Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S

Pachana means ‘to digest’ or ‘to cook’.

Pachana is an important treatment principle and also a therapy in Ayurveda. By default, Pachana means ‘Ama Pachana’.

Pachana medicines are meant to digest ama. Ama is an intermediate product of digestion. It is formed due to the action of weak digestive fire on the food, which leads to improper digestion of food or indigestion. The food which is undigested becomes ama. This ama is a sticky substance, of the nature of kapha, and tends to block the channels of the body.

Sama Doshas, Dhatus and Malas

Ama also mixes up with the doshas and makes them stick to the walls of the channels and tissues. This is called as sama doshas.

Likewise, association of dhatus with ama leads to sama dhatus. This will lead to depletion of tissue functions and gradual destruction of the same. Malas – excreta associated with ama cannot be excreted properly and forms endo-toxins in the long run. Ama also weakens the metabolism – agni – at gut and cellular level. The body is deceived by nutrition and the body becomes weak and tired.

Pachana medicines help in digestion of this ama. This helps to free the doshas, dhatus and malas from their association with ama. Dissolution of ama will enable the morbid doshas to return from the tissues where they were adhering to the tissue walls, to the gut, from where they can be easily removed from the gut by administering shodhana – vamana or virechana depending on the dosha.

As a rule, sama doshas should not be removed from the body until ama has been separated from them.

This shows the importance of Pachana Chikitsa in the preparation of the patient for shodhana also and is in fact an important and mandatory step in the purvakarma i.e. pre-operative procedures of shodhana.

Why is Pachana a type of Shamana?

Pachana is included in Shamana because it fulfils the criteria of Shamana Chikitsa i.e.

–        It helps in the process of elimination of increased / morbid doshas but will not eliminate the doshas by itself and hence it is shamana.
–        It will also not increase the other doshas which are in a state of balance.
–        While satisfying the above said conditions, Shamana is capable of bringing the abnormal doshas to a state of normalcy.

Why is Pachana included under Langhana?

Pachana has also been included under Langhana Chikitsa since it brings about lightness of the body as per definition of langhana. Acharya Charaka gives specific indications for administration of Pachana.

What are the indications for Pachana?

येषां मध्यबला रोगाः कफपित्तसमुत्थिताः| वम्यतीसारहृद्रोगविसूच्यलसकज्वराः||२०||
विबन्धगौरवोद्गारहृल्लासारोचकादयः| पाचनैस्तान् भिषक् प्राज्ञः प्रायेणादावुपाचरेत्||२१||

Pachana should be administered in patients suffering from Madhya Bala Roas i.e. diseases having moderate strength and of kapha-pitta in origin, like the below mentioned ones –

–        Vami – vomiting
–        Atisara – diarrhea
–        Hrdroga – heart diseases
–        Visuchika – cholera
–        Alasaka – sluggishness of intestines
–        Jwara – fevers
–        Vibandha – constipation,
–        Gaurava – heaviness of the body,
–        Udgara – belching
–        Hrllasa – nausea
–        Arochaka – tastelessness, anorexia etc.

An intelligent physician should first treat the above said conditions with pachana chikitsa.

What are the examples of herbs which bring about Pachana?

Below mentioned are some of the important Pachana Dravyas –

–        Shunti – Zingiber officinale, Ginger
–        Maricha – Piper nigrum, Black pepper
–        Pippalimula – Roots of Piper longum (Long pepper)
–        Dhanyaka – Coriandrum sativum, Coriander
–        Musta – Cyperus rotundus
–        Lavanga – Syzygium aromaticum, Clove
–        Mulaka – Raphanus sativus, Radish
–        Haritaki – Terminalia chebula
–        Bibhitaki – Terminalia bellirica
–        Amalaki – Emblica officinalis, Indian gooseberry
–        Haridra – Curcuma longa, turmeric
–        Daruharidra – Berberis aristata
–        Kushta – Sausurea lappa
–        Vacha – Acorus calamus
–        Katuki – Picrorrhiza kurroa
–        Nagakesara – Messua ferrea
–        Patha – Cissampelos pareira
–        Chitraka – Plumbago zeylanica
–        Guduchi – Tinospora cordifolia
–        Dashamula – ten roots of Bilva – Aegle marmelos etc herbs
–        Patola – Trichosanthes dioica, pointed gourd
–        Bhallataka – Semicarpus anacardium
–        Kiratatikta – Swertia chirayata
–        Karavellaka – Momordica charantia, bitter gourd
–        Shigru – Moringa oliefera, Drumstick
–        Atasi – Linum usitatissimum, Flax