Kalyanaka Ghrita
Kalyanaka Ghrita is a classical Ayurvedic ghrita, a medicated ghee. Multi-compound synergy provides broad-spectrum activity with individual compound bioavailability enhanced by ghee matrix. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 6:7) lists 29 ingredients, beginning with Haritaki, Bibhitaka, Amalaki and Visala.
| Also known as | Kalyanaka Ghrita, KalyanakaGhrita |
|---|
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 6:7 (KALYANAKA GHRTA), which cites Astangahrdaya, Uttarasthana, Adhyaya 6; 26-28½.. Names, parts and quantities are transcribed as printed and checked row by row against the book. Manufacturers' versions of a classical formulation can differ from the formulary.
| # | Ingredient | Part | Quantity |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Haritaki * | pericarp | 12 g. |
| 2 | Bibhitaka | pericarp | 12 g. |
| 3 | Amalaki | pericarp | 12 g. |
| 4 | Visala (rakta indravaruni) | fruit | 12 g. |
| 5 | Bhadraila (sthulaela) | seed | 12 g. |
| 6 | Devadaru * | heart wood | 12 g. |
| 7 | Elavaluka | stem bark | 12 g. |
| 8 | Sveta sariva | root | 12 g. |
| 9 | Krsna sariva | root | 12 g. |
| 10 | Haridra | rhizome | 12 g. |
| 11 | Daru haridra | stem | 12 g. |
| 12 | Salaparni * | whole plant | 12 g. |
| 13 | Prsniparni * | whole plant | 12 g. |
| 14 | Phalini (priyangu) * | flower | 12 g. |
| 15 | Nata (tagara) | Rt./Rz. | 12 g. |
| 16 | Brhati * | whole plant | 12 g. |
| 17 | Kustha | root | 12 g. |
| 18 | Manjistha * | stem | 12 g. |
| 19 | Nagakesara | stamens | 12 g. |
| 20 | Dadima-phala tvak * | fruit | illegible |
| 21 | Vella (vidanga) | fruit | 12 g. |
| 22 | Talisa patra (talisa) | leaf | 12 g. |
| 23 | Ela (suksmaila) * | seed | 12 g. |
| 24 | Malati mukula (jati) * | flower | 12 g. |
| 25 | Utpala * | flower | 12 g. |
| 26 | Danti | root | 12 g. |
| 27 | Padmaka * | heart wood | 12 g. |
| 28 | Hima (rakta candana) * | heart wood | 12 g. |
| 29 | Sarpi (go ghrta) | 768 g. |
Cells marked illegible are damaged in the source scan. The ingredient name is shown where it was readable, and nothing is inferred to fill a gap.
* The scanned text was damaged at this row and the name was read from the entry's own Sanskrit verse.
The Formulary gives the dose as 12 g, with anupana, the vehicle it is taken with, of warm milk, warm water. This is what the Formulary records for the classical preparation. It is not a dose for any product, and not advice to take anything.
The evidence at a glance
4papers on this site for this drug, published 2023 to 2026, every one with a DOI.
- 1Randomised controlled trials
- 1Other clinical studies and reviews
- 2Laboratory and animal studies
A count is not a conclusion and a tier is a study design, not a verdict. Each paper is listed with what it measured on the page below. See the research index for how papers are tiered.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Kalyanaka Ghrita |
Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)
| Property | Value | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Rasa (Taste) | Tikta, Madhura | Primary taste |
| Guna (Quality) | Guru, Snigdha | Physical quality |
| Virya (Potency) | Sheeta | Heating/Cooling effect |
| Vipaka (Post-digestive) | Madhura | Post-digestive effect |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Ashtanga Hrudayam Uttarasthana 6/26-33 (Mahakalyanaka Ghritam); Charaka Samhita (Kalyanaka Ghrita); Chakradatta (Ksheerakalyanaka Ghrita); Bhaisajya Ratnavali; Sharangadhara Samhita; Sahasrayoga
How does it work?
- Polyherbal synergy of plant extracts in lipid medium enhances bioavailability of neuroprotective compounds
- Haridra (curcumin) provides anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects on neural tissue, reducing neuroinflammation
- Sariva and Daruharidra provide cooling, pitta-pacifying action that calms aggravated mental states
- Balances Tridosha with emphasis on Vata-Pitta pacification, restoring equilibrium in Manovaha Srotas (mental channels)
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Unmada (psychosis/schizophrenia): traditionally used for unmada. Clinical studies have reported improvement in psychiatric conditions, including OCD, at follow-up.
