Unmada – Ayurved Healing

Kushmanda Ghrita: Classical Ayurvedic Medicated Ghee for Mental Disorders

Rohan Kapoor — Thu, 25 Jun 2026 09:00:00 +0000

Kushmanda Ghrita is a compact classical Ayurvedic ghee preparation built around Kushmanda, the ash gourd or white gourd (Benincasa hispida), with Yashtimadhu (Glycyrrhiza glabra) and cow’s ghee. Its value in Ayurveda lies in a simple but powerful idea: a cooling, nourishing fruit used for manasa vikara is processed into a lipid medium with a recognised Medhya Rasayana herb, making it especially relevant to traditional care for memory, speech, mental composure, weakness, and seizure-spectrum conditions.

The most precise classical reference for Kushmanda Ghrita is Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana, Apasmara Pratishedha Adhyaya, verse 28. The verse describes ghee cooked with eighteen times its quantity of Kushmanda juice and the paste of Yashtimadhu, and states that it is apasmara-hara while supporting dhi, vak, and svara—intellect, speech, and voice. The formula is also transmitted in later compendia such as Bhaishajya Ratnavali with the same core ingredients.

What Is Kushmanda?

Kushmanda is the Ayurvedic name for ash gourd or white gourd, botanically identified as Benincasa hispida. The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India describes Kushmanda fruit as a cultivated vegetable used medicinally, with madhura and amla rasa, laghu guna, shita virya, and madhura vipaka. Its listed actions include balya, dipana, hridya, vrishya, tridoshahara, and vatapittajit, and its therapeutic uses include manasa vikara, urinary disorders, thirst, stones, and constipation.

In the context of mental disorders, Charaka’s Unmada Chikitsa includes Kushmanda among useful single drugs and also lists it among vegetables suitable for those suffering from unmada. This does not mean that Charaka gives the same Kushmanda Ghrita formula; the specific three-ingredient Kushmanda-Yashtimadhu ghee is more accurately connected with the Apasmara chapter of Ashtanga Hridaya.

The Correct Classical Formulation

Kushmanda Ghrita is not a long polyherbal formula containing Brahmi, Shankhapushpi, Jatamansi, Vacha, Haritaki, or Trivrit. Those herbs belong to other classical ghrita preparations, such as Brahmi Ghrita or Mahapaishachika Ghrita. The verified Kushmanda Ghrita formula is centered on three ingredients: Kushmanda svarasa, Yashtimadhu kalka, and Go-ghrita.

Kushmanda svarasa: fresh juice of ripe ash gourd, used as the main liquid medium.
Yashtimadhu kalka: paste or powder of licorice root, the principal herbal paste.
Go-ghrita: cow’s ghee, the lipid base used for classical sneha paka.

A pharmacognostical and analytical standardisation paper prepared the formulation with ripe Kushmanda juice, Yashtimadhu root powder, and cow’s ghee. The reported working proportions were 18 litres of Kushmanda juice, 250 grams of Yashtimadhu powder, and 1 kilogram of cow’s ghee, which closely reflects the classical instruction that the ghee is cooked with eighteen times its quantity of Kushmanda juice.

Why These Three Ingredients Matter

Kushmanda brings the formulation its cooling, nourishing, Vata-Pitta pacifying character. In a mental-health context, this makes it suitable when heat, depletion, restlessness, weakness, disturbed sleep, and loss of steadiness are part of the Ayurvedic picture. Its classical association with manasa vikara and its inclusion in Unmada-supportive diet and drug lists explain why it became the main ingredient of a ghrita used in neuropsychiatric and seizure-spectrum care.

Yashtimadhu, also known as Mulethi or licorice, is one of the well-known Medhya Rasayana substances in the Charaka tradition. In Kushmanda Ghrita it is not a sweetener added for taste; it is the main kalka dravya that gives the preparation its intellect-supportive and Rasayana orientation. Its sweet, nourishing character also harmonises with the cooling and strengthening direction of Kushmanda.

Go-ghrita provides the classical sneha medium. Ayurveda repeatedly uses medicated ghee in disorders involving the mind, memory, Vata, Pitta, and depletion because ghee can be cooked with herbal juices and pastes while retaining the therapeutic qualities of the processed substances. In Kushmanda Ghrita, the ghee base helps transform fresh ash-gourd juice and licorice paste into a stable, administrable medicine.

Classical Indications

The primary classical indication of Kushmanda Ghrita is Apasmara, the Ayurvedic disease category broadly associated with seizure-like episodes, transient loss of awareness, derangement of memory, and disturbance of dhi, satva, and chitta. Ashtanga Hridaya describes Apasmara as involving loss or derangement of memory and awareness, with disturbing movements and episodes after which consciousness returns.

