Dasamoolaristam

What it is

Dasamoolaristam is a fermented Ayurvedic tonic, and its name carries the recipe. Dasha means ten, moola means root, and so Dashamoola is the classical group of ten roots. An arishta is a tonic made by slow fermentation. Put the two together and the name simply reads: the fermented tonic of the ten roots.

It is a dark, bittersweet liquid, taken by the spoonful. The roots are first simmered into a strong decoction, then sweetened with jaggery and left to ferment quietly over several weeks. That fermentation is the heart of any Arishtam. It rounds off the rough edge of a plain decoction, draws out a faint sour-sweet warmth, and makes a preparation that keeps on the shelf for a long time without spoiling.

What it is used for

In Ayurvedic terms, Dashamoola is the first group named for settling Vata. Vata is the dry, cold, restless quality the texts hold responsible for movement in the body, and when it rises a person tends to feel run down, achy and unsteady all at once. Dasamoolaristam belongs to exactly this picture.

The classic setting is recovery. After a long illness, after a wearing stretch of work, and above all in the weeks following childbirth, the texts describe the body as depleted and the moving principle as unsettled. The tradition reaches for Dasamoolaristam here not to stimulate but to warm, ground and slowly build the body back. The fermented form is favoured at such times because it sits gently on a weak digestion and is taken up easily.

How it is made

The ten roots are gathered in the two groups the texts always name together. The five greater roots come from trees: Bilva, Agnimantha, Shyonaka, Patala and Gambhari, the last also called Kashmari. The five lesser roots come from smaller plants: Shalaparni, Prishniparni, Brihati, Kantakari and Gokshura. Together they make the full Dashamoola.

The roots are coarsely broken and boiled in water until the liquid reduces to a strong, concentrated decoction. This is cooled, strained and sweetened with jaggery, which both feeds the fermentation and softens the bitterness of the roots. A small measure of warming aromatic herbs is stirred in. The vessel is then sealed and left in a cool, dark place for several weeks, where it develops the mild sour-sweet character that marks a finished Arishtam. After fermentation it is filtered and stored, and the tradition holds that a well-kept Arishtam only improves with keeping.

How it is taken

The classic way is by the spoonful, usually two to four teaspoons mixed with an equal measure of water, taken after food once or twice a day. Diluting with water is the old habit, partly to soften the taste and partly because the texts favour a measured dose of any Arishtam. It belongs to the slow, building side of Ayurveda, taken as a course over weeks rather than as a single dose.

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

Why is it fermented rather than simply boiled? Fermentation softens the harsh edge of a plain root decoction, lets the tonic keep for a long time, and, in Ayurvedic thinking, makes it easier for a weak digestion to take up.

Is Dasamoolaristam the same as Dashamoolarishtam? Yes. They are two spellings of one name, both meaning the fermented tonic of the ten roots.

How is it different from the Lehyam of the same roots? They share the ten roots, but this is a thin fermented liquid, while the Lehyam is a thick, sweet, cooked paste, richer and more nourishing.