Medicinal Herbs of Chhattisgarh, India having less known traditional uses. XXXXX. Sudarshan (Crinum asiaticum, family : Amaryllidaceae)

Research Note - Pankaj Oudhia
© 2001,2002,2003 Pankaj Oudhia - All Rights Reserved

The traditional healers of Chhattisgarh use this herb in treatment of Renal Calculi (Pathri). The leaves are used for this purpose. The healers of southern Chhattisgarh use the herb internally as blood purifier. According to the traditional healers, this herb is a boon for the patients having the problem of skin. Its internal use flushes out the toxic material from the body. It is also used to remove bad odour from urine. The traditional healer of Chhattisgarh plains use the herb as aphrodisiac in combination with other herbs. The healers of Bagbahera region use the herb externally for herbal bath. The decoction is prepared and patients having skin diseases are advised to take bath with this decoction. The decoction is also considered effective in control of lice and dandruff in hair. For the natives, Sudarshan is an ornamental herb. They plant it in home gardens for its beautiful flowers. Many natives are aware of its medicinal properties and uses but they know that over dose of this herb specially the roots can cause great harms. That is why they use it under supervision of traditional healers.

During my ethnobotanical surveys in different parts of Chhattisgarh, I have seen it in forests. But according to the botanists, it is escape from home gardens. Many healers claim that it naturally grows in dense forests. As medicinal herb, it is not in the list of non-wood forest produces having regular demand in national and international drug markets. Very few healers use Sudarshan in their routine practices. They collect it from wild to fulfil their requirement. For the organic growers of Chhattisgarh, Sudarshan is a valuable herb. They use the leaf extract to repel away the harmful insects from crop fields. The innovative herb growers are also using this herb in commercial cultivation of Indian medicinal and aromatic crops. I am giving the details regarding its botany and reported medicinal uses, I have noted from reference literatuers. Botanically, it is a herb with tunicated bulb; Bulb 5-10 cm (even more) in diameter, narrowed into a neck clothed with leaf. Sheaths; Leaves 20-30, thin, linear lanceolate, flat, with a sheathing base, bright green, scope upto 90cm; Flower 15-50 in an umbel, white, fragrant at night; Perianth tube greenish white, cylindric, Fruits sub-globose, beaked, seed one (rarely two). Sudarshan holds a reputed position as medicinal herb in different systems of medicine in India. According to Ayurveda, it is pungently bitter, heating, vulnerary, laxative, carminatie, antipyretic, anthelmintic and useful in treatment of biliousness, strangury, vomiting, urinary discharges, tumours, diseases of vagina, abdomen and blood . According to Unani system of medicine, it is tonic, expectorant, laxative, aphrodisiac, useful in treatment of bronchitis, chest, lung, and spleen diseases, gonorrhoea, night-blindness, urinary concretions, lumbago, anuria, toothache. Seeds are purgative, diuretic, emmenagogue and useful in kidney diseases. Unfortunately, the traditional healers of Chhattisgarh are not much aware of these uses. Its use as guard crop in order to protect the main crops from insect infestation is encouraging the farmers to promote its large scale cultivation. I personally feel that there is a need to aware them regarding its medicinal uses and market demand so that they can try to establish this herb as potential medicinal crop in Chhattisgarh, with confidence.

Thank you very much for reading the article.