Eranda, Eramda, Eraṇḍa: 28 definitions
Introduction:
Eranda means something in Buddhism, Pali, Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi, Jainism, Prakrit, Hindi, biology. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.
In Hinduism
Ayurveda (science of life)
Cikitsa (natural therapy and treatment for medical conditions)
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) is a Sanskrit word referring to Ricinus communis (castor-oil-plant), a plant species in the Euphorbiaceae family. Certain plant parts of Eraṇḍa are eaten as a vegetable (śāka), according to Caraka in his Carakasaṃhitā sūtrasthāna (chapter 27), a classical Ayurvedic work. The plant is therefore part of the Śākavarga group of medicinal plants, referring to the “group of vegetables/pot-herbs”. Caraka defined such groups (vargas) based on the dietic value of the plant. The plant has anti-inflammatory properties and the medicinal usage includes protection from liver damage.
According to the Rājanighaṇṭu (verse 8.55-57), the castor-oil-plant (eraṇḍa) has three varieties with a total of 30 synonyms:
The Śvetairaṇḍa variety has 11 synonyms:
- Sitairaṇḍa,
- Citra,
- Gandharvahastaka,
- Āmaṇḍa,
- Taruṇa,
- Śukla,
- Vātāri,
- Dīrghakaṇṭaka,
- Pañcāṅgula,
- Vardhamāna,
- Ruvuka.
The Raktairaṇḍa variety has 14 synonyms:
- Vyāghra,
- Hastikarṇī,
- Ruvu,
- Uruvuka,
- Nāgakarṇa,
- Cañcu,
- Uttānapatraka,
- Karaparṇa,
- Yācanaka,
- Snigdha,
- Vyāghradala,
- Tatkara,
- Citravīja,
- Hrasvairaṇḍa.
The Sthūlairaṇḍa variety has 2 synonyms:
- Mahairaṇḍa,
- Mahāpañcāṅgula.
This plant (Eraṇḍa) is also mentioned as a medicine used for the treatment of all major fevers (jvara), as described in the Jvaracikitsā (or “the treatment of fever”) which forms the first chapter of the Sanskrit work called Mādhavacikitsā..
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) refers to the medicinal plant Ricinus communis L., and is used in the treatment of atisāra (diarrhoea), according to the 7th century Mādhavacikitsā chapter 2. Atisāra refers to a condition where there are three or more loose or liquid stools (bowel movements) per day or more stool than normal. The second chapter of the Mādhavacikitsā explains several preparations [including Eraṇḍa] through 60 Sanskrit verses about treating this problem.
Dietetics and Culinary Art (such as household cooking)
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) refers to “castor” which is used to prepare oils (taila) from according to the 17th century Bhojanakutūhala (dravyaguṇāguṇa-kathana), and is commonly found in literature dealing with the topics of dietetics and culinary art, also known as Pākaśāstra or Pākakalā.—Taila-prakaraṇa describes the properties of the oil prepared from [viz., eraṇḍa (castor), etc.].
The food-utensils that are made of Eraṇḍa-patra (castor oil plant leaf) have the following dietetic effects: “hanyāt paramacākṣuṣyaṃ” (greatly beneficial for the eyes) “laghu dīpanapācanam” (light and stimulates the digestive fire), vātaghna, kṛmighna and pittakṛt (alleviates vāta,kills worms and aggravates bile).
Kalpa (Formulas, Drug prescriptions and other Medicinal preparations)
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) refers to the medicinal plant known as “Ricinus communis Linn.” and is dealt with in the 15th-century Yogasārasaṅgraha (Yogasara-saṅgraha) by Vāsudeva: an unpublished Keralite work representing an Ayurvedic compendium of medicinal recipes. The Yogasārasaṃgraha [mentioning eraṇḍa] deals with entire recipes in the route of administration, and thus deals with the knowledge of pharmacy (bhaiṣajya-kalpanā) which is a branch of pharmacology (dravyaguṇa).
Veterinary Medicine (The study and treatment of Animals)
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) or Eraṇḍamūla refers to “caster root” and is used in the Viśodhana (“washing off the wound’s impurities”) of wounds (vraṇa), according to Āyurveda sections in the Garuḍapurāṇa.—[...] After Viśodhana (wash off the ulcer's/wound's impurities by medicated decoction), the following formulations can be used for śodhana (purification) and ropaṇa (healing) externally:—[... e.g.,] The eraṇḍa-mūla (Castor root), two types of haridrā (Turmeric), Citraka (Plumbago zeylanica), Viśvabheṣaja (Zingiber officinale), Rasona (Allium sativum) and saindhava (rock salt) are ground well with takra (butter milk) or kāñjī (sour gruel). [...]
