Bhringaraaja or Eclipta alba, the plant of the daisy and sunflower family is known popularly as the false daisy as its flower resembles that of a daisy. Employed wisely as a natural hair dye and a remedy for grey hair it is said to impart the hair with the rich black color of the king of bees, the large black bee.
Hence the name; Bhringa is a bee and Raja is king. Eclipta in Greek means deficient and the genus acquired the name due to the absence of bristles and awns on the fruits. A potent rejuvenative, liver protective and hair colorant Bhringaraaja is capable of rejuvenating deep characters and sensory powers like memory, hair, teeth, bones, vision, and hearing. The plant which grows as a common weed in the marshy and wetlands is used as a snake poison antidote in countries like China and Brazil.
It is called Markava, Bhringa, Bhringaara, Angaaraka, Kesharanjana, Kesharaja, and Mahaneela because of its hair colorant properties. It is called Sooryavarta and Pithrupriya because of its intimate relationship with the cycle of the sun.
Ayurveda textbook of herbs Rajanighantu has detailed three varieties of Bhringaraaja white (Eclipta alba), yellow (Wedelia calendulacea), and black (Eclipta prostrata). The plant which oozes a black juice on crushing the leaves owes its hair coloring capability to the jet black extract.
Bhringaraaja, along with Neelini (indigo-Indigofera tinctoria) supported by henna, amla, sesame, and coconut complete the magical potion for general hair growth and nutrition. Bhringaraaja is known to enhance the basal metabolic rate and liver metabolism are rare attributes that make the herb a sure hepato-protective and blood purifier and hence is being used for centuries by Ayurveda physicians to treat catarrhal jaundice.
Bhringaraaja, true to its name is always as busy as a bee trying to keep the house it enters in perfect order and working condition.
BHRINGARAAJA Ложная маргаритка-The Botany
Classification: Latin Name: Eclipta alba Family: Asteraceae
Plant Description: Horizontally spreading and node rooting horizontally creeping annual herb, erect or prostrate Bhringaraaja grows to a length of about 3 m. The plant is multi-branched and the branches are green, delicate, and hairy with intermittent nodes from where greyish roots develop and anchor the plant to the soil.
Leaves are opposite, sessile, and lance-shaped. White-colored, solitary, winged, round-shaped 6-8 mm flowers with long stalks are placed on short, flat, and rounded stems. The flowers mature to develop fat green button-like seeds which turn black on drying.
Habitat and Propagation: The plant grows as a weed in wetlands, paddy fields, and marshes up to a height of 6000MSL. The plant is a native of India and Southwest America and is also found in tropical and sub-tropical regions including China and Southeast Asia.
Propagation is by vegetative means through rooting of the stem nodes. Dispersal of seeds and the germination of seeds in red loose wet loamy soil also help to grow new plants.
Useful Parts: The whole plants are the most useful part of the plant. Seeds and seed oil are also used for cosmetic, culinary, and medicinal purposes.
Important Chemical Constituents: The main active ingredient is eclitine. The herb also contains wedololactone, amyrin, heptacosanol, hentriacontanol and stigmasterol. Ecliptic, wedelolactone, des-methyl wedelolactone, stigmasterol, heptacosanol, hentriacontanol, and sixteen polyacetylene thiophenes are found in the leaves of Eclipta alba.
BHRINGARAAJA Ложная маргаритка and Ayurveda
Qualitative Analysis: Ayurveda classifies and categories drugs on a qualitative basis, after analyzing the Rasapanchakas or the five quality attributes viz. rasa (taste), guna (property), vipaaka (final transformation of quality after primary and secondary digestion) veerya (potency) and prabhaava (unexplainable special quality).
The rasapanchaka of Bhringaraaja are:
Rasa: Katu (pungent) and Thiktha (bitter)
Guna: Rooksha (dry) and Laghu (light)
Vipaaka: Katu (pungent)
Veerya: Ushna (hot and thermal)
Prabhaava: Kesharanjana (hair colorant) and Yakrutposhana (hepato-protective)
Dosha Action and Therapeutic Usage: The dosha action is on the kapha and vaata doshas. It mainly acts to relieve the overlapping and enveloping of the kapha and vaata doshas mutually and together or singularly of the pitha dosha. This overlapping and enveloping is known in Ayurveda as Aavarana or obstruction. Bhringaraaja is very effective in removing obstructions or aavrutha doshas.
The pungent and bitter tastes, the dryness and lightness, the hot potency, and the pungent post-digestive conversion balance Kapha Dosha while the hot potency balances Vaata. Thus Bhringaraaja balances Kapha and Vaata Doshas.
Improves hair color and quality stimulates the liver and digestive system, improves the visual clarity and clears tear gland obstructions, improves the strength of teeth, de-congests the respiratory mucosa, inhibits the intestinal environment for worm infestation, creates an anti-microbial environment in chronic wounds, purifies the blood and improves skin quality, acts as an anti-inflammatory, analgesic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-poisonous and anti-toxic. It also acts as an aphrodisiac and a rejuvenative.
Diseases and Formulations: Bhringaraaja is used in the treatment of premature greying, hair fall, dandruff and other hair issues, headaches, sinusitis, eye diseases, ear infections, dental caries, catarrhal jaundice, all types of hepatitis, anemia, cold, cough, asthma, COPD, worm infestations, gangrene, chronic ulcers, skin diseases, elephantiasis, painful swellings, and lymphadenopathies.
A few formulations with Bhringaraaja are Bhringaraaja Rasa, Bhringaraajaadi Choornam, Bhringaraaja Beeja choornam, Mahamanjishtaadi Kashaayam, Bhringaraajaasavam, Bhrigaamalakaadi Thailam, Neelibhringaadi Thailam and a host of hair oils.
Dosage, Contra-indications, Side effects, and Purificatory Process
The fresh juice dosage is 5-10 ml twice daily. The pediatric dosage of the powder is 250 mg and the adult dosage is 3 to 6 g per day in divided doses. The adjuvant is honey, milk, ghee, or any other prescribed formulations. Intake of Bhringaraaja should be strictly under medical supervision.
Bhringaraaja is considered to be one of the safe herbs and there are no major contraindications. However long-term usage may cause side effects so also excessive and improper dosage and timings.
Swelling of the dependent parts like feet and face is seen in excessive dosage.
Bhringaraaja a few home remedies
Fresh juice of Bhringaraaja is mixed with henna and applied as a natural hair dye. In children with liver diseases and anemia, fresh juice is given on empty stomach for 45 days continuously. A strict bland diet of milk and cereals is advised during the course.
In severe cases of worm infestation, Bhringaraaja juice is processed with castor oil, and 5 ml of this oil is given daily for three weeks. The seeds are boiled with 200ml of milk and used as an aphrodisiac.
The paste of the plant is used to reduce swellings in conditions like filariasis and mumps. The juice or the powder is given regularly in cases of catarrhal jaundice. Head massage with Bhringaraaja oil regularly helps in promoting hair health, quality, volume, and color.
Bhringaraaja juice is mixed with Triphala ash and applied on hair loss spots (alopecia) after a massage with a teakwood leaf or any other non-toxic rough-surfaced leaf.
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