Dhanyakadi / Dhanyaka Hima – A Pitta Pacifying Ayurvedic Drink

Dhanyakadi / Dhanyaka Hima refers to a cold infusion (sheeta kashayam) prepared from coriander seeds and water. The word hima itself means cold. It is considered as a pittashamaka and hrudaya. Hima kalpana is one of the methods of preparing ayurvedic liquid medicines, the other important ones being, swarasa, kashya/ kwatha, phanta, kshirapaka, arka.

Dhanyakadi Hima - Coriander Seeds

Indications:

  • Leucorrhea
  • Bleeding Disorders eg bleeding piles
  • Hyperacidity (Also great for)
  • Diabetes  (This can be used as a preventive treatment measure)
  • Excessive Thirst
  • Burning Sensation
  • Fever
  • Indigestion
  • Abdominal pain
  • Pitta disorders like rashes, boils in summer season.
  • Worm infestation
  • Diarrhoea
  • Can be used as an eyewash for burning eyes, conjunctivitis.

How to prepare?

Equipment Needed:

  1. An Earthen pot
  2. A spoon for mixing.
  3. Clean cotton/muslin cloth for filtering

Recipe (Also known as Hima Kalpana):

  • Take some coriander seeds, crush them a little bit with a pastel to make it a coarse powder. The seeds should be in 1:6 ratio with water. That means if you take 1 part of seeds, take six parts of water.
  • Add the seeds to cold/normal water and mix it well.
  • Keep it overnight.
  • In the morning, filter the water and drink. It is ideal to drink without mixing anything, but you can add a bit of honey for taste.

Appearance & Effect of Dhanyakadi Hima:

The coriander hima, gives a yellowish appearance along with sweet / bitter taste with a strong smell of coriander, when it is ready to consume.

Coriander is great for balancing all tridoshas hence the hima is considered tridoshahara. Coriander is heating in nature, so to reduce the heat, we keep it in water overnight. This cools the mixture as it takes the Samskara (effect) of moonlight. Moonlight is a natural cooling agent.

Classical Reference:

The reference is found in classical text Sharangdhara Samhita Madhayam Khanda 2. 7-8

प्रात: सशर्कर: पेयो हिमो धान्याकसंभव: ॥
अन्तर्दाहं तथा तृषणां जयेत्स्त्रोतोविसोधनं ।
(शा. स. म. ख. २. ७-८)

Praataha Saasharkaro peyo himo dhaanyaka sambhavaha
Antardaaham mahaa thrishnam jayet sroto Vishodhanam

Dosage Information:

You can start your day with Dhanyaka Hima rather than plain water. It is recommended to have 10-30ml trice a day at max.

Side Effects:

No known side effects are there of this preparation.

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