Formulations
Kanakasavam
Kanakasavam is one of the classical fermented medicines of Ayurveda, an asavam. Its name comes from Kanaka, the herb at its heart, and the tradition links it with the breath and the chest. It is a potent preparation, taken only in small measured doses under a practitioner.
- Sanskrit
- कनकासवम्
- Taste (rasa)
- Pungent, bitter and astringent (katu, tikta, kashaya)
- Quality (guna)
- Light and penetrating (laghu, tikshna)
- Energy (virya)
- Warming (ushna)
- After digestion (vipaka)
- Pungent (katu)
- Action (karma)
- Opens the channels of the chest, kindles digestion, settles Kapha and Vata in the breath (srotoshodhana, deepana)
What Kanakasavam is
Kanakasavam is an asavam, one of Ayurveda’s naturally fermented liquid medicines. The asava and arishta preparations are made by letting a mixture of herbs, water and a sweet base such as jaggery or honey ferment slowly in a sealed vessel. Over weeks the mixture develops a small natural alcohol content of its own, and that alcohol draws out and carries the qualities of the herbs. The result is a concentrated liquid that keeps for a long time and is taken in small doses.
The name points to its central herb. Kanaka is the classical name for the Dhatura plant, and Kanakasavam is built around it. Because that herb is strong, this is not a casual household remedy. It is a potent, carefully dosed preparation that belongs firmly in a practitioner’s hands.
What Ayurveda uses it for
The tradition associates Kanakasavam with the sphere of the breath and the chest. In Ayurvedic terms the breath is governed by the interplay of Vata, the principle of movement, and Kapha, the heavy, fluid principle; when Kapha settles and thickens in the channels of the chest, the easy movement of breath is lost. Kanakasavam is one of the warming, opening preparations the texts describe for clearing and steadying those channels.
It is a fermented preparation, so it also carries the kindling, digestion-stirring quality the asavas are known for. As always in Ayurveda, it is understood to work within a fuller plan that a practitioner sets, matched to the person and the season, not as an isolated fix.
What is in it
The herb that gives the preparation its name and much of its strength is Kanaka (Dhatura). Around it sits a group of supporting herbs and aromatics chosen for the chest and the breath, together with the sweet base, the water and the slow fermentation that turns the mixture into a finished asavam.
The sweet base is not only for taste. In a fermented preparation the sugar feeds the fermentation that produces the natural alcohol, and that alcohol is what extracts the herbs and preserves the medicine. The long, sealed fermentation is as much a part of the formula as the herbs themselves.
Because the central herb is so potent, the proportions and the preparation are exacting. The strength of the finished asavam depends on getting them right, which is one more reason it is made and dispensed only by those trained to do so.
Its qualities, in plain words
Ayurveda describes a preparation through a short list of qualities, and Kanakasavam’s mark it as a warming, opening medicine.
It is warming and penetrating, the qualities that suit cold, settled, stuck conditions of Kapha in the chest. Its taste runs pungent and bitter, and it finishes pungent after digestion, which keeps the digestive fire kindled and the channels clear. The picture the tradition paints is of a sharp, warming, channel-opening preparation, the opposite of cold and heavy, which is exactly why it is used with such care and in such small amounts.
How it is taken
Asavas are taken by mouth in a small measured dose, classically diluted with an equal part of water and taken after food. The dose of Kanakasavam in particular is small and is set precisely by a practitioner, because of the strength of its central herb.
A finished asavam keeps well, since the natural alcohol of the fermentation preserves it, and the tradition holds that a properly made fermented medicine matures with time. None of that changes the central point: this is a preparation to be taken only as a practitioner directs.
Good to know
Kanakasavam is among the more potent preparations in the classical pharmacy, because of the Kanaka (Dhatura) at its heart. It is not a remedy to seek out, prepare or dose on one’s own under any circumstances. It is dispensed in small, exact amounts, matched to the person, and only within a course that a qualified practitioner is directing.
This entry describes the classical Ayurvedic understanding of the preparation and is offered for reference. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation to use the preparation. Anyone with a health condition should speak to a qualified practitioner.
Frequently asked
What does the “-asavam” in the name mean? It marks the preparation as one of Ayurveda’s naturally fermented liquid medicines. An asavam is made by fermenting herbs with water and a sweet base, which produces a small natural alcohol content that extracts and preserves the herbs.
Why is Kanakasavam treated with such caution? Because its central herb, Kanaka (Dhatura), is strong. The preparation is potent and is dosed in very small amounts, so it is made and given only by trained practitioners.
Is it an oil? No. Despite older descriptions that muddled this, Kanakasavam is not a medicated oil. It is a fermented liquid, an asavam, made by slow fermentation rather than by cooking herbs into oil.
The fermented preparation, taken in small measure, kindles the fire and clears the channels of the chest.
After the classical tradition on the asava and arishta preparations
Frequently asked questions
What is Kanakasavam used for?
Kanakasavam is a classical Asava, a naturally fermented Ayurvedic liquid named after the Kanaka plant. The tradition associates it with the breath and the chest, using it to open the channels of the chest, kindle digestion and settle Kapha and Vata in the breath. Because it is a potent preparation, it is always given under close guidance of a qualified practitioner.
How is Kanakasavam made?
Kanakasavam is prepared by natural fermentation, the classical Asava and Arishtam method. Herbs led by Kanaka are steeped with sugar or jaggery and water and left to ferment, which draws out the active qualities and gives the liquid its self-generated mild alcohol. This carries the pungent, bitter and astringent rasa deep into the srotas, or channels.
What is the dosage of Kanakasavam?
In the classical tradition Kanakasavam is taken in small measured doses, usually diluted with an equal quantity of water and taken after food. Exact dosing depends on the person and the reason it is given, so it must be set by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner rather than self-prescribed. Speak with your doctor before use.
Does Kanakasavam contain alcohol?
Yes. As an Asava it is made by natural fermentation, which produces a small amount of self-generated alcohol that acts as the medium and preservative. This is inherent to the classical form and is not added spirit. Anyone avoiding alcohol, and those who are pregnant, should discuss it with a qualified practitioner first.
Which dosha is Kanakasavam for?
Kanakasavam is traditionally directed at Kapha and Vata as they gather in the breath and chest. Its warming, channel-opening action, described as srotoshodhana and deepana, suits the heavy, cool, congested qualities of Kapha and the unsteady quality of Vata. It is not a general tonic and should be used only on a practitioner's advice.
References
- Sharangadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda, on the method of the fermented preparations (sandhana kalpana).
- Bhaishajya Ratnavali, on the classical asava and arishta formulations.
- Ashtanga Hridayam, Sutrasthana, on substances that act on the channels of the breath.