Ayurvedic Herbalism
Chironji
Buchanania lanzan
Also known as charoli, almondette, Cuddapah almond, calumpong nut, Priyala, Chara, Kharaskandha.
Buchanania lanzan is a medium-sized deciduous tree of the cashew family found across the dry deciduous forests of central and peninsular India, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and the sub-Himalayan tract. Its small almond-flavored kernels, sold as chironji or charoli, are a prized sweet-shop ingredient and a forest livelihood for tribal communities. In Ayurveda the kernel is Priyala, a sweet, cooling, nourishing tonic for wasting, burning and sexual weakness, and the bark is a separate astringent drug for diarrhea and fever.
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Indications what the tradition reached for it in
- Convalescence with weight loss and weakness
- Underweight children and elders with poor appetite
- Burning sensation and thirst in pitta states
- Low libido and poor seminal quality
- Dry cough and hoarseness (kernel in milk)
- Diarrhea and dysentery (bark)
- Intermittent fever with debility (bark)
- Bleeding tendency with heat (bark)
- Facial pigmentation, dryness and itching (topical paste)
- Slow-healing wounds (topical)
Specific indications
A thin, dry, overheated patient recovering from illness who cannot tolerate heavy oils or heating tonics but needs to be built up
A pitta or vata-pitta man with low desire, burning urination and fatigue, where a sweet cooling reproductive tonic is wanted instead of Ashwagandha
Dry, blotchy facial skin with dark patches in a hot constitution, treated with a kernel and milk paste while the diet is cooled
Safety
The record lists 6 contraindications; open the plate in the library to read them in full.
In practice
Priyala majja is the gentle brimhana of the Ayurvedic shelf: where Ashwagandha builds with heat, Priyala builds with cooling sweetness, which makes it the tonic of choice for pitta-vata patients who flush, burn and thirst while losing weight.
In Ayurveda
Rasa: madhura (sweet), the bark kashaya (astringent). Virya: sheeta (cooling). Vipaka: madhura (sweet). Guna: guru (heavy), snigdha (unctuous). Dosha: pacifies vata and pitta; the kernel increases kapha and is heavy to digest. Karma: brimhana (nourishing, builds tissue); balya (strengthening); vrishya (aphrodisiac); hridya (cardiac tonic); dahaprashamana (relieves burning); pittahara (pacifies pitta); vatahara (pacifies vata); snehana (unctuous, lubricating); grahi (the bark binds the bowel); varnya (improves complexion, topical). Classical indications: kshaya (wasting); daurbalya (weakness); daha (burning sensation); trishna (thirst); jvara (fever, the bark); raktapitta (bleeding disorders); atisara (diarrhea, the bark); klaibya (male sexual dysfunction); vyanga (facial blemish, topical); kandu (itching, topical). The seed kernel (Priyala majja) is the main drug, eaten whole, ground into a paste with milk as a nourishing ksheerapaka, or pressed for oil; the stem bark is used as churna and kwatha for diarrhea and fever, and the kernel paste and oil are applied to the skin. Classical formulations: Priyala majja churna, Priyala ksheerapaka, Priyaladi lepa, Chironji taila, Vidaryadi gana kwatha. Described in: Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hridaya, Bhavaprakasha Nighantu, Dhanvantari Nighantu, Raja Nighantu, Kaiyadeva Nighantu.
Dosing as the sources wrote it
| Preparation | As written | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Majja (kernel) | 5-10 g kernels daily, roasted and ground into milk | 5000-10000 mg |
| Churna (bark) | 3-6 g powdered stem bark twice daily with honey | 3000-6000 mg |
| Kwatha (bark) | 50-100 mL bark decoction twice daily | 50-100 mL |
| Kalka, topical | 5-10 g kernel paste in milk applied to the face or skin daily | 5000-10000 mg |
| Taila, topical | 2-5 mL kernel oil massaged into dry skin daily | 2-5 mL |
Doses are reproduced from the sources for practitioners and are not a recommendation for any person.
From the sources
Overview. Buchanania lanzan is a medium-sized deciduous tree of the cashew family found across the dry deciduous forests of central and peninsular India, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and the sub-Himalayan tract. Its small almond-flavored kernels, sold as chironji or charoli, are a prized sweet-shop ingredient and a forest livelihood for tribal communities. In Ayurveda the kernel is Priyala, a sweet, cooling, nourishing tonic for wasting, burning and sexual weakness, and the bark is a separate astringent drug for diarrhea and fever.
Clinical Notes. Priyala majja is the gentle brimhana of the Ayurvedic shelf: where Ashwagandha builds with heat, Priyala builds with cooling sweetness, which makes it the tonic of choice for pitta-vata patients who flush, burn and thirst while losing weight.
Ayurvedic Profile. Rasa: madhura (sweet), the bark kashaya (astringent). Virya: sheeta (cooling). Vipaka: madhura (sweet). Guna: guru (heavy), snigdha (unctuous). Dosha: pacifies vata and pitta; the kernel increases kapha and is heavy to digest.
Conservation. Wild populations are declining from unsustainable fruit harvesting, lopping and slow regeneration in central India; prefer kernels from managed or community-harvested sources.
In formulas
Chironji stands in 2 documented formulas in the library, among them Pūgakhaṇḍa, Aśoka Ghṛta.
Often paired with
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