Witnessed by: Ayurveda
Bhutkeshi (Selinum vaginatum), of the Apiaceae family. Alpine Himalayan umbellifer with sheathing leaf-bases and a stout rootstock clothed in dark fibres; native range: the subalpine and alpine Himalaya from Kashmir to Kumaon, on high open slopes and ledges. Globally recognized as bhūtakeśī · murā in Sanskrit, bhutkeshi in Hindi, and Himalayan selinum in English. The part used is root. A dark, fibre-clothed rootstock with a heavy aromatic scent recalling jatamansi, the taste bitter and warm.
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.
BHUTKESHI
IDENTITY
Name
- Common
- bhutkeshi
- Scientific name
- Selinum vaginatum C.B.Clarke
- Family
- Apiaceae
Form
- Part used
- root
PROPERTIES
Nature
Taste
how the plant declares itself on the tongue
- Ayurveda
- bitter (tikta) · pungent (katu)
Temperature
- Ayurveda
- heating (ushna)
PRACTICE
Virtue
Actions
- Ayurveda
- medhya (nervine, strengthens the mind), nidrajanana (brings sleep), apasmaraghna (checks fits), vatahara, dipana
Cautions
- Contraindications
- pitta-predominant and hot conditions
- Toxicity
- no toxicity on record at the customary dose
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