Ashtakvarga chawanprash made from eight Himalayan medicinal plants remains mockery now since all eight components are not traced by the researchers. The popular Ashtakvarga Chyavanprash is just a deception because the recognition of these plants is purely dependent on illusion.

2.  Our sages have made reference about many useful
medicinal plants in their texts which abound our
country. The times changed and so did the value for
ancient culture and tradition; people started forgetting
the importance of these medicinal plants. Charak
Sanhita contains the description of many such divine
plants for example Brahma Suvarchala, also known as
Hiranyakshira which has lotus shaped leaves.
Ashtakvarga chawanprash made from eight
Himalayan medicinal plants remains mockery now
since all eight components are not traced by the
researchers. Those eight rare herbs had made the old
Chawan Rishi into a young man after eating
Ashtakvarga Chyawanprash and hence it got its
present name.

3.  There is another medicinal plant called
Suryakanta, the milk of these plants is golden
yellow in colour. Another medicinal plant
called ‘Nari’ , also known as ‘Ashvabala’, a
‘Sarpa plant’ (snake shaped) finds place in
ancient scriptures. ‘Soma’ or ‘Somaballi’ is the
queen of all medicines and has 15 leaves. One
leaf reduces everyday depending on the moon
light in the darker half phase interestingly a
new leaf grows everyday during the brighter
half. A medicinal plant called ‘Padma’ smells
like lotus and the colour is also like lotus
flower. Aja is known as Ajashrungi.

4.  “There are several plants whose merits and
demerits are best known by the tribal people;
hunters, sages or people living in forest areas. “The
popular Ashtakvarga Chyavanprash is just a
deception because the recognition of these plants is
purely dependent on illusion. Ashtakvarga
symbolises eight herbs but even the best samples
of Chyavanprash contains only four types of
Ashtakavarga plants, namely Vridhi, meda, kakoli
and Jivak and the other four are not available to
collect the four Ashtakavarga plants theperson has
to travel in the northern and western Himalayan
area. These plants are effective in diseases like
tuberculosis, heart disease, urinary disorder,
diabetes and different types of fever. It could be
possible that in future we are able to find the
medicines for AIDS and HIV.”- Acharya
Balkrishna

5.  Neel medicinal plant has blue coloured flowers and
milk. It has many branches. It is recommended to drink
its juice till satisfaction and take goat milk over it.
Afterwards the person should lie down in a covered
wooden tub in a nude position under the forest flame
tree. This gives new energy and glow to the body.
Similarly there are many medicinal plants in the hilly
regions, which are full of medicinal values. Many
practitioners believe no plant in India is capable of
making a person unconscious like chloroform.
However in Nepal and Bhutan a plant called ‘Vikham’
is found. It is 4 to 5 feet in height. The main
characteristic of this plant is that when a person passes
from near the tree he becomes unconscious. Smelling
its roots works like chloroform. A plant medicine with
properties called Nivirsho also grows near this plant
and contains the opposite qualities. When a person
keeps its roots near the nose, he regains consciousness.
Such are the powers of these rare plants found in
Himalaya region.