An oil is prepared with madanaphala, triphala, guduchi, lotus, the bark of milky (kshiri) trees, mahanila, and the roots of blue lotus and red kumuda (a footnote: the word आंघ्रिक्वाथ may also mean a quarter decoction). Into this oil iron powder is mixed (the verse also names licorice and nilanjana, powdered) and the whole is ground thoroughly in a mortar. Used in the way described before, it is said to make the hair intensely black.
Names and synonyms
- Sanskrit
- केशकृष्णीकरण तैल
- Hindi
- केश कृष्णीकरण तैल
- English
- Hair-blackening oil
Ingredients and preparation
Ingredients
| Ingredient | As written in the text | Quantity as written |
|---|---|---|
| Madanaphala (emetic nut)मैनफल (मदनफल) | पिणडीत / मैनफल | Not stated |
| Triphala (three fruits)त्रिफला | त्रिफला | Not stated |
| Guduchi (giloy)गिलोय (गुडूची) | अमृत / गिलोय | Not stated |
| Padma (lotus)कमल (पद्म) | अंबुरुह / कमल | Not stated |
| Panchavalkala (five barks)पंचवल्कल | ़ीरद्रुमत्वडं् / ़ीरवृ़ाों की छाल | Not stated |
| Mahanilaमहानील | मह नीली / महानील | Not stated |
| Utpala (blue water lily)नीलकमल (उत्पल) | नीलसरोज / नीलकमल (जड) | Not stated |
| Kumudaश्वेतकमल | रक्रकुमुद / रक्रकमल (जड) | Not stated |
| Sesame oil (tila taila)तिल का तेल (तैल) | तैल | Not stated |
| Iron (loha)लोहा (लोह) | लोहरज / लोहचूर्ण | Not stated |
| Yashtimadhu (licorice)मुलेठी (यष्टिमधु) | यष्टिमधुक (श्लोक) | Not stated |
| Antimony sulphide (anjana, sauviranjana)सुरमा (अंजन) | नीलांजन (श्लोक) | Not stated |
Preparation as described
Oil is cooked with the decoction of these drugs; iron powder (with licorice and nilanjana, in the verse) is then added and ground thoroughly in a mortar.
रक्रकमल के जड, इनसे सिद्द तैल में लोहचूर्ण को मिलाकर खरल में डाल कर खूब घोटें। फिर उसे
How it is used
Used on the hair in the way described before.
पूर्वोक्र विधि प्रकार उपयोग में लावें तो केश अत्यन्त काले होते हैं।
Indicated for, as the text says
- Premature greying (palitya)(केशैककाष्णर्यावहम् / केश अत्यन्त काले होते हैं)
भावार्थ : मैनफल, त्रिफला, गिलोय, कमल, ़ीरवृ़ाों की छाल, महानील नीलकमल वSource wording as converted, Chapter 23 · p. 563 · v. 92.Safety
- Needs a trained practitioner. This procedure or preparation is of a kind that should only be carried out under qualified supervision.
Pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, older adults, kidney or liver disease and other medicines all call for professional advice before any traditional remedy is used.
Questions and answers
What do the hair-blackening preparations of verses 88 to 101 have in common?
Every one of them contains iron powder, most also triphala and several nilanjana, bhringaraja, nili and sesame oil; most are matured in an iron vessel or a treated pot, often buried in a heap of grain, then worshipped and applied to the hair.
Detailed answer and sourcesAll references
Every page and verse of the source that this entry draws on.
Extraction notes
- Supervision is flagged for the iron powder and nilanjana. The commentary leaves out the licorice and nilanjana that the verse names. Footnote 2 on PDF 635 says आंघ्रिक्वाथ may also mean a quarter (चतुर्थांश) decoction.
Quick facts
- Content type
- Formulation
- Source pages with records
- 1
- Pages naming it
- 0
- Chapters
- Chapter 23
- Extraction tasks
- T26
- Record id
- formulation_keshakrishnikarana_taila_p635