Mono-Herbal Recipes in Vangasena Samhita-A Review

Abstract

Herbal drugs are a major part of Ayurvedic medicine, which is evolved as a system  of practice from ancient period. Brihatrayee and Laghutrayee are today’s available  classical texts. However, literature about Ayurveda has been created before & after  these classical texts. Vangasena Samhita is one of such neglected but valuable text  in between these two literatures. Vangasena Samhita or Chikitsasarasamgraha is  a comprehensive work belongs to 12th century AD by Vangasena. This medical  treatise is often quoted by the names Vangasena samgraha, Vangadatta or  Sarvasiddhantasara. In Vangasena Samhita, it mainly deals with pathology,  description of diseases along with the principles of treatment, different  pharmaceutical preparations, prognosis and dietetics. In this treatise author  contributes many mono-herbal recipes and formulations which are indicated in  various disease conditions. Total herbal preparations in Ayurveda can be of mono herbal (single) or poly-herbal (multiple). Among them single drug herbal recipes  are very effective as well as easy to prepare and which helps in reducing, the over  usage of medicinal plants in preparing the compound formulations. A total of about  371 mono-herbal recipes can be seen in Vangasena Samhita. Some of such single  drugs are Guduci, Pippali, Shunti, Amalaki, Vasa, Haritaki, Shigru, Eranda etc. in  various disease conditions along with their anupana and the mode of administration  in a systematic manner. The review has focused on easily available and easily  applicable herbal remedies.