Apasmara support: traditionally used as a physician-guided shamana sneha in seizure-spectrum conditions.
Dhi support: the text specifically links the formulation with support for intellect.
Vak and svara support: the verse also connects it with speech and voice.
Manasa vikara support: Kushmanda is listed in the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia for manasa vikara, and Charaka’s Unmada chapter includes Kushmanda in supportive drug and diet contexts.
Convalescent mental weakness: its balya, cooling, nourishing, and Medhya-Rasayana orientation makes it relevant when debility accompanies mental fatigue or disturbed steadiness.

For severe mental illness, psychosis, seizures, suicidal thoughts, or acute confusion, Kushmanda Ghrita belongs only within supervised care. Ayurveda would assess dosha, agni, ama, strength, age, bowel pattern, diet, sleep, and the patient’s current medicines before prescribing any medicated ghee.

Modern Clinical and Pharmacological Context

A small clinical evaluation published in AYU used Kushmanda Ghrita in 35 diagnosed cases of depressive illness. The protocol used 20 ml daily in two divided doses, morning and evening, with lukewarm water for one month. The paper reported improvements in Hamilton depression and anxiety scores, immediate memory span, and clinical symptoms such as sad mood, anxiety, lack of confidence, and loss of interest.

Experimental work on Benincasa hispida fruit has reported antidepressant-like activity in mice, with possible involvement of monoaminergic and GABAergic mechanisms. A later zebrafish model also evaluated aqueous ash-gourd fruit extract for stress and anxiety-like behaviour. These findings are best understood as supportive background for the classical use of Kushmanda, not as a reason to self-treat psychiatric illness or seizures.

How Kushmanda Ghrita Is Prepared

Kushmanda Ghrita is prepared by the classical sneha paka method. Fresh ripe Kushmanda is crushed and expressed to obtain juice. Cow’s ghee is liquefied over gentle heat, Yashtimadhu paste is added, and the Kushmanda juice is incorporated. The mixture is cooked carefully until the water component is driven off and classical sneha siddhi lakshana are reached. Proper preparation requires correct raw-drug identification, clean processing, careful heat control, and attention to the endpoint of cooking.

Because this is a medicinal ghee for serious indications, a pharmacy-grade preparation is preferable to casual home experimentation. A household ash-gourd ghee made without the proper proportions, licorice paste, and sneha paka endpoint should not be presented as classical Kushmanda Ghrita.

Dosage and Administration

The dose of Kushmanda Ghrita should be individualised by a qualified Ayurvedic physician. The published depressive-illness clinical protocol used 20 ml per day in two divided doses with lukewarm water for one month, but that was a supervised study protocol and should not be treated as a universal prescription. In classical practice, the dose depends on digestive strength, bowel habit, disease severity, age, constitution, season, and whether the ghrita is being used as a gentle shamana sneha or in a broader treatment plan.

Use Context	Classical Direction	Practical Caution
Apasmara support	Physician-guided medicated ghee used within broader Ayurvedic management	Never replace prescribed anti-seizure medication without medical supervision
Depressive or anxiety-associated symptoms	Used in one clinical protocol as 20 ml/day in two divided doses for one month	Use only with professional guidance, especially if already taking psychiatric medicine
Weak digestion or ama signs	Agni is assessed before giving ghee-based medicines	Coated tongue, heaviness, nausea, bloating, and poor appetite call for practitioner review first
Children, elderly people, pregnancy, or chronic illness	Dose and suitability must be adjusted individually	Avoid unsupervised use

Important Safety Considerations

Kushmanda Ghrita should be used with special caution in people taking psychiatric medicines, sedatives, anti-seizure medicines, antihypertensive medicines, diuretics, corticosteroids, or heart and kidney medicines. The formula contains Yashtimadhu, and licorice contains glycyrrhizin, which can cause serious adverse effects in susceptible people, including raised blood pressure, low potassium, irregular heartbeat, and drug interactions, especially with large or long-term intake.

People with uncontrolled hypertension, low potassium, kidney disease, heart disease, fluid retention, or pregnancy should not use licorice-containing preparations without medical supervision. People with seizures should continue conventional medical care; emergency help is needed if a seizure lasts more than five minutes, repeats soon after the first, causes injury, occurs in water, or is followed by trouble breathing or difficulty waking.

How to Understand Its Role Today

Kushmanda Ghrita is best understood as a classical Medhya and Apasmara-oriented ghrita whose elegance lies in its simplicity. It is not a general “brain tonic” for casual daily use, and it is not a substitute for psychiatric, neurological, or emergency care. Its proper use belongs to a complete Ayurvedic assessment that includes digestion, diet, sleep, bowel movement, emotional state, constitution, current diagnosis, and current medication.

