Chitraka Leham – Ingredients, Uses, and Dosage

Chitraka Leham or Chitrakadi Leham is an ayurvedic medicinal preparation in the form of jam. It is used in treating piles/hemorrhoids, skin diseases, splenic disorders, abdominal tumors, enlargement of the abdomen, helps in increasing digestive power, indigestion etc…

Ingredients of Chitraka Leham

Kashaya dravya (material for decoction)

1. Chiraka moola(Plumbago zeylanica) – 1/2 Tula (2.400 kgms)

Madhura Dravya (sweetening substances)

1. Jirna Guda/Oild jaggery (Saccharum officinarum) – 8 pala (384 gms)

Prakshepaka dravya (powders to be added at last) – 8 pala (384 gms)

1. Trikatu
   1. Shunti (Zingiber Officinalis) 
   2. Maricha (Piper nigrum) 
   3. Pippali (Piper longum)
2. Mishi (Anetham graveolens)
3. Pathya (Terminalia chebula)
4. Kusta (Saussurea costus)
5. Musta (Cyperus rotundus)
6. Varanga/Saindhava (rock salt)
7. Krimiripu/Vidanga (Embelia Ribes)
8. Dahana/Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica)
9. Ela (Elettaria cardamomum)

Preparation of Chitraka Leham

Half Tula (4.800 gms) of chitraka mula is taken and crushed into small pieces. This has to be added with one Drona (12.288 liters) of water and boiled to prepare the decoction. Water has to be reduced one-eighth part by boiling and then it is filtered and kept.

To the decoction, eight pala of old jaggery is added and heated till it attains a semisolid in consistency. It should be stirred continuously to avoid getting burnt.

Then the other powders are added and stirred well and can be stored for use.

Indication of Chitraka Leham

1. Arshas (piles/hemorrhoids)
2. Kusta (skin disease)
3. Pleeha (splenic diseases)
4. Gulma (abdominal tumors)
5. Udara ( abdominal enlargement)
6. Prabalati hutasha (increases digestive capacity)

Dosage and adjuvants :

In general, it is advised 5 to 20 gms once or twice in a day or as directed by the physician.

Reference:

1. Ashtanga Hrudaya, Chikitsa Sthana, Arsha Chikitsa 8/153-154