Ayurveda’s Precious Gift: Triphala

Triphala is made up of three high quality medicinal herbs: amla (Indian gooseberry, Bot. Embilica Officianalis), harad (Bot. Terminalia Chebula) and baheda (Bot. Terminalia Bellerica). Amla provides longevity. Harad functions as a protector like a mother, and Baheda works to purify the whole body. This makes triphala a precious gift for mankind from our ancient sages. It removes abnormal kapha stored in the body, digests amadosha (immature rasa) and waste products in the body making it pure and efficient. It removes dullness of the intellect and senses (especially the eyes) making them sharp. It prevents impotency and diseases. It functions as an excellent rasayana (promotive therapy), antibiotic and antiseptic. It improves the eyesight, expels faces, stimulates the digestive fire and destroys kapha and pitta. People who consume triphala and follow a disciplined life style with controlled eating habits, are saved from the possibility of having illnesses like heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes mellitus, eye diseases, abdominal disorders, obesity etc. It destroys twenty types of diabetes, different types of leprosy, irregular fever and inflammation. It strengthens the skeletal system, hair, teeth and digestive system, and its regular consumption makes the body disease-free, robust, light and energetic.

Even Pujya Bapuji takes triphala daily.
Recipe for making Triphala Churna:
Ingredients: Dry Native Amla, Big Harad, Baheda.
Method: Take equal quantities of the three ingredients. De-seed them and grind all three together to make a fine powder. After sifting through a thin cloth, store in a glass jar.

Medicinal Uses of Triphala
Eye Wash
Soak a teaspoon of triphala churna in a bowl of water at night. In the morning, wash your eyes with this water after straining it through a thin cloth. This remedy is highly beneficial for the eyes. With this, the eyes remain clean and eyesight becomes sharp. This eye cleansing therapy is very helpful in cases like irritation of the eyes, redness of eyes, watering of eyes and conjunctivitis.

Gargling
Soak triphala churna at night. In the morning, after brushing your teeth, fill your moth with this water. Rinse vigorously around the teeth and gums and then spit out. With this, gums and teeth remain strong through old age. It is beneficial to brush your teeth occasionally with triphala churna. By gargling with triphala water, as described, ailments like apathy, halitosis (bad breath) and ulcers in the mouth get destroyed.

Consuming a mixture of triphala churna, cow’s ghee and honey (more ghee and less honey) is a boon for the eyes. Along with disciplined living and eating habits, consuming this mixture prevents eye diseases like cataract, hyper mature cataract, defective vision, etc. Eyesight remains stable and keen throughout old age.

Washing a wound with a decoction of triphala prevents the need of using allopathic antiseptic lotions. The wound heals quickly.

Boil triphala in water. Take this mixture after adding honey to it when it is luke warm. This reduces obesity.

Triphala is very beneficial for all urinary problems and diabetes mellitus.

Constipation gets cured by taking triphala with lukewarm water at night.

Dosage: Have 2-4 gms of triphala churna with lukewarm water after lunch or at night. If you are unable to take this after dinner, you can even take it early in the morning.

Precautions: Weak and debilitated people, pregnant women and people with acute fever should not take triphala.

If you have to drink milk, then keep an interval of two hours between having triphala and drinking milk.

Foods which aggravate or pacify the three humors (doshas)
Among fruits, dates, amlas, harad, ripe desi mangoes, sweet pomegranate, sweet grape, ripe papayas and ripe tamarind pacify the three humors. Raw mangoes and sour grapes aggravate the three humors.