Toxicology (Study and Treatment of poison)
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) or “castor” is used in the treatment of Rājilā-snake-bites, according to the Kāśyapa Saṃhitā: an ancient Sanskrit text from the Pāñcarātra tradition dealing with both Tantra and Viṣacikitsā, which represents the Ayurvedic study on Toxicology (Viṣavidyā or Sarpavidyā).—The tenth Adhyāya prescribes antidotes for Rājilā snake venom.—According to the Kāśyapasaṃhitā verse X.29b-32: “The sweat caused to the bitten person by the leaves of Munipatra must be removed by bathing him with gruel. Castor (eraṇḍa), Aṅkola, Naktāhva, Tamarind, three varieties of Mātula, Musalī, Lāṅgulī, Neem, Śirīṣa, Vakula, Coriander—all these cooked with salt will aid in causing profuse sweating. [...]”.
Agriculture (Krishi) and Vrikshayurveda (study of Plant life)
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) (identified with Ricinus communis) is the subject of certain bio-organical recipes for plant mutagenesis, according to the Viśvavallabha-Vṛkṣāyurveda by Cakrapāṇi-Miśra (1580 CE): an encyclopedic work dealing with the principles of ancient Indian agriculture and horticulture.—Accordingly, “A seed of Ricinus communis [e.g., Eraṇḍa-bīja] should be sprinkled with the blood and marrow of a boar and cultivated in the oil of Alangium salviifolium for a day. When sown the seed produces a creeper of Momordica charantia”.
Unclassified Ayurveda definitions
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) or Anilaripu refers to Ricinus communis, and is the name of a medicinal plant dealt with in the 17th-century Vaidyavallabha written by Hastiruci.—The Vaidyavallabha is a work which deals with the treatment and useful for all 8 branches of Ayurveda. The text Vaidyavallabha has been designed based on the need of the period of the author, availability of drugs (viz., AEraṇḍanilaripu) during that time, disease manifesting in that era, socio-economical-cultural-familial-spiritual-aspects of that period Vaidyavallabha.
Eraṇḍa-pāka (preparation of Ricinus communis) is mentioned for curing kṛmi (worm infestation) in chapter 5.
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) refers to the medicinal plant known as Ricinus communis, Linn., and is employed in the treatment of Kāmala.—Among the single and compound preparations described in Āyurveda for the treatment of kāmala, some of the drugs have been found to be effective. A scientific study of the drugs [viz., Eraṇḍa] was carried out and significant response observed.
Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.
In Buddhism
Mahayana (major branch of Buddhism)
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) refers to the “castor-bean tree”, according to Mahāprajñāpāramitāśāstra (chapter 21).—Accordingly, “The immoral person is not respected (satkṛta) by people; his house is like a cemetery into which people do not go; he loses all his virtues like a rotten tree that people despise; [...] Even though he has the external appearance of a Bhikṣu, one would say he is a corpse in the midst of sleepers. He is like a false pearl among real pearls, like a castor-bean tree (eraṇḍa) in a sandalwood forest. Even though outwardly he looks like an honest man, inwardly he is without good qualities. Even though he is called Bhikṣu because he has a shaved head, the yellow robe and presents his ‘ticket’ in the proper order, in reality he is not a Bhikṣu”.
Mahayana (महायान, mahāyāna) is a major branch of Buddhism focusing on the path of a Bodhisattva (spiritual aspirants/ enlightened beings). Extant literature is vast and primarely composed in the Sanskrit language. There are many sūtras of which some of the earliest are the various Prajñāpāramitā sūtras.
General definition (in Buddhism)
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड)—One of the field-crops mentioned in the Jātakas.
Biology (plants and animals)
Eranda in India is the name of a plant defined with Ricinus communis in various botanical sources. This page contains potential references in Ayurveda, modern medicine, and other folk traditions or local practices It has the synonym Cataputia major Ludw. (among others).
Example references for further research on medicinal uses or toxicity (see latin names for full list):
· Davidsonia (1981)
· Flore Analytique du Togo Phanérogames (1984)
· Tropical Plant Science Research. New Delhi (1983)
· Acta Pharm. Toxicol., (1977)
· Kew Bulletin (1984)
· Species Plantarum
If you are looking for specific details regarding Eranda, for example chemical composition, health benefits, pregnancy safety, side effects, extract dosage, diet and recipes, have a look at these references.
This sections includes definitions from the five kingdoms of living things: Animals, Plants, Fungi, Protists and Monera. It will include both the official binomial nomenclature (scientific names usually in Latin) as well as regional spellings and variants.
Languages of India and abroad
Pali-English dictionary
eraṇda : (m.) the plant Palma Christi form the seeds of which castor oil is extracted.
Eraṇḍa, (dial.?) the castor oil plant Nd2 680II.; J.II, 440. Cp