Maha Narayana Thailam
Maha Narayana Thailam is a classical Ayurvedic taila, a medicated oil. Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I. Bhaishajya Ratnavali (Vatavyadhi Chikitsa) by Govind Das Sen. The 'Maha' (great) version is an expanded formulation of Narayana Thailam with 50-56+ herbs including the rare Ashtavarga group. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part I, entry 8:45) lists 59 ingredients, beginning with Bilva, Asvagandha, Brhati and Svadamistra.
| Also known as | Maha Narayana Thailam, MahaNarayanaThailam |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) Part I. Primary reference in Bhaishajya Ratnavali. Also documented in Sahasrayogam (South Indian tradition). Manufactured by major licensed pharmacies (Kottakkal AVS, AVP, Nagarjuna) under AYUSH GMP certification. |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 8:45 (MAHA NARAYANA TAILA), which cites Bhaisajyaratnavali, Vatavyadhyadhikara; 151-157.. 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 | Bilva | Rt. /St. Bk. | 960 g. |
| 2 | Asvagandha | root | 960 g. |
| 3 | Brhati * | illegible | 960 g. |
| 4 | Svadamistra (goksura) * | illegible | 960 g. |
| 5 | Syonaka * | Rt. St. Bk. | 960 2. |
| 6 | Vatyalaka (bala) * | illegible | 960 g. |
| 7 | Paribhadra | root | 960 g. |
| 8 | Ksudra (kantakari) * | illegible | 960 g. |
| 9 | Kathilla (rakta punarnava) * | illegible | 960 g. |
| 10 | Atibala * | root | 960 g. |
| 11 | Agnimantha * | root or stem bark | 960 g. |
| 12 | Sarani (prasarini) * | illegible | 960 g. |
| 13 | Patali (patala) * | root or stem bark | 960 2. |
| 14 | Water for decoction / reduced to * | 98.304 I. / reduced to 24.576 I. | |
| 15 | Taila (tila) * | oil | 6.144 kg. |
| 16 | Aja dugdha or Go dugdha * | 6.144 kg. | |
| 17 | Satavari-rasa * | root tuber | 6.144 1. |
| 18 | Rasna | Rt./Lf. | 96 g. |
| 19 | Asvagandha | root | 96 g. |
| 20 | Misi (misreya) * | Fr, | 96 g. |
| 21 | Daru (devadaru) * | heart wood | 96 g. |
| 22 | Kustha | root | 96 g. |
| 23 | Salaparni * | illegible | 96 g. |
| 24 | Prsniparni * | PC | 96 g. |
| 25 | Mudgaparni * | illegible | 96 g. |
| 26 | Masaparni * | illegible | 96 g. |
| 27 | Agaru * | heart wood | 96 g. |
| 28 | KeSara (nagakeSara) * | stamens | 96 £. |
| 29 | Sindhuttha (saindhava lavana) * | 96 g. | |
| 30 | Mamsi (jafamamsi) * | Rz./Rt. | 96 g. |
| 31 | Haridra * | rhizome | 96 g. |
| 32 | Daruharidra | stem | 96 g. |
| 33 | Saileyaka (Saileya) * | illegible | 96 g. |
| 34 | Candana (rakta - candana) | heart wood | 96 g. |
| 35 | Puskara * | root | 96 £. |
| 36 | Ela (suksmaila) | seed | 96 g. |
| 37 | Asra (manjistha) | root | 96 g. |
| 38 | Yasti | root | 96 g. |
| 39 | Tagara | Rt./Rz. | 96 g. |
| 40 | Abda (musta) | rhizome | 96 g. |
| 41 | Patra (tejapatra) | leaf | 96 g. |
| 42 | Bhrnga (tvak) | stem bark | 96 g. |
| 43 | Jivaka | root tuber | 96 g. |
| 44 | Rsabhaka * | root tuber | 96 £. |
| 45 | Meda * | Tr..Rt. | 96 g. |
| 46 | Mahameda | root tuber | 96 g. |
| 47 | Kakoli | Sub. Rt. | 96 g. |
| 48 | Ksira Kakoli | Sub.Rt. | 96 g. |
| 49 | Rddhi | Sub. Rt.Tr. | 96 g. |
| 50 | Vrddhi | Sub. Rt. Tr. | 96 g. |
| 51 | Ambu (hrivera) | root | 96 g. |
| 52 | Vaca | rhizome | 96 g. |
| 53 | Palasa | stem bark | 96 g. |
| 54 | Sthauneya | stem bark | 96 g. |
| 55 | Vrsciraka (Sveta punarnava) * | illegible | 96 g. |
| 56 | Coraka | rhizome | 96 g. |
| 57 | Karpura | Sub. Ext. | 48 g. |
| 58 | Kasmira (kunkuma) | Stl./ Stg. | 48 g. |
| 59 | Mrgandaja (mrgamada) * | 48 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 6 g, with anupana, the vehicle it is taken with, of 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.