For broader context on medicated ghee preparation, see the article on Vasa Ghrita for lung disorders. For the Ayurvedic view of emotional regulation and mental constitution, see Ayurvedic emotional intelligence and the psyche.

Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes about traditional Ayurvedic formulations. Kushmanda Ghrita for psychiatric symptoms, seizures, severe depression, psychosis, confusion, or neurological conditions must be prescribed and monitored by a qualified Ayurvedic physician and should be used alongside, not instead of, appropriate conventional medical care. If you or someone you know has seizures, psychosis, severe depression, suicidal thoughts, sudden confusion, or loss of consciousness, seek urgent medical care.

Nothing in this article diagnoses or treats a medical condition. Consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or healthcare provider before starting herbs, medicated ghee, supplements, detoxes, or therapeutic protocols, especially if pregnant, caring for a child, managing a chronic condition, or taking medication.

References

Unmada (Psychosis) in Ayurvedic Texts: Historical Classification and Modern Clinical Parallels

Dr. Ananya Sharma — Sun, 24 May 2026 06:00:00 +0000

Reading the descriptions of unmada in the Charaka Samhita can produce a sense of clinical recognition. The text records disturbed speech, inappropriate laughter or weeping, agitation, withdrawal, impaired memory and intellect, altered conduct, and difficulty regulating behaviour. These observations overlap with phenomena seen in modern psychiatry, including psychosis, mania, severe mood disturbance, catatonia, delirium, and some neurological or substance-related states. However, unmada is a classical Ayurvedic syndrome, not an ancient synonym for schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or any single present-day diagnosis. Responsible comparison requires attention to similarities without claiming one-to-one equivalence.

Classical Definition and Scope

Charaka Samhita, Nidana Sthana 7 and Chikitsa Sthana 9 describe unmada as a broad disorder in which the functions of mind, intellect, memory, awareness, preferences, character, activity, conduct, and behaviour become disturbed. The online critical translation renders the term as frenzy, madness, or mental derangement and stresses that it represents a group of major mental disorders rather than one disease. The frequently quoted definition belongs to this classical framework; it should not be described as anticipating modern “multi-axis” diagnosis, because contemporary psychiatric systems use different concepts, criteria, and methods.

The Five Types Described by Charaka

Charaka Samhita, Nidana Sthana 7.3 lists five types: vata-dominant, pitta-dominant, kapha-dominant, sannipataja arising from the combined disturbance of all three doshas, and agantuja associated with exogenous causes in the classical worldview. These categories organise signs, causation, and treatment according to Ayurvedic theory. They are not validated substitutes for a psychiatric examination, medical work-up, toxicology assessment, or neurological evaluation.

Vataja Unmada

The classical description of vataja unmada includes constant wandering, irregular movements of the eyes and limbs, continuous irrelevant or incoherent speech, inappropriate smiling, laughing, dancing, singing or weeping, roughness, emaciation, and aggravation from factors considered to increase vata. This may resemble modern states marked by psychomotor agitation, disorganisation, mania, intoxication, delirium, or excited catatonia, but the signs are not specific enough to establish any of those diagnoses. Charaka’s treatment chapter begins the management of a vata-dominant presentation with unctuous measures and then modifies the plan according to obstruction, strength, digestion, and the patient’s overall condition.

Pittaja Unmada

Pittaja unmada is described with inappropriate anger, intolerance, agitation, threatening or assaultive behaviour, running about, bodily heat, a desire for shade, cold water or cooling food, and altered coloration of the eyes or complexion. The verse supports describing an activated, heated, irritable, and potentially dangerous presentation; it does not support equating pittaja unmada specifically with bipolar I disorder or substance-induced psychosis. In modern care, sudden aggression, severe insomnia, confusion, fever, intoxication, or a change in consciousness requires urgent assessment for psychiatric and medical causes.

Kaphaja Unmada

Kaphaja unmada includes immobility or remaining in one place, little speech, reduced movement, loss of appetite, preference for isolation, drowsiness or excessive sleep, salivation or nasal discharge, aversion to cleanliness, facial swelling, and dull or soiled-looking eyes. Some features may superficially resemble psychomotor slowing, depressive withdrawal, negative symptoms, medication effects, stupor, or catatonia. These similarities are descriptive only. A person with mutism, stupor, inability to eat or drink, marked drowsiness, or a rapid decline in self-care needs prompt clinical evaluation rather than dosha-based self-treatment.

