Witnessed by: TCM · Ayurveda · Unani
Costus (Saussurea costus), of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. Tall stout perennial herb with a thick fusiform aromatic taproot; native range: the high valleys of Kashmir and the western Himalaya, from 2500–4000 m. Globally recognized as kushtha in Sanskrit, kuth / kut in Hindi, mu xiang (木香) in Chinese, qust / qust-e-hindi in Arabic, and costus root, Indian costus, saussurea in English. The part used is root. Hard, greyish, oily root cut in fibrous slices, with a penetrating warm-bitter aroma — violet-like yet animal — that clings to wool and clothes.
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.
COSTUS
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- Costus
- Scientific name
- Saussurea costus (Falc.) Lipsch.
- Family
- Asteraceae (Compositae)
Form
- Part used
- root
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- TCM
- pungent · bitter
- Ayurveda
- dominant: pungent (katu) · bitter (tikta) · then: sweet (madhura)
- Unani
- bitter · pungent
Temperature
- TCM
- warm
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
- Unani
- hot & dry (2nd–3rd degree)
Affinity
where in the body it travels
Organs / channels
- TCM
- Spleen · Stomach · Large Intestine · Gallbladder
- Unani
- stomach · liver · nerves · uterus
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- TCM
- promotes the movement of qi, relieves pain, strengthens the Spleen and stops diarrhoea; a foremost qi-regulator of the middle burner
- Ayurveda
- vata-kaphahara, kushthaghna (skin), kasahara (antitussive), shothahara, vishaghna, vrishya (aphrodisiac)
- Unani
- muharrik (nerve stimulant), mohallil (resolvent), kaasir-e-riyah (carminative), muqawwi-e-bah (aphrodisiac), daf-e-taffun (antiseptic)
Cautions
- Contraindications
- yin deficiency with heat and dryness; high pitta and bleeding tendencies
- Toxicity
- large doses may nauseate; the oil can sensitise the skin
- Sourcing status
- cites-i
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