Names and identification
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Maha Narayana Thailam |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Bhaishajya Ratnavali (Vatavyadhi Chikitsa) by Govind Das Sen. The ‘Maha’ (great) version is an expanded formulation of Narayana Thailam with 50-56+ herbs including the rare Ashtavarga group. Also referenced in Sushruta Samhita commentaries.
How does it work?
- Withanolides from Ashwagandha have been reported to suppress NF-kB pathway activation and inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6)
- Sesame oil base serves as a penetration enhancer, delivering lipophilic saponins, lignans, and phenolics transdermally to deep musculoskeletal tissues
- Guduchi’s berberine and tinosporine alkaloids have been reported in preclinical studies to have immunomodulatory and anti-arthritic activity
- Rasna’s clerodane diterpenes have been reported to have anti-inflammatory activity
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Osteoarthritis and joint pain: traditionally applied through Abhyanga for these conditions. A study reported reduced symptoms with Abhyanga.
- Vata-vyadhi (neuromuscular disorders) including paralysis, muscular atrophy, and tremors: traditionally used for these conditions. Pharmacological studies have reported compounds with neuroprotective and anti-inflammatory activity.
- Bone and joint strengthening (Asthi-Sandhi Balya): traditionally used to strengthen bones and joints. Research has reported phytosterols and calcium-channel active compounds from Dashamoola and Ashwagandha.
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
- Generally safe for external application. Some individuals with sensitive skin may experience mild warmth or redness due to heating herbs. Not recommended for acute inflammatory pitta conditions or open wounds. Patch test advised for first-time users.
- Internal administration should only be under practitioner supervision. Caution in individuals on blood-thinning medications due to potential interaction with anti-inflammatory phytoconstituents. Heavy formulation may not be suitable for daily use in Kapha-dominant individuals.
What is it made of?
The Ayurvedic Formulary of India recipe, every ingredient with its part and quantity, is in the composition table near the top of this page.
Dosage forms and preparation
Dosage Forms: Thailam (medicated sesame oil), External application
Standard Dosage: External massage or Basti (enema): 30-60ml. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 8:45 states a dose of 6 g; that is a different unit from the figure above and the two cannot be compared without knowing the preparation’s density. The formulary’s anupana: milk, warm water. The formulary attributes this formula to Bhaisajyaratnavali, Vatavyadhyadhikara; 151-157.
Optimal Timing: External: before bath or at bedtime. Internal: before meals
Storage: Airtight amber glass/HDPE container, room temperature, protected from light
Marker Compounds: Withanolides, Aegeline, Sesamin
Vehicle (Anupana): External: massage into affected area. Internal: with warm water/milk
Synergistic Combinations
- Key herbs: Bilva, Ashwagandha, Brihati, Shatavari + 20 more herbs; oil base acts as lipid carrier for enhanced tissue penetration
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 4 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 |
| Patanjali Ayurved | Ingredients and the quantity of each |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| SNA Oushadhasala | 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.
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.