Witnessed by: Ayurveda · Unani
Three-leaved caper (Crataeva nurvala), of the Capparaceae family. Small deciduous tree of trifoliate leaves, often growing by water; native range: Riverbanks across the Indian subcontinent and South-East Asia. Globally recognized as varuna in Sanskrit, barna, barun in Hindi, barna in Arabic, and garlic pear, sacred barna in English. The part used is stem bark. Grey corky bark, bitter and slightly acrid, from a spreading tree with three-part leaves and showy cream-and-purple flowers.
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.
THREE-LEAVED CAPER
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- three-leaved caper
- Scientific name
- Crataeva nurvala Buch.-Ham.
- Family
- Capparaceae
Form
- Part used
- stem bark
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- pungent · bitter · astringent (katu, tikta, kashaya)
- Unani
- pungent · bitter
Temperature
Ayurveda: heating (ushna)
Unani: hot (2nd degree)
convergence: all {witness_count} witnesses call it hot — a warming, obstruction-clearing heat
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- Unani
- kidneys · bladder · spleen · stomach
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- lithotriptic (ashmarighna), diuretic, deobstruent, digestive (dipana) and anti-inflammatory
- Unani
- lithotriptic (mufattit-e-hasat), deobstruent (mufattih-e-sudad) and diuretic (mudirr-e-baul)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- high pitta, hyperacidity and heat states, and active peptic ulcer
- Toxicity
- well tolerated; large doses may irritate the stomach
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