Shunthi (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) belongs to Zingiberaceae family. It is a perennial erect herb with a creeping tuberous rhizome. Root stock horizontal, tuberous, aromatic, stout, rhizome with erect leafy stems 0.6-1.4 meter high.  Stem elongated, leafy, 15-150 cm. tall.  Leaves narrow, linear, sessile and sub sessile on the sheaths, with an alternative base, acuminate, glabrous, 10-50 cm. long lower part surrounding the stem, 5-10 inch long, smooth, ligule glabrous and sheaths glabrous. Flowers- shoot up to 12 cm long, clothed with sheaths; bracts 2-5 cm x 2 cm, light green; corolla tube light yellow, lip orbicular, dull purple with creamy blotches. Flowering and fruiting during July – September. It is cultivated almost throughout India. Shunthi, mahaushdh, vishw, nagar, vishwbheshaj, vishvaushadh, katugranthi, katubhadr, katushn, sauparn, shringver, kafari, aardrak, shoshan, nagar are its various synonyms found in ayurvedic texts. Rasa -Katu, Guna – snigdha, virya – ushna, vipaka – Madhura are properties of this drug. Drug is shothahara and Vata-kaphahara and used as deepana and bhedana. It is used in various disease like shula, amavata, aadhyamana, atisara, shlipada, kasa, shwasa, hridroga, shopha, hikka, vibandha, rakttapita, pandu, vrana, jvara, kustha, agnimandya etc.

Keywords: Shunthi, Zingiberacea, Vata-Kafahara. 

1. Charaka Samhita : Agnivesh, Revised by Charaka and Dridhabala,Vidyotini Hindi commentry by Pt. Kashi Nath Shastri and Gorakh Nath Chaturvedi, 13th Edition, 1986, Chaukhamba Sanskrit Series, Varanasi.
2. Sushruta Samhita : Hindi commentary by Kaviraj Ambika Dutt Shastri, 5th Edition, 1982, Chaukhamba Sanskrit Series, Varanasi.

Dr Anant Saznam

Lecturer, Dravyguna Deptt.

SRTAC and H Karjara, Gaya, Bihar