Sannipataja Unmada

Sannipataja unmada presents with features of all three doshic types together. Nidana Sthana 7.7 states that this combined form is considered asadhya, and Chikitsa Sthana 9.15 describes it as severe and difficult to treat because the therapeutic principles may conflict. The text does not say that early cases are reliably curable, nor does it identify this category with schizoaffective disorder or “rapid cycling.” Those modern labels require their own diagnostic criteria.

Agantuja Unmada

Agantuja unmada is defined in the diagnostic chapter as having causes, prodromal signs, symptoms, distress, and responses to treatment that differ from dosha-origin unmada. Charaka discusses it through the religious and cultural language of deva, gandharva, yaksha, rakshasa, pishacha, ancestors, vows, conduct, and prajnaparadha. It is historically inaccurate to translate this entire category directly as trauma, infection, intoxication, or metabolic encephalopathy. A modern clinician should instead assess new psychotic or behavioural symptoms for psychiatric illness, medication effects, sleep deprivation, alcohol or drug use, neurological disease, infection, endocrine or metabolic disturbance, and other medical causes.

Comparison with Modern Psychiatry

The most defensible comparison is phenomenological: both systems notice changes in speech, perception, activity, sleep, emotional expression, memory, self-care, and social conduct. Modern psychosis is a collection of symptoms involving some loss of contact with reality and may occur in schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, severe depression, substance-related conditions, neurological disease, or other medical illness. The table therefore shows broad areas of overlap rather than diagnostic equivalence.

Classical Type	Verified Classical Features	Possible Modern Observations	Important Limitation
Vataja	Wandering, irregular movement, incoherent or irrelevant speech, inappropriate laughter, singing or weeping	Agitation, disorganisation, mania, delirium, intoxication, or excited catatonia	No one-to-one diagnosis
Pittaja	Anger, agitation, threatening or assaultive behaviour, heat, desire for cooling	Severe mood activation, psychotic agitation, intoxication, or medical delirium	Urgent risk and medical assessment may be needed
Kaphaja	Reduced speech and movement, isolation, excessive sleep, poor appetite, salivation	Depressive slowing, negative symptoms, sedation, stupor, or catatonia	Mutism or stupor is a medical priority
Sannipataja	Combined features of all three doshic types	Complex or mixed presentations	Not equivalent to schizoaffective disorder
Agantuja	Classically framed exogenous presentations with distinctive causes and signs	Prompts a broad differential diagnosis in modern practice	Classical spirit-language should not be relabelled as biomedical causation

What the Classical Treatment Chapter Actually Contains

Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana 9 presents an extensive, individualised programme rather than a simple herb list. It includes yukti-vyapashraya treatment selected according to dosha and patient strength, along with supportive or consoling measures, mental guidance associated with sattvavajaya, and religious practices appropriate to the text’s historical setting. The chapter also describes oleation, fomentation, emesis, purgation, basti, nasya, medicated ghee, massage, bathing, dietary progression after purification, and numerous specialised preparations. Several procedures are invasive, irritant, or otherwise unsafe outside trained clinical practice and should never be attempted at home.

Purification and Medicated Ghee

The treatment sequence is conditional, not universal. Charaka describes unctuous treatment for vata-dominant illness, emesis for selected kapha-dominant cases, and purgation for selected pitta-dominant cases, followed by a graded post-procedure diet. Formulations recorded in the chapter include Kalyanaka Ghrita and other medicated ghees. Their presence in a classical text verifies historical use; it does not establish efficacy for schizophrenia or acute psychosis by current clinical-trial standards. Panchakarma in a confused, medically unstable, dehydrated, restrained, pregnant, elderly, or heavily medicated patient may carry substantial risk and requires direct supervision by a qualified Ayurvedic physician working with the psychiatric team.

Brahmi: Correct Identity and Classical Properties

The Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India, Part I, Volume II identifies Brahmi as the dried whole plant of Bacopa monnieri. Its monograph gives madhura, tikta and kashaya rasa; laghu and sara guna; shita virya; madhura vipaka; and actions including medhya and rasayana. It lists manasavikara among therapeutic uses and gives 1–3 g as the powder dose for the pharmacopoeial crude drug. This does not verify the original claims that Brahmi is the principal treatment for every unmada subtype, that 5–10 g powder or 20–30 ml juice twice daily is a standard psychiatric dose, or that 300 mg twice daily is a universally appropriate extract dose. Product strength and extract standardisation vary, and Brahmi should not be presented as an antipsychotic.