- Cognitive deficit in children: traditionally used for cognitive deficit in children. A prospective clinical evaluation reported favourable safety and cognitive outcomes in children.
- Fertility enhancement: traditionally used for both male (sperm quality) and female (ovum quality) fertility.
- Apasmara (epilepsy): used in classical practice for apasmara. Pharmacological studies have reported anticonvulsant properties in its ingredients.
What do recent studies show?
No study for this section could be traced to a published paper. Classical formulations are researched largely in journals that PubMed does not index, so an absence here reflects the reach of the index rather than the state of the evidence.
Recent safety updates
- One prospective clinical evaluation (not identified here) reported no adverse events in children with cognitive deficits
- Caution advised for individuals with diabetes, high cholesterol, heart diseases, and hypertension due to ghee base
- Excessive consumption could lead to gastrointestinal distress; should be used under medical supervision
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Ghrita (medicated ghee), Soft gelatin capsules (modern)
Standard Dosage: 12 g twice daily on empty stomach with warm water/milk, as given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 6:7. The formulary’s anupana: warm milk, warm water. The formulary attributes this formula to Astangahrdaya, Uttarasthana, Adhyaya 6; 26-28½.
Optimal Timing: On empty stomach, morning and evening. For psychiatric conditions: continuous use for 3-6 months minimum.
Storage: Store in airtight glass or tin containers in a cool, dry place. Temperature not exceeding 25°C. Protect from light.
Marker Compounds: Alpha-santalol, Gallic acid, Ursolic acid (from Sariva)
Vehicle (Anupana): Warm water or warm milk
Synergistic Combinations
- Brahmi Ghritam
- Saraswatarishta
- Mahakalyanaka Ghrita (extended version)
- Brahma Rasayana
What manufacturers publish about this preparation
Disclosure first. This site is published by Age Ayurveda, which sells Ayurvedic products, though not this preparation. Every cell states what that company's own product page carried when it was read, not our judgement of it. There is no score, no rank and no winner here, and the table is in alphabetical order for that reason.
The formulary entry above fixes the ingredients and the quantity of each. Whether you can check a particular product against it depends on what its manufacturer publishes. Of the 3 companies surveyed that sell a product under this name, this is what their pages carried when they were read on 8 October 2026.
| Company | What its product page publishes |
|---|---|
| Kerala Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy, Coimbatore | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
This measures what each company publishes, not the quality of anything it makes. A company that publishes nothing here may make an excellent preparation, and the label in the box is a separate, regulated surface that is not what was read. What disclosure changes is whether a reader, a pharmacist or an answer engine can check a product against the formulary entry it claims.
Method, the full counts across every company surveyed, and what this measurement got wrong the first time: which manufacturers publish what is in the bottle. The URL of every page read is recorded in brand-disclosure.json. If a row here is wrong, including where the correction favours a company other than ours, tell us and we will fix it and say that we did. How the same companies' stated doses compare with the formulary dose, preparation by preparation: Ayurvedic company doses against the Ayurvedic Formulary of India.
Published research
Literature indexed in PubMed that concerns this subject, grouped by study type. A paper appearing here is a record of what has been published, not evidence that the subject works, and laboratory or animal results do not transfer to people. Study titles link to PubMed so you can read the source rather than take our word.
Randomised controlled trials1
Other clinical studies and reviews1
Laboratory and animal studies2
- 2024. Product development and characterization of a lipid-based Ayurvedic polyherbal formulation: Kalyanaka GhritaJournal of Ayurveda and integrative medicine. PMID 39413551 · doi:10.1016/j.jaim.2024.101011
- 2023. Standardization and Ameliorative effect of Kalyanaka ghrita in β-amyloid induced memory impairment in wistar ratsJournal of ethnopharmacology. PMID 36055476 · doi:10.1016/j.jep.2022.115671
Reviewed by Dr. Awadesh Pratap Singh, BAMS, on 11 October 2026. What that review covered.
Consult a qualified vaidya before acting on anything here. Ayurvedic practice is prescribed to a person, not to a condition: the same dravya is given, withheld or substituted depending on your constitution, your agni, the season and what else you are already taking. A page cannot know any of that. Self-prescribing from a reference is how the wrong preparation, the wrong dose or the wrong anupana gets used.
Educational reference only. Nothing on this page is medical advice, a diagnosis, or a recommendation to take anything. Traditional uses and research findings are reported as published, not as claims about what any product does. If you take prescribed medication, raise any interaction with the prescriber rather than acting on a page. See our editorial standards.