Punarnava

What it is

Punarnava is a low, spreading herb, Boerhavia diffusa, that creeps along the ground in waste places and gardens across India. It has thick fleshy roots, small pink or white flowers, and leaves pale on the underside. The root is the main part used, though the whole plant is taken.

Its name is the most memorable thing about it. Punar means again and nava means new, so Punarnava is the herb that is “made new again.” The classical commentators chose the name from the plant’s habit: it appears to wither away in the dry season, then springs back vigorously with the first rains. They read this self-renewal as a sign of the herb’s character in the body.

What Ayurveda uses it for

Punarnava has one reputation above the rest. Charaka places it at the head of the shothahara group, the herbs that clear shotha, swelling and the holding of excess fluid. In the classical texts it is the first herb named when the body is waterlogged, and the root decoction is the standard way of giving it.

Closely tied to this is its work on the urinary system. Punarnava is mutrala, which means it encourages a healthy flow of urine. What the tradition found unusual, and valuable, is that it does this while also nourishing and supporting the kidneys rather than simply draining the body. A herb that both moves fluid out and feeds the tissue is uncommon, and this pairing is much of why Punarnava is so often named.

The same texts also count it a rasayana, a herb of renewal and lasting vitality, which once more echoes its name. Charaka classes it not only among the swelling-clearing herbs but also among those that ease cough and those that support the cleansing therapy of Basti, a breadth that shows how widely it was trusted.

Its qualities, in plain words

Ayurveda describes each herb by a short list of qualities, and Punarnava’s explain its action well.

It is light and dry, which is exactly what counters the heavy, watery quality of held fluid, the quality the tradition calls Kapha. Its potency is warming, which helps move and disperse what has become stagnant and cold. And its tastes run from sweet through bitter to astringent, the sweet lending a nourishing, renewing note while the bitter and astringent do the clearing.

Because of this balance the classical writers call it tridoshahara, able to settle all three doshas, though it acts most strongly on the heavy quality of Kapha and on heat through its bitterness.

How it is taken

The classic preparation is the root decoction, Punarnavadi Kwatha, a simmered water extract of the root used for swelling and for the urinary system. The root is also taken as a fine powder, churnam, in small amounts with warm water or honey, and the fresh juice is used where it can be had.

Punarnava lends its name to several compound preparations as well, including a guggulu-based formulation for the joints and an iron-bearing compound used where both fluid retention and weakness of the blood are seen. In all of these its job is the same: to clear what is held and to renew.

Good to know

Punarnava is taken as a course, and it is best suited to states of heaviness, holding and excess fluid rather than to dryness. The root is considered the most potent part. The tradition recognises a white-flowered and a red-flowered variety, and the texts sometimes distinguish their uses.

This entry describes the classical Ayurvedic understanding of the herb. It is not medical advice, and anyone with a health condition should speak to a qualified practitioner.

Frequently asked

Why is it called Punarnava? Because the name means “new again.” The plant seems to die back in the dry season and then revives with the rains, and the classical writers took this as a sign of its renewing quality in the body.

Which part is used? Chiefly the root, which is held to be the most potent part, though the whole plant is also taken.

What is Punarnava best known for? Clearing swelling and excess fluid, and supporting the urinary system. It is the foremost herb of the swelling-clearing group in the classical texts.