It is tall about 6-12 feet, multi branch bushy plant and is covered with very fine hair. The bark of stem is thin and the leaf stalk is long and 3-5 leaves grow at its tip. The edges of the leaves are plain or serrated. The flowers are small in 2-3 inch long inflorescence and are blue or white with purple tint. The fruits are small, round, and of mixed color white and black. The bark of the root is green outside and yellow inside.
Flowering stage begins during summers and rains (June-August) and Fruits during cold season (December).
Nirgundi is a Sanskrit word literally means which protects the body from ailments. It is potent herb which is used in various ailments. It is obtained from an aromatic shrub called Vitex negundo which has bitter, pungent, astringent taste, rose colored flowers and small brown fruits that are used for medicinal purpose.
It is a multipurpose and versatile herb which is used for external application in form of oil, ointment as well as for oral administration in form of powder, leaf juice extract or water decoction. It has analgesic, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. It is useful in the treatment of fever, arthritis, headaches, swelling, digestion problems, and mouth related problems.
Based on flower types, there are two varieties of this plant – blue and white flowered. Blue flowered plant is called nirgundi (Vitex negundo), but the white flowered plant is called siduwar (Vitex trifolia).
The main chemical constituents found in nirgundi are phenol, dulcitol, alkaloid- vitricine, B-sitosterol, camphene, orientin, arteemetin, onoterpens, anguside eurostoside and aucubin are the main components of nirgundi. It also contains flavonoids, casticin, chryso-splenol and vitexin which in turn contains chysoplenol D. It is known for anti-histamine properties and muscle relaxant. It acts as a mild topical analgesic and helps in inducing natural sound sleep.
It is native to tropical Eastern and Southern Africa and Asia. Countries it is indigenous to include Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Kenya, Madagascar, Malaysia, Mozambique, Myanmar, Nepal, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, and Vietnam.
Hindi / Sanskrit |
English |
||
Rasa |
Tikta, Katu |
Taste |
Bitter, Pungent |
Guna |
Laghu, Rooksha |
Physical Property |
Light, Dry |
Virya |
Ushna |
Potency |
Hot |
Vipaka |
Katu |
Metabolic Property (After Digestion) |
Pungent |
It helps to balance vata and kapha doshas.
Charak Samhita |
Sushruta Samhita |
Vagbhata |
· Vishaghna - Anti-poisonous group of herbs · Krimighna - Anti-helminthic group of herbs |
· Surasadi |
· Surasadi |
The Bhavprakash nighantu, edition of 2010: verse 113-115, page no-344-346.
This shalok states that Sambhalu and Sindhuvara are the names of nirgundi. Sambhalu is of two types- white flowers and blue flowers sambhalu. Sanskrit names of white flowers are sndhuvara, sindhuk, sindhuvarak. Blue flowers sambhalu are known as nirgundi, shephali and suvaha in Sanskrit.
White flowers are bitter and pungent in taste and light and dry in nature. It is good for eyes and hair. It is useful in abdominal pain, manages ama, useful in intestinal worm infestation (krumi), useful in skin diseases, eczema, ring worm (kustha), useful in anorexia (aaruchi), and in fever (jwar).
Its leaves are useful in intestinal worm infestation (krumi) and balances vata and kapha doshas and are light in nature.
The Bhavprakash nighantu with elaborated Hindi commentary by Padmashri prof. K. C. Chunekar, edited by Dr. G. S. Pandey: edition of 1998: verse 113-115, page no-344-346.