What is Arishtam and Asavam?

To understand what is Arishtam and Asavam, it helps to begin with the fact that Ayurveda long ago worked out how to make a medicine ferment on its own, so that a gentle natural alcohol formed inside the preparation and carried the herbs into the body. These two closely related liquid medicines belong to a class the classical texts call Sandhana Kalpana, the fermented or self-generated preparations, and they are among the most elegant achievements of the old pharmacy. No spirit is ever added. The alcohol arises during the making, from sugar and time, and the tradition prizes it both as a carrier and as a preservative that lets the medicine keep for years.

The classical source

The fullest classical account of these preparations is found in the Sharngadhara Samhita, in the section on Sandhana Kalpana, though the method is described across the older texts as well, including the Charaka Samhita and the Ashtanga Hridayam. The Sanskrit word Sandhana means a joining or a bringing together, and it describes the way a decoction, a sweetener and a fermenting agent are combined and left to transform into something new. The texts treat this class as a distinct and important dosage form, set beside the powders, the decoctions and the medicated ghees.

What is Arishtam

Arishtam is prepared by first making a Kashaya, a herbal decoction, by boiling the chosen herbs in water and reducing it. This warm decoction is then combined with a sweetening base, usually jaggery, honey or sugar, and with a fermenting agent, and the mixture is sealed in a suitable vessel and left to ferment for a set number of days. During this time the sugar is slowly converted, a mild alcohol forms, and the finished liquid takes on a deep colour and a characteristic aroma. Because the herbs are first extracted by boiling, Arishtam is understood as the heat-processed member of the pair.

Well-known examples include Ashokarishtam, associated in the tradition with women’s health, Dashamoolarishtam, a broad restorative built on the ten roots, Draksharishtam, made with raisins and valued for a tired constitution, and Abhayarishtam, connected with the movement of the bowels. Each begins as a decoction of its own particular herbs and then follows the same path of fermentation.

What is Asavam

Asavam follows the same idea but skips the boiling. Instead of a hot decoction, the herbs are used as cold water infusions, or as fresh juices, and these are combined with the sweetener and fermenting agent and left to ferment in the same way. Because no heat is applied to draw out the herbs, Asavam is the cold-process preparation, and it is sometimes preferred where the aromatic or delicate qualities of a herb might be lost to boiling. Kumaryasavam, built on the juice of aloe, and Lohasavam are among the familiar examples.

The practical distinction is therefore simple: if the starting liquid was boiled, the result is an Arishtam; if the starting liquid was cold-infused or juiced, the result is an Asavam. Both undergo the same fermentation and both yield a mild alcoholic medicine.

The fermenting agent and the role of Dhataki

The classical fermenting agent most often named is the dried flower of Dhataki, Woodfordia fruticosa, which carries the wild yeasts that set the fermentation going. In some formulations other agents such as Madhuka flowers are used, and jaggery supplies the sugar the yeasts feed upon. The vessel is traditionally an earthen pot whose inside has been smeared and cured, and it is kept in a warm, dark place, sometimes buried in grain or ash to hold a steady warmth. The number of days is specified in the texts and varies with the season, since fermentation runs faster in the heat and slower in the cold.

Why the tradition values the natural alcohol

The self-generated alcohol is central to how these medicines are understood to work. Ayurveda holds that the alcohol acts as a Yogavahi, a carrier that helps the active qualities of the herbs spread quickly through the body and reach the tissues. It is also credited with kindling Agni, the digestive fire, which is why these preparations are typically taken after food and are associated in the tradition with better appetite and digestion. And because alcohol and sugar are natural preservatives, the medicine keeps for a long time. The texts even hold that a well-made Arishtam improves with age, a quality almost unique among Ayurvedic dosage forms.

It is important to be clear that the amount of alcohol formed is small and that the tradition regards it as therapeutic rather than intoxicating at the usual dose. The medicine is not drunk as a beverage. It is measured in small quantities and, in most formulations, diluted with water before taking.

How they are used

Arishtam and Asavam are taken by mouth, most often after meals, in a small measured dose that is commonly around fifteen to thirty millilitres and usually diluted with an equal part of water. The precise dose depends on the formulation and on the person, and it is set by the practitioner. Because these are liquid medicines with a broad reach, they appear across the classical repertoire: restoratives for a depleted constitution, digestives, formulations linked with the female cycle, and preparations connected with the blood and the Rasa and Rakta tissues.

The dosha each one suits depends entirely on its herbs and its indication rather than on the dosage form itself. A warming, digestive Arishtam built on pungent herbs will settle Kapha and kindle Agni, while a cooling formulation may be chosen for a Pitta pattern. What the fermented form contributes across all of them is quick action, good absorption and long keeping.

Precautions

Because these preparations contain a small amount of naturally formed alcohol, they are not suitable for everyone. People who avoid alcohol for personal, religious or medical reasons, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, and anyone with liver concerns or taking medicines that interact with alcohol should seek advice before use. The correct formulation, dose and dilution should always be confirmed by a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner, as several of these medicines contain potent herbs and are chosen to match a particular constitution and complaint.

This article explains the classical Ayurvedic understanding of Arishtam and Asavam and is offered for education, not as medical advice. Speak to a qualified doctor or registered Ayurvedic practitioner before using any fermented preparation, especially if you are pregnant, avoid alcohol, take medication or manage a health condition.