Shankhapushpi: Identity Matters

The same pharmacopoeial volume identifies Shankhapushpi as the whole plant of Convolvulus pluricaulis. It records katu, tikta and kashaya rasa; sara guna; shita virya; katu vipaka; and actions including medhya, rasayana, pittahara and kaphahara. The monograph lists manasaroga and apasmara as therapeutic uses and a powder dose of 3–8 g. It also notes that Clitoria ternatea and Evolvulus alsinoides are used as Shankhapushpi in some regions, making botanical identification important. No verified classical citation supports calling it the premier remedy specifically for vataja and pittaja unmada, and human evidence does not establish it as a treatment for psychosis.

Jatamansi, Ashwagandha and Guduchi

The online commentary accompanying Unmada Chikitsa includes Jatamansi and Ashwagandha in a compiled list of single drugs discussed in relation to unmada, but a compiled list is not proof that either herb treats modern psychosis. No verifiable classical passage or pharmacopoeial monograph was found supporting the original article’s precise claims about GABA modulation, rebound-free sedation, cortisol reduction in acutely agitated psychosis, or Guduchi as a specific remedy for pittaja unmada. Exact bedtime and twice-daily doses have therefore been removed. In psychosis, any herb should be selected only after reviewing the diagnosis, botanical identity, formulation, pregnancy, relevant liver or thyroid concerns, and possible interactions with antipsychotics, mood stabilisers, sedatives, anticonvulsants, and other medicines.

Diet and Supportive Care

Charaka includes dietary planning and a graded return from lighter to heavier food after purification. The treatment chapter specifically mentions cooling, sweet, and light food and drink in pitta-dominant management, while broader Ayurvedic practice individualises food according to digestion, strength, season, and dosha. The original rigid menu of warm-oily food for every vata presentation, coconut and bitter greens for every pitta presentation, and dry-pungent food for every kapha presentation was not supported by a cited verse and has been removed. In current care, regular meals, adequate fluids, sleep restoration, avoidance of alcohol and recreational drugs, and monitoring for inability to eat or drink are more immediately important than a dosha menu.

What Modern Research Can and Cannot Show

Human research on these herbs does not validate the classical subtypes or establish an Ayurvedic cure for psychosis. Systematic reviews of Bacopa monnieri have mainly examined memory and attention in adults without major cognitive impairment; they do not demonstrate antipsychotic efficacy. A small 12-week randomised placebo-controlled adjunctive study of a standardised Withania somnifera extract in people with schizophrenia reported signals for some symptoms, and a secondary analysis reported possible improvement in depression and anxiety scores. These early findings concern a particular extract used alongside standard treatment and are not grounds for replacing antipsychotic medication or generalising to all Ashwagandha products.

Mechanistic findings from cells or animals—such as effects on neurotransmitters, inflammation, or oxidative pathways—cannot by themselves prove clinical benefit in schizophrenia, bipolar mania, delirium, or acute psychosis. The original statements that Brahmi and Shankhapushpi act on central psychiatric drug targets, that Guduchi’s alkaloids “clear” pittaja psychosis, and that neuroinflammation forms a validated bridge between dosha theory and schizophrenia were overstated and have been removed.

Safety, Referral and Ethical Use

Psychosis may involve delusions, hallucinations, incoherent speech, disorganised behaviour, severe withdrawal, impaired self-care, or difficulty recognising reality. It can arise from psychiatric illness, sleep deprivation, prescribed medicines, alcohol or drugs, neurological disease, and other medical causes. Early assessment matters. Current evidence-based treatment commonly includes antipsychotic medication and may also include psychotherapy, family education, case management, supported work or education, and coordinated specialty care. Ayurvedic care, when desired, should be complementary and coordinated with a psychiatrist or other qualified mental-health professional.

Do not stop antipsychotics, mood stabilisers, benzodiazepines, anticonvulsants, or other prescribed medicines abruptly. Ashwagandha may cause drowsiness and gastrointestinal effects, has been linked rarely with liver injury, and may interact with sedatives, anticonvulsants, thyroid medicines, immunosuppressants, and medicines for diabetes or blood pressure. Safety data for many multi-herb and herbo-mineral products are limited, and product quality varies. Consult a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner and the treating healthcare provider before adding any herb or classical formulation.

Practical guidance: Do not begin a “Brahmi tea” routine as treatment for psychosis. A safer supportive action is to help the person obtain prompt professional assessment, keep the environment calm, reduce noise and confrontation, support regular food, fluids and sleep where possible, document all medicines and substances used, and remain alert for immediate danger. Seek emergency care when there is risk of self-harm or harm to others, extreme agitation, inability to eat or drink, severe confusion, fever, seizure, collapse, rapidly changing consciousness, or suspected overdose.