Our ancient texts were fond of classifying herbs, and like the dasamoolam which I wrote about in the last article, there is a group of flowers called the dasapushpam or the ten sacred flowers. Most of them are unusual and hardly resemble the picture of a flower that’s built in our mind. Perhaps it was to bring to our notice and remind us of its usefulness that these flowers have been made part of religious celebrations. In Kerala, women tie these flowers in their hair on the day of Thiruvathira and perform Thiruvathirakkali. Most of these flowers are not large and showy, rather they are miniscule. Actually the idea of women putting them in their tresses intrigues me. The flowers are also used during matrimonial ceremonies in Kerala.
In this article I will be dealing with two of the dasapushpams, Aerva lanata and Evolvulus alsinoides. The flowers of Aerva lanata (Cheroola in Malayam and Sirupoolai in Tamil and Gorakhbuti in Hindi) are small white flowers. In Tamil Nadu, the plants and flowers are kept on top of the doorway during Pongal (harvest festival of Tamil Nadu) as a symbol of prosperity.
Perhaps the reason why it has been designated sacred is because of its remarkable lithotriptic properties i.e. its usefulness in treating kidney stones. I personally know at least two people who have had great relief from kidney stones after using this herb. They were treated by an Ayurvedic vaidyar who asked them to boil the leaves of Aerva lanata along with other herbs, namely, Boerhavia diffusa (Mukkurttaikkodi in Tamil), Hygrophila schulli (Neermulli in Tamil) and Tribulus terrestris (Nerunjilmullu in Tamil) and to drink the decoction. This, along with other treatments such as oil abhyangam, completely cured them. Since both the persons lived on farms, they were able to gather the herb from the wild. For those who do not have access to wild herbs, there are ready-made herbal preparations like Punarnavasava and Chandranasava, which give great relief from problems associated with difficult urination, kidney stones etc.
The other dasapushpam flower, Evolvulus alsinoides (Vishunkranti in Malayalam and Vishnukrantha in Hindi) is again a small blue-coloured flower. I saw a beautiful patch of these during one of my early morning walks in the Adyar Theosophical Society Gardens, Chennai. I did not have my camera with me. I went later in the evening armed with my camera. I could not find a single flower. I kept telling my husband, “I am sure I saw them right here.” Sure enough when I peered closely, I could see the weed-like plant amidst the grass, but no flowers. Vishnukranti blooms early in the morning and fades away as the day progresses.
Vishnukranti is valued for its antipyretic properties and is considered specific for all kinds of fevers. It is considered a powerful brain stimulant and is also said to tone up the intellect.
I find Vishnukranti growing in many weed lots along with grass. I have dug up a piece of sod and planted it hoping that the Vishnukranti plants in it will survive and bear its characteristic pretty blue flowers.
The writer was earlier Health Secretary, Tamil Nadu and is currently, Principal Secretary and CMD, Tamil Nadu Handicrafts Development Corporation. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail.com. Earlier articles can be accessed at www.arogyamantra.blogspot.com