Aghastya - Agathikeerai

Botanical Name: Sesbania Grandiflora

Hindi: Aghastya, Hathya, Basna, Bakpushpa, Vakrapushpa, Agasi, Chogachi

Sanskrit: Agastya ,Vangasena, Agasti,

Tamil: Agathi, Sivappututti, Agathikeerai

Bengali: Olatkaombol, Bak

Kannada: Agase, Agache, Kempagase

Malayalam: Aagatti, Atti

Oriya: Agastee

Gujarati: Agathiyo, Ayathio

Description

Agastya plant is also known as "Agathi" plant in Hindi. Agastya is fast growing and soft wooded tree grows up to 3-8mt in height. Leaves are regular, deciduous, and abruptly pinnate and rounded about 15-30cm long and has 10-20 leaflets. According to different species this plant bears red and white flowers. Flowers are long, has 2-4 flower racemes, shallowly 2 lipped and are boat shaped. Plant bears flowers in month of September and October. Fruit pods re slender, falcate about 30cm long contains 15-30 seeds inside.

All parts of this plant serve some medicinal purpose. Like the leaves, pods and flowers are used in cooking for making delicious recipes. The wood of Agastya plant is used for domestic purpose. Its consistency matches that of Bamboo because which it is commonly used as its replacement in furniture making. The plant is named "Agastya" because its flowers bloom in the Agastya star day of Sharad Ritu (autumn) as per Ayurveda. According to another belief, it was named after "Agathi" a famous seer who practised Ayurvedic procedures in the beautiful abode of Himalayas. It is said that this plant was very dear to him and has since been named after him.

Beautiful flowers of this plant are also used as an offering to Lord Shiva. All in all it has a very soothing effect on the body and is helpful in managing stress and anxiety under control.

Habitat

It is a native plant of Malaysia and North America. Now it is widespread in most humid tropical regions throughout world. It is also cultivated in India, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines and Sri Lanka. It is often cultivated in between rice fields and with guinea grass.

There are Four varities of Agastya based on the flower colour:-

Sita agastya (white flowers)

Peeta agastya (yellow flowers)

Neel agastya (blue flowers)

Lohita agastya (red flowers)

Practical Uses Of Sesbania Grandifolia

The flowers of the plant have a bitter taste and an astringent action on the body. It can be used in intermittent fever, night blindness, rhinitis, running nose, abdominal pain and all kinds of liver and spleen disorders.

It can be used to detoxify the body, If there is chronic toxicity due to improper dietary patterns over a period of time.

Leaves of Agastya plant have a non – slimy, bitter nature with a hot potency. These are heavy to digest and can effectively balance kapha dosha.

Leaves prove to be helpful in worm infestations and bleeding disorders like menorrhagia and ulcerative colitis. These also possess tonic properties for the body.

Roots and bark of the plant are also used for external application over the body.

Juicy extract of the leaves can be used as nasya to relieve kapha predominant disorders of the upper respiratory tract and for epilepsy also.

Leaf paste can be applied to treat oral and throat problems.

Root bark is applied externally to reduce pain and inflammation in arthritis and gout. Paste of red flower agastya is used in rheumatism.

Leaf juice extract is used in nasya for epileptic sufferers.