The short answer
Mahanarayan Taila is sesame oil cooked with milk, shatavari juice and nearly 60 herbs, sold in India mainly as a massage oil for aches and stiffness. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it for facial palsy, paralysis, tremors, a stiff neck or jaw, fractures and torn tendons, and also for deafness, headache, infertility and weakness. It describes use on the skin, in the nose, as an enema and by mouth.
Each batch contains 48 g of camphor (karpura) and 48 g of musk. We have not found a trial of it that we could check. Ask your vaidya about routes of use and use in children.
What is in it
The official recipe is in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 8:45, as Maha Narayana Taila (2003 printed edition, pages 149-150).[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bilva | Aegle marmelos | Root or stem bark | 960 g |
| Ashvagandha | Withania somnifera | Root | 960 g |
| Brihati | Solanum indicum | Whole plant | 960 g |
| Shvadamshtra (gokshura) | Tribulus terrestris | Whole plant | 960 g |
| Shyonaka | Oroxylum indicum | Root or stem bark | 960 g |
| Vatyalaka (bala) | Sida cordifolia | Whole plant | 960 g |
| Paribhadra | Erythrina indica | Root | 960 g |
| Kshudra (kantakari) | Solanum xanthocarpum | Whole plant | 960 g |
| Kathilla (rakta punarnava) | Boerhaavia diffusa | Whole plant | 960 g |
| Atibala | Abutilon indicum | Root | 960 g |
| Agnimantha | Premna integrifolia | Root or stem bark | 960 g |
| Sarani (prasarini) | Paederia foetida | Whole plant | 960 g |
| Patali (patala) | Stereospermum suaveolens | Root or stem bark | 960 g |
| Water for decoction | - | - | 98.304 l, reduced to 24.576 l |
| Taila (sesame oil) | Sesamum indicum | Oil | 6.144 kg |
| Aja dugdha or go dugdha (goat's or cow's milk) | - | - | 6.144 kg |
| Shatavari juice | Asparagus racemosus | Root tuber | 6.144 l |
| Rasna | Pluchea lanceolata | Root or leaf | 96 g |
| Ashvagandha | Withania somnifera | Root | 96 g |
| Mishi (mishreya, saunf) | Foeniculum vulgare | Fruit | 96 g |
| Daru (devadaru) | Cedrus deodara | Heartwood | 96 g |
| Kushtha | Saussurea lappa | Root | 96 g |
| Shalaparni | Desmodium gangeticum | Whole plant | 96 g |
| Prishniparni | Uraria picta | Whole plant | 96 g |
| Mudgaparni | Phaseolus trilobus | Whole plant | 96 g |
| Mashaparni | Teramnus labialis | Whole plant | 96 g |
| Agaru | Aquilaria agallocha | Heartwood | 96 g |
| Keshara (nagakeshara) | Mesua ferrea | Stamen | 96 g |
| Sindhuttha (saindhava lavana, rock salt) | - | - | 96 g |
| Mamsi (jatamamsi) | Nardostachys jatamansi | Rhizome or root | 96 g |
| Haridra (haldi) | Curcuma longa | Rhizome | 96 g |
| Daruharidra | Berberis aristata | Stem | 96 g |
| Shaileyaka (shaileya) | Parmelia perlata | Whole plant | 96 g |
| Chandana (rakta chandana) | Pterocarpus santalinus | Heartwood | 96 g |
| Pushkara | Inula racemosa | Root | 96 g |
| Ela (sukshmaila, cardamom) | Elettaria cardamomum | Seed | 96 g |
| Asra (manjishtha) | Rubia cordifolia | Root | 96 g |
| Yashti (mulethi) | Glycyrrhiza glabra | Root | 96 g |
| Tagara | Valeriana wallichii | Root or rhizome | 96 g |
| Abda (musta) | Cyperus rotundus | Rhizome | 96 g |
| Patra (tejapatra) | Cinnamomum tamala | Leaf | 96 g |
| Bhringa (tvak, cinnamon) | Cinnamomum zeylanicum | Stem bark | 96 g |
| Jivaka | Microstylis muscifera | Root tuber | 96 g |
| Rishabhaka | Microstylis wallichii | Root tuber | 96 g |
| Meda | Polygonatum cirrhifolium | Root tuber | 96 g |
| Mahameda | Polygonatum cirrhifolium | Root tuber | 96 g |
| Kakoli | Lilium polyphyllum; substitute Withania somnifera | Substitute root | 96 g |
| Kshira kakoli | Fritillaria roylei; substitute Withania somnifera | Substitute root | 96 g |
| Riddhi | Habenaria intermedia; substitute Dioscorea bulbifera | Substitute root tuber | 96 g |
| Vriddhi | Habenaria intermedia; substitute Dioscorea bulbifera | Substitute root tuber | 96 g |
| Ambu (hrivera) | Coleus vettiveroides | Root | 96 g |
| Vacha | Acorus calamus | Rhizome | 96 g |
| Palasha | Butea monosperma | Stem bark | 96 g |
| Sthauneya | Taxus baccata | Stem bark | 96 g |
