HARITAKI PATHYANAM: A CRITICAL REVIEW

Abstract

Health is wealth. Everybody wants a healthy life, but it is challenging to maintain a healthy life in the present era due to faulty diet habits and lifestyles. A drug is mentioned in Ayurveda designated as Mata (mother) as beneficial to health to fulfil this purpose. In the absence of a mother or when a person becomes independent to live, even in the mother's absence, Haritaki (Terminalia chebula Ritz) is sufficient to care for or maintain physical-psychological equilibrium. It has a broad spectrum of pharmacological activities associated with the biologically active compound. This drug belongs to the family Combretaceae, used extensively in the Indian system of medicine like Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Tibetan and Homeopathy. Fruit is the main helpful part, named with several Sanskrit names like Abhaya, Amruta, Shiva, Pathya, Shreyasi, Kayastha and called Chebulic myrobalan in English. The detailed description of the plant, its seven varieties of fruit, medicinal uses as a single drug and in combination with different adjuvants in respect to the allotted seasons, different doses forms, various diseases condition, pharmacodynamic properties and systemic pharmacological actions, therapeutic uses, side effects and contraindications mentioned in classics are gathered here in this review article to highlight the multifaceted use and important use of this noble drug.