Formulations
Lakshadi Ghrita: the Medicated Ghee
Lakshadi Ghrita is a classical medicated ghee, cooked in a base of ghee with Laksha, the lac resin, and a group of supporting herbs. It carries their qualities into a single nourishing, cooling and settling preparation.
- Sanskrit
- लाक्षादि घृत
- Part used
- Ghee cooked with Laksha, along with Ashwagandha, Manjishtha, Arjuna and other supporting herbs
- Taste (rasa)
- Mostly astringent and sweet (kashaya, madhura)
- Quality (guna)
- Oily, heavy and smooth (snigdha, guru)
- Energy (virya)
- Cooling (shita)
- After digestion (vipaka)
- Sweet (madhura)
- Action (karma)
- Nourishes and steadies the tissues, settles the blood, associated with the bones (brimhana, raktaprasadana)
- Best known for
- A classical medicated ghee cooked with Laksha, the lac resin, and supporting herbs, traditionally associated with the bones and a settled, nourished state.
What it is
A ghritam is a medicated ghee. It is made by cooking chosen ingredients into clarified butter so that their qualities pass into the ghee, giving a single preparation that carries them gently and deeply. In Ayurveda ghee is prized as a carrier: the texts hold that it takes up the power of whatever is cooked into it while keeping its own nourishing, building nature.
Lakshadi Ghrita is one such preparation. It is cooked in a base of ghee with Laksha, the lac resin, together with a group of supporting herbs. It takes its name from Laksha, which stands at the head of the formula, with adi meaning “and the rest.” Laksha is insect-derived, the resinous secretion left on certain trees by the lac insect, and it is purified in the classical way before it is used.
The finished ghee draws together the settling character of Laksha, the nourishing herbs and the rich ghee base into one preparation. Its net character is nourishing and cooling, associated in the tradition with the bones and with a settled, well-fed state of the blood and tissues.
What Ayurveda uses it for
The classical texts record Lakshadi Ghrita in connection with a short list of traditional terms:
- Bhagna (the setting and knitting of broken bone)
- Raktapitta (a tendency of the blood to run hot or to bleed)
- Kshaya (wasting and depletion of the tissues)
- Daurbalya (debility and want of strength)
These are the traditional textual indications recorded in the classical literature. They set out how Ayurveda has long understood the preparation and are given for reference and study, not as statements of medical effect or as advice to treat any condition.
What is in it
Lakshadi Ghrita is built on three parts. The first is the ghee itself, the clarified butter that forms the base and the carrier. The second is Laksha, the purified lac resin, which stands at the head of the formula and gives it its name. The third is a group of supporting herbs cooked in alongside, which classically include nourishing and blood-settling plants such as Ashwagandha, Manjishtha and Arjuna.
The whole is prepared by the classical method for a medicated ghee, the Sneha Paka, in which a decoction and a paste of the ingredients are cooked slowly into the ghee until the water has boiled away and the ghee has taken up their qualities. Recipes for the group vary between texts and houses, but the outline of a ghee base carrying Laksha and its supporting herbs is constant.
How it is taken
The classical way is internal, by the spoonful. A small measured amount is taken, often with warm water or warm milk, or as directed. Like other medicated ghees it belongs to the slow, building side of Ayurveda and is taken as a course over time rather than as a single dose. Because the right amount depends on the person, it is best taken under the guidance of a practitioner.
Good to know
Laksha, the lac resin at the head of this formula, is insect-derived: it is the resinous secretion left by the lac insect on certain trees, purified before use. For that reason Lakshadi Ghrita is not a plant-only preparation, which is worth knowing for anyone who avoids animal- or insect-derived ingredients. The ghee base is itself a dairy product.
This entry describes the classical Ayurvedic understanding of the preparation. It is not medical advice, and anyone with a health condition should speak to a qualified practitioner.
Frequently asked
What is Lakshadi Ghrita? It is a classical medicated ghee, a ghritam, cooked in a base of ghee with Laksha, the lac resin, and a group of supporting herbs. The ghee acts as a carrier that takes up the qualities of what is cooked into it, giving a single nourishing, cooling preparation traditionally associated with the bones.
Why is it called Lakshadi? The name is built from Laksha, the lac resin that heads the formula, and adi, meaning “and the rest,” pointing to the supporting herbs cooked in alongside. So Lakshadi means “Laksha and the others.”
Is it suitable for vegetarians or vegans? Not fully. Laksha is insect-derived, being the secretion of the lac insect, and the ghee base is a dairy product. Anyone who avoids animal- or insect-derived ingredients should be aware of both. As with any preparation, it is best discussed with a qualified practitioner.
Of all the oily substances, ghee is the best, for it takes up the power of what is cooked into it and loses none of its own.
After the Charaka Samhita, on ghee as a carrier
Laksha, cooked with milk and ghee and the supporting herbs, is made into a ghee for the setting and knitting of the bone.
After the classical tradition, on the Lakshadi preparation
Frequently asked questions
What is Lakshadi Ghrita?
Lakshadi Ghrita is a classical medicated ghee (ghritham) cooked with Laksha, the lac resin, and supporting herbs in a nourishing ghee base. The tradition associates it with the bones and with a settled, nourished state, classing its action as brimhana, building the tissues, and raktaprasadana, settling the blood. It carries a mostly astringent and sweet taste (kashaya, madhura).
What is Lakshadi Ghrita used for?
Lakshadi Ghrita is traditionally used to nourish and steady the tissues, and Ayurveda links it with the bones and with settling heat in the blood. Its ghee base makes it a brimhana, a strengthening preparation for a depleted body. It is a classical tonic ghee, best taken under an Ayurvedic practitioner rather than for any named disease.
How do you take Lakshadi Ghrita?
Medicated ghees like Lakshadi Ghrita are classically taken in a small measured dose, often a teaspoon, with warm water or warm milk, usually on an empty stomach in the morning. The amount depends on your Agni and constitution. Because ghee is rich and building, let an Ayurvedic physician set the dose and duration for you.
What is the difference between Lakshadi Ghrita and Laksha Churna?
Both are built on Laksha, the lac resin, but the base differs. Laksha Churna is a dry powder taken with warm milk, cooling and light. Lakshadi Ghrita cooks Laksha and supporting herbs into a ghee base, making it richer, more nourishing and brimhana. The ghee form suits a more depleted body; the powder is simpler and cooling.
Can Lakshadi Ghrita be taken every day?
Medicated ghees are often taken as a daily course over a set period to nourish and build, then reviewed, rather than indefinitely. Because Lakshadi Ghrita is rich and its dose depends on your digestive strength, the length of use is best decided with a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, especially if your Agni is weak or Kapha is high.
References
- Ashtanga Hridayam, on the preparation of medicated ghee (sneha paka) and the Lakshadi group.
- Charaka Samhita, Sutrasthana, on the preparation and supremacy of medicated ghee.
- Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyamakhanda, on the method of cooking medicated ghee.
- Bhaishajya Ratnavali, on preparations built on Laksha (lac resin).