Patala

What is Patala?

Patala is a flowering tree of the Bignoniaceae family, the same botanical family as the well-known trumpet flowers. It carries the botanical name Stereospermum suaveolens, and the second half of that name, suaveolens, points to its sweetly scented blossoms. In everyday speech it is called Padri, Padal, or the fragrant Padri tree, and its pale, funnel-shaped flowers give it the English name pale trumpet flower tree.

The Sanskrit name पाटला (Pāṭalā) has been used for this drug across the classical dravyaguna literature. In Ayurveda the part that matters most is not the showy flower but what lies beneath the ground. The root and the root bark, known as Mula and Mula-twak, are the classical parts, and it is chiefly in this form that Patala enters the great compound preparations. The flower, seed, and leaf are also mentioned in classical and traditional texts, but the root remains the heart of its use.

What Ayurveda uses it for

Patala earns its lasting place in Ayurveda through company it keeps. It is one of the ten roots of the classical Dashamoola group, a set of ten roots that together form one of the most widely used building blocks in the tradition. Within that set Patala belongs to the Brihat Panchamoola, the five so-called greater roots, alongside Bilva, Agnimantha, Shyonaka, and Gambhari. The Dashamoola concept is first set out in the Sushruta Samhita, and Patala’s presence there is well established.

In this role the root is a traditional supporting ingredient in Ayurvedic formulations that are understood to steady the doshas, and Vata in particular. The classical literature associates the root with supporting comfortable digestion and with the broader actions attributed to the whole Dashamoola group. Charaka’s Samhita places Patala among the Shothahara Mahakashaya, the group of ten soothing herbs, which is why it is often described as one of the classical soothing dravyas. The flower is noted separately in the classical texts as cooling in nature, a small point that reminds us different parts of one plant can be understood differently.

Its qualities, in plain words

Ayurveda reads each plant through a short set of qualities, and Patala’s profile is fairly clear once translated.

Its taste, or Rasa, is Tikta and Kashaya, meaning bitter and astringent. Bitter is the taste of dandelion leaf or bitter melon, and astringent is the dry, puckering feel of strong black tea or unripe fruit. Together they lean towards drying and lightening rather than moistening.

Its qualities, or Guna, are Laghu and Ruksha, that is light and dry. A light and dry herb sits gently and tends to reduce heaviness and damp rather than add to it.

Its potency, or Virya, is described as Anushna, which means neither strongly heating nor cooling. It is a middle sort of energy, and this even temper is part of why it blends so easily into large mixed formulas. A minority of older sources call it warming instead, but the more common reading is this neutral one.

Its post-digestive effect, or Vipaka, is Katu, meaning pungent. Vipaka is the lasting influence a substance leaves once digestion is complete, and a pungent finish continues the light, drying theme. Taken as a whole, the tradition understands Patala as Tridoshahara, a herb that can help bring all three doshas back towards balance.

How it is taken

Patala is almost never taken on its own. Its classical home is inside compound preparations, and the most traditional simple form is a decoction, or Kwatha, made from the root and root bark. Beyond the plain decoction, it appears in Arishta, the fermented liquid preparations, and in Taila, the medicated oils, most often as part of the Dashamoola group rather than as a solo ingredient.

Several named classical formulations carry Patala within them. It is a component of Dashamoolarishta and of Dashamoola Kwatha, the straightforward Dashamoola decoction. It also features in Dhanwantaram Taila, a well-known medicated oil, and in Dhanwantararishta, a fermented preparation from the same lineage. In each of these the root works alongside many other herbs, its qualities woven into a larger whole rather than standing alone.

Good to know

Because Patala lives inside compound formulas, it is traditionally used as part of a considered course rather than as a quick single dose, and the classical texts treat it as one voice within a chorus of herbs.

Botanical identity deserves care here. The Ayurvedic name Patala also covers a recognised second variety, the Sita-patala, and the two are distinguished in texts such as the Bhavaprakasha Nighantu. For that reason the exact plant should always be confirmed by a qualified source before any use.

This entry describes the classical Ayurvedic understanding of the herb. It is not medical advice, and anyone with a health condition should speak to a qualified practitioner. Anyone who is pregnant or breastfeeding should do the same before use.

Frequently asked

Is Patala used by itself? Rarely. Its traditional strength lies in compound preparations, above all as one of the ten roots of the Dashamoola group, where it appears in decoctions, fermented Arishta preparations, and medicated oils.

What does the name Patala refer to? It is the Sanskrit name पाटला (Pāṭalā) for the tree Stereospermum suaveolens, a fragrant, trumpet-flowered member of the Bignoniaceae family also known as Padri or the pale trumpet flower tree.

Are there different kinds of Patala? Yes. The classical texts recognise a second variety called Sita-patala and set it apart from the main Patala, which is one more reason to have the botanical identity confirmed by a qualified source.