BILVA (Aegle marmelos)
Bilva is considered sacred to Lord Siva . Durva to Lard Ganesa and tulsi to Lord Krisna. The leaves of these herbs are offered in prayers to respected Gods and they are said to alleviate vata, pitta and kapha dosas respectively. Nilva is mentioned in all ancient scriptures of Ayurveda, as well as in the Rgveda and the Yajurveda. As the leaves are used for worship, the vilva trees are cultivated in the vicinity of Siva temples. The vilva tree is also called as Sivadruma – the vilva tree is also called as Sivadruma – the tree of Siva, Sadaphala – always bears fruits, durarudha – difficult to climb as it is thorny, trisikha – has trifoliate leaves etc. The great sage Caraka has categorized it as asthapanopaga – adjunctive to oily enema, sothahara – relieves swellings, svayathu – hara – alleviates anasarca and arsoghna – anti – haemorrhoidal. (Caraka Samhita, Sutra, A – 4) Maharsi Susruta has classified it as atisaraghna – anti – diarrhoeal and one of the five major roots (brhat pancamula ) ( Susruta Samhita, Uttara Sthana, A – 12)
The bilva tree grows throughout the Indian peninsula in dry hilly places, reaching in the Western Himalaya to the altitude of 1300 metres. It is extensively cultivated and frequently planted near the Siva temples. The medium sized armed tree grows upto 8 metres high, with auxillary spines. The bark is bluish – grey, soft, with irregular furrows on the younger branches. The leaves are alternate , ovate, trifoliate and aromatic. The flowers are stalked, sweet-scented, erect, axillary or terminal cymes. The fruits usually globose, 2-5 inches in diameter, woody berry with yellowish rind. Seeds very numerous, someshat compressed, slimy and embedded in sweet gummy pulp. The flowering occurs in May and the fruits are ripe in October and November .
It’s botanical name is Aegle marmelos and belongs to family Rutaceae. The dry pulp of fruit contains chiefly mucilage – pectin like substance . From the foot and stem bark, marmelosin, umbelliferon, aegelin, xanthotoxin and alkaloid – haplopine have been isolated . The trunk bark, aegelenine, mamesin, a new coumarin – marmin, sitosterol, sitosterol, lupeol are isolated from immature bark and roots (Indian J. Appl. Chem. 1961, 24, 55). The leaves yield rutin, marmesinin and essential oil containing and phellandrene. From the ripe fruits, scopoletine, umbelliferone, marmesin and skimming is isolated. Whereas, from unripe fruits, a new alkaloid – marmeline alongwith imperatorin, alloimperatorine, aegeline and xanthotoxol have been reported. (Chemical Research unit, Delhi).Umbelliferone, dictamine, xanthotoxol, xanthotaxin, scoparone, isopimpinellin, isoimperatorin, marmesin, bergapten, osthol and auraptin isolated from fruit pericarp.
Bilva is astringent and bitter in taste , pungent in the post digestive effect and has hot potency . It alleviates kapha and vata dosas, but aggravates the pitta dosa. It has astringent, anti-diarrhoeal, appetizer and digestant properties. The raw fruit is an appetizer, digestant and an astringent, whereas the ripened fruit is astringent, sweet but mild laxative in properties. The ripened fruit is heavy to digest and in large doses, it causes flatulence and abates peristalsis. Bilva possessed dry an light attributes. (Rara Nighantu)
The roots, skin, leaves and the fruits are used for medicinal purpose. Bilva is used both, internally as well as externally. The fresh juice of its leaves in instilled into the eyes, in conjunctivitis. In the swollen conditions and pain in ribs, the fomentation with its leaves alleviates the pain and oedema. In stomatitis, the gargles with the decoction of its bark skin are beneficial. The sesame oil medicated with bilva fruit is useful in deafness. Internally, bilva is used for wide range diseases. The roots are extremely useful in vata diseases, insomnia, seizures, and hysteria as the calm down the nerves. The decoction of the roots can be given with great benefit, as a complementary herb, in typhoid fever. The roots and the leaves help reducing the fevers. The roots and the leaves help reducing the fevers. The oedematous conditions of uterus, postpartum infections and leucorrhea are effectively controlled with the decoction of its roots.
The raw fruit of bilva is a renowned panacea for diarrhea, dysentery, colitis, loss of appetite and abdominal dull pains. The pulp of the raw fruit, cooked with suger is salutary in bacillary dysentery and bleeding piles. A mixture of the juice of its leaves and marica (Piper nigrum) boosts the liver, hence valuable in hepatitis. The decoction of its leaves helps in reducing the phlegm in cold, cough and asthma. The skin of bakula and bilva work well as an adjunct, in diabetes, when given with the milk. Bilva is a well-known bitter tonic. The juice of its leaves is given with rock candy, in equal quantity, as a general tonic. In vomiting the decoction of the skin of the fruit, works well when given with honey. In children, the decoction of bilva, musta and dhataki, given with honey, controls the diarrhea very efficiently. The juice of the leaves is an effective medicament for worms. In obesity, the decoction of the roots of bilva, syonaka, kasmari and patala is given with honey, to reduce the excessive body fats. The chronic colitis is well treated with the combination of bilva with jatiphala and avartaki.
Classical Ayurvedic Preparations
Bilva taila, Bilvapancaka kvatha, Bilvadi curna, bilvadi ghrta, Bilvamuladi gutika, Anu taila etc.