/antidote), jvaraghna (antipyretic, antiperiodic), garbhashaya-sankochaka (uterine stimulant), krimighna (anthelmintic), vranashodhana (wound-cleansing)
- Unani
- dafi-samm (antidote to poison), musaffi-khoon (blood purifier), mudirr-hayd (emmenagogue), jali (detergent, wound-cleansing)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- pregnancy, except under strict practitioner control to expel a retained placenta; not for prolonged or unsupervised internal use
- Toxicity
- the plant contains aristolochic acid, a potent nephrotoxin and confirmed human carcinogen, linked to aristolochic acid nephropathy and urothelial cancer; its classical internal use is now regarded as unsafe by modern standards, and the species is banned or restricted in many countries
- Sourcing status
- legally-restricted
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