Rasnasaptakam Kashayam
Rasnasaptakam Kashayam is a classical Ayurvedic kashaya, a water decoction. Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Earliest reference in Ashtanga Hridaya commentaries. Hints of formula in Vangasena Samhita (circa 11th century CE). The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Part II, entry 4:20) lists 7 ingredients: Rasna, Amrta, Aragvadha, Devadaru, Trikantaka, Eranda and Punarnava.
| Also known as | Rasnasaptakam Kashayam, RasnasaptakamKashayam |
|---|---|
| Pharmacopoeia status | Listed in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India (AFI). Referenced in Sahasrayogam and Kerala Ayurvedic pharmacopoeias. Available as standardized tablets and liquid decoctions from licensed manufacturers. |
Composition
As given in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part II, entry 4:20 (RASNASAPTAKA KVATHA CURNA), which cites Bhaisajyaratnavali, Amavatadhikara; 9. 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 | Rasna | root | illegible |
| 2 | Amrta (gudtci) | stem | illegible |
| 3 | Aragvadha | Fr.P. | illegible |
| 4 | Devadaru | illegible | |
| 5 | Trikantaka (goksura) | fruit | illegible |
| 6 | Eranda | root | illegible |
| 7 | Punarnava (Rakta Punarnava) | root | illegible |
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 Formulary gives the dose as 10 to 50 g. 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 | Rasnasaptakam Kashayam |
Where is it described in the classical texts?
Earliest reference in Ashtanga Hridaya commentaries. Hints of formula in Vangasena Samhita (circa 11th century CE). Documented extensively in Kerala Ayurvedic tradition for Vata disorders of the musculoskeletal system.
How does it work?
- Anti-inflammatory activity through inhibition of pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6) by Rasna and Guduchi
- Ama (toxin) digestion by Rasna’s digestive action helps resolve metabolic waste contributing to joint inflammation
- Vata-Kapha balancing through the synergistic seven-herb combination is traditionally described as reducing joint stiffness and swelling
- Devadaru and Eranda are traditionally described as analgesic
Which traditional uses are supported by research?
These summaries come from the source notes, which do not name the studies behind them.
- Joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis: traditionally used for joint pain and rheumatoid arthritis. A clinical study reported improvement in pain scores.
- Chronic low back pain: traditionally used for chronic low back pain.
- Fever associated with body aches: traditionally used for fever associated with body aches. Guduchi is described as having anti-inflammatory and antipyretic properties.
- Sciatica and neuralgia: traditionally used for sciatica and neuralgia. Devadaru and Eranda are described as having analgesic properties.
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
- No significant adverse effects reported at standard dosage. Research gaps include long-term safety profiling and standardized extract optimization.
- Comparative trials against standard NSAIDs for specific arthritis types are still needed. Should be taken under physician supervision for chronic conditions.
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: Kashayam (decoction), Kashayam tablet, Concentrated liquid
Standard Dosage: 15-30ml twice daily. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part II, entry 4:20 specifies 10 to 50 g of the kvatha curna to prepare the decoction, which is a quantity of drug rather than a dose taken, so it is not comparable with the volume above. The formulary attributes this formula to Bhaisajyaratnavali, Amavatadhikara; 9.
Optimal Timing: Before meals, typically morning and evening
Storage: Fresh: refrigerate, use within 24h. Tablet/liquid: cool dry place, airtight
Marker Compounds: Isorasnol
Vehicle (Anupana): Warm, usually taken on empty stomach
Synergistic Combinations
- Classical combination of Rasna and 6 other herbs provides synergistic therapeutic effect
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 5 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 |
|---|---|
| AVN Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Maharishi Ayurveda | Neither an ingredient list nor quantities |
| Sitaram Ayurveda | An ingredient list, without quantities |
| SNA Oushadhasala | 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.
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.