Ashtavarga:Eight Miraculous Herbs

The medicinal plants identified as Ashtavarg are Jeevak-Malaxis muscifera; Rishbhak-Malaxis acuminata; Meda- Polygonatum verticillatum; Mahameda- Polygonatm cirrifolium; Ridhi-Habenaria intermedia; Vridhi- Habenaria acuminata; Kakoli-Roscoea alpina and Kshirkakoli-Lilium polyphyllum. They were known to impart Jeevaniya - Vitality, Vayasthapan - revival of youthful conditions, body nourishment, and antioxidant effects. The great Ayurvedic sages Charak and Sushrut made a mention of 5 of Astavarg plants for use in Chyavanprash. Majority of these species are habituated in the Himalayan ranges. The north-western regions of Himalaya, Garhwal belt in Uttarpradesh, Kangra in Himalaya, Plateus of West Bengal, Kalpa district in Nepal, Kandy District and Hunnasgiriya in Sri Lanka, in the forests and grassy slopes of Gansu, Guangxi, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shaanxi, Sichuan, Xizang(as Chinese herbs) are the resident lands of these varied species. The hilly and remote forest areas of Auli, Joshimath, Tapovan, Badrinarayan, Hemkund, Ukhimath, Gangotri, Kedarnath, Renthal, Gangnani, Yamunotri, Rishikesh, Dhanaulti in Uttarakhand and Karsog, Jalpa, Kamarunag, Rewalsar, Rewanda, Lahaul-spiti, Hatloo, Thanedhar, Narkanda, Matiana, Shilaru in Himachal Pradesh are also rich heritage of these herbs. This expedition had fetched the most revitalizing species from the traditional Ayurvedic fraternity of therapy as a boon to mankind.