Shalaparni
The root of a small shrub whose leaves resemble the sal tree's. Shalaparni is the first of the five small-plant roots of dashamoola.
- Settles Vata
- Settles Pitta
- Settles Kapha
How Ayurveda reads shalaparni
- Rasa · taste
- Sweet, bitter (madhura, tikta)
- Guṇa · nature
- Heavy, unctuous (guru, snigdha)
- Vīrya · potency
- Heating (uṣṇa)
- Vipāka · after digestion
- Sweet (madhura)
- Part used
- Root
Reviewed by the Vapika team.
In the tradition
Śāla-parṇī, "sal-leaf", for leaves shaped like those of the sal tree. Its other name Sthirā, "the steady one", appears in Caraka's list of vayaḥsthāpana herbs, those that sustain youth.
Shalaparni is one of the lesser five roots (laghu pañcamūla) of dashamoola, and is paired with prishnaparni in many formulas.
How Ayurveda reads it
Shalaparni is sweet and bitter, heavy and unctuous, heating and sweet after digestion. It is described as settling all three doshas.
How we use it
We use dried shalaparni root as one of the ten in our Dashmoola Kwath.
Shalaparni in our blends
From the texts: Caraka Saṃhitā, Sūtrasthāna 4 (in the daśamūla and among the vayaḥsthāpana as sthirā); Suśruta Saṃhitā, Sūtrasthāna 38 (laghu pañcamūla); Bhāvaprakāśa Nighaṇṭu, Guḍūcyādi varga.
For learning, not diagnosis. If you are pregnant, nursing or on medication, please speak to your doctor first.