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Karnikara

Karnikara is a substance used in the Ayurvedic materia medica.

Names and identification

LanguageName
EnglishKarnikara

Ayurvedic pharmacology (Dravyaguna)

PropertyValueDescription
Rasa (Taste)KashayaPrimary taste
Guna (Quality)Laghu, RukshaPhysical quality
Virya (Potency)SheetaHeating/Cooling effect
Vipaka (Post-digestive)KatuPost-digestive effect

Dosage forms and preparation

Dosage Forms: Churna (powder), Kashayam (decoction), Taila (oil), Lepa (external paste), Capsule

Standard Dosage: 2-4 g powder twice daily; 50-80 mL decoction twice daily; external oil application as needed

Optimal Timing: After meals with warm water; external application twice daily

Storage: Store in airtight, light-resistant containers at 15-30°C. Oil preparations in amber glass bottles. Protect from moisture.

Marker Compounds: Luteolin, Apigenin, Beta-sitosterol, Friedelin, Pterospermone, Kaempferol glycosides

Synergistic Combinations

  • Shirisha (Albizia lebbeck), traditionally paired in formulations described as anti-allergic
  • Haridra, traditionally paired in formulations described as anti-inflammatory
  • Guduchi, traditionally paired in formulations described as supporting immune function
  • Manjistha, traditionally paired in formulations described as blood purifying

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.