The short answer
Maharasnadi Kwath is a decoction made by boiling a coarse powder of rasna with 25 other herbs, including eranda (castor), dry ginger, guduchi (giloy), ashwagandha and shatavari. The Ayurvedic Formulary of India lists it for paralysis, tremors, sciatica, amavata (a joint disease), facial palsy, pain in the calves and knees, and diseases of the reproductive organs.
In a 2017 study, 142 people with knee osteoarthritis took it for 12 weeks together with Vatari guggulu and an oil massage. Average WOMAC pain scores fell from 10.30 to 3.33, but with no comparison group the change cannot be put down to the kwath. Several of its herbs have their own interaction pages, so tell your doctor you take it.
What is in it
The official recipe is in the Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, entry 4:28, as Rasnadi Kvatha Churna (Maha) (2003 printed edition, pages 60-61).[1]
| Ingredient | Botanical name | Part used | Proportion |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rasna | Pluchea lanceolata | Whole plant | 50 parts (see note) |
| Dhanvayasa | Fagonia cretica | Whole plant | 1 part |
| Bala | Sida cordifolia | Whole plant | 1 part |
| Eranda mula (castor) | Ricinus communis | Whole plant (as printed; the e-book copy says root) | 1 part |
| Devadaru (deodar) | Cedrus deodara | Heartwood | 1 part |
| Shathi (shati, kachur) | Hedychium spicatum | Rhizome | 1 part |
| Vacha | Acorus calamus | Rhizome | 1 part |
| Vasaka (vasa) | Adhatoda vasica | Printed as rhizome | 1 part |
| Nagara (shunthi, dry ginger) | Zingiber officinale | Rhizome | 1 part |
| Pathya (haritaki) | Terminalia chebula | Pericarp | 1 part |
| Chavya | Piper chaba | Stem | 1 part |
| Musta (nagarmotha) | Cyperus rotundus | Rhizome | 1 part |
| Punarnava (rakta punarnava) | Boerhaavia diffusa | Root | 1 part |
| Guduchi (giloy) | Tinospora cordifolia | Stem | 1 part |
| Vriddhadaru | Ipomoea petaloidea | Root | 1 part |
| Shatapushpa (shatahva, dill) | Anethum sowa | Fruit | 1 part |
| Gokshura | Tribulus terrestris | Fruit | 1 part |
| Ashvagandha | Withania somnifera | Root | 1 part |
| Prativisha (ativisha) | Aconitum heterophyllum | Root | 1 part |
| Kritamala (aragvadha, amaltas) | Cassia fistula | Pericarp (Fr.P. in the 2003 print; P. under the 2023 amendment) | 1 part |
| Shatavari | Asparagus racemosus | Root tuber | 1 part |
| Krishna (pippali) | Piper longum | Fruit | 1 part |
| Sahachara | Barleria prionitis | Whole plant | 1 part |
| Dhanyaka (coriander) | Coriandrum sativum | Printed as whole plant | 1 part |
| Kantakari | Solanum xanthocarpum | Whole plant | 1 part |
| Brihati | Solanum indicum | Whole plant | 1 part |
From the 2003 printed edition, which gives rasna as 50 parts in the table although the verse above it says rasna should be a double part. The printed table gives eranda-mula as whole plant (Pl.), although the name means castor root; the e-book copy says root. The 2023 amendment makes no recipe-specific change, but revises Fr.P. to P., meaning pericarp. Products on sale may differ, so check the label.[1]
Classical source
The formulary takes the recipe from the Sharngadhara Samhita, Madhyamakhanda, chapter 2, verses 89 to 91½. The verse opens by saying rasna is a double part and the others one part each.[1]
What it is used for
- Nerves: the formulary lists it for sarvanga kampa (tremor of the whole body), pakshaghata (paralysis of one side), ardita (facial palsy) and apatanaka (convulsions).[1]
- Joints and back: gridhrasi (sciatica), avabahuka (a frozen, painful shoulder), jangha-janugata vata (pain in the calves and knees), kubja vata (hunchback) and amavata (a joint disease).[1]
- Other uses: shlipada (filariasis), antravriddhi (hernia), adhmana (bloating), shukraroga and medhraroga (disorders of semen and the penis), vandhyatva (infertility) and yoniroga (disorders of the female genital tract).[1]
What the evidence says
Small clinical studySingle-arm study in knee osteoarthritis, 2017. At several centres, 142 people took Maharasnadi kwatha with Vatari guggulu by mouth and had Narayan taila massaged in for 12 weeks; 126 finished. Average WOMAC pain scores fell from 10.30 to 3.33 and physical-function scores from 35.39 to 15.39. Everyone got all three treatments and there was no comparison group, so the result cannot be credited to the kwath. Narayan taila is a different oil from Mahanarayan taila.[2]
Safety notes
- Contains guduchi (giloy), ashwagandha, punarnava, gokshura and pippali, which have their own interaction pages, including Giloy and diabetes medicines, Ashwagandha and thyroid medicines, and Pippali and phenytoin.
Who makes it
Sold in India by makers including Patanjali, Dabur, Kerala Ayurveda, 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 Maharasnadi Kwath the same as Rasnadi Kwath?
No. The formulary lists Rasnadi Kvatha Churna separately as entry 4:27, with a different set of herbs. Maharasnadi is entry 4:28, the recipe on this page.[1]
Can Maharasnadi Kwath be taken with guggulu?
The one study we found gave it together with Vatari guggulu and an oil massage, so it cannot say what the kwath adds. Whether to combine them is for the vaidya who prescribes them.[2]
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.
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.
FormulationMahanarayan Taila (Mahanarayan Oil)
A sesame oil cooked with milk and nearly 60 herbs, used for massage and listed for facial palsy, paralysis and fractures. It contains camphor and musk.
FormulationRasnadi Guggulu
A guggulu tablet sold in India. Guggulu can interact with blood thinners and some heart medicines.
Sources
- Ayurvedic Formulary of India, Part I, 2nd revised English edition, 2003. Rasnadi Kvatha Curna (Maha), 4:28, printed pages 60-61.
- Mangal A, Shubhasree MN, Devi P, et al. Clinical evaluation of Vatari guggulu, Maharasnadi kwatha and Narayan taila in the management of osteoarthritis knee. J Ayurveda Integr Med. 2017;8(3):200-204. PMID 28757225.
Updated 4 November 2026
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