| Vrishchiraka (shveta punarnava) | Boerhaavia verticillata | Whole plant | 96 g |
| Choraka | Angelica glauca | Rhizome | 96 g |
| Karpura (camphor) | Cinnamomum camphora | Sublimated extract | 48 g |
| Kashmira (kunkuma, saffron) | Crocus sativus | Style and stigma | 48 g |
| Mrigandaja (mrigamada, musk) | Moschus moschiferus (animal) | - | 48 g |
Quantities for one batch, from the 2003 printed edition. Kakoli, kshira kakoli, riddhi and vriddhi are rare herbs that the formulary asks to be replaced by substitutes; its appendix names ashvagandha for the two kakolis and Dioscorea bulbifera for riddhi and vriddhi. Products on sale may differ, so check the label.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Bhaishajya Ratnavali, Vatavyadhyadhikara (the chapter on vata disorders), verses 151 to 157. The verse opens with bilva, ashvagandha, brihati and shvadamshtra.[1]
What it is used for
- Nerves and muscles: the formulary lists it for ardita (facial palsy), pangutva (paralysis of the legs), gatra kampa (tremors), manya stambha (stiff neck), hanu stambha (lockjaw), jihva stambha (stiffness of the tongue) and ekanga shosha (wasting of one limb).[1]
- Bones and joints: kubja (hunchback), snayu bhagna (torn tendons) and asthi bhagna (fractures).[1]
- Other uses: badhiratva (deafness), shiroruja (headache), dantashula (toothache), unmada (mental disorder), jvara (fever), jara (old age), karshya (emaciation), shukrakshaya (low semen) and vandhyatva (infertility).[1]
What the evidence says
Classical text onlyWe have not found a trial of Mahanarayan Taila that we could check in full. Its listed uses come from the formulary and the Bhaishajya Ratnavali, not from modern testing.[1]
Safety notes
- Contains camphor (karpura), 48 g per batch. The formulary describes use in the nose and by mouth as well as on the skin, so the camphor is not only on the surface. Ask your doctor before it is used in the nose or mouth, or on a young child.[1]
- Contains musk (mrigamada), which the formulary's appendix identifies as coming from the musk deer. Musk is animal-derived and its trade is controlled internationally, so products may use a substitute. The label should say which.[2]
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Dabur, Baidyanath. We list names so you can match your bottle to this page. We do not recommend or sell any brand.
Withheld until review
Questions people ask
Is Mahanarayan Oil only for massage?
Most people use it on the skin. The formulary also describes it in the nose (nasya), as an oil enema (anuvasana) and by mouth, which is why the camphor in it matters. Ask a vaidya before using it in any of those ways.[1]
Does Mahanarayan Oil help joint pain?
We have not found a trial of it that we could check, so how well it eases joint pain is not known. Our osteoarthritis page covers the Ayurvedic treatments that have been tested.
Related
Osteoarthritis and knee pain: what Ayurveda offers
One boswellia extract and two Indian formulations eased knee pain in trials. The evidence is uneven, and one trial found raised liver enzymes.
FormulationMaharasnadi Kwath
A rasna decoction listed for paralysis, sciatica and joint disease. One uncontrolled knee osteoarthritis study used it with two other medicines.
FormulationMahayogaraj Guggulu
A guggulu tablet whose official recipe is nearly half mineral bhasmas, including lead and mercury. A US case linked lead poisoning to use with another medicine.
EvidenceDoes boswellia (shallaki) help osteoarthritis pain?
A Cochrane review found one enriched boswellia extract eased osteoarthritis pain over 90 days. A review of Ayurvedic trials was less sure.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Maha Narayana Taila, 8:45, printed pages 149-150.
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I. Appendix, list of single drugs of animal origin (Mrgamada, musk).
Awaiting review by The Good Vaidya Medical Board. Prepared from the sources below and checked against each one.
Published 4 November 2026 · Last updated 4 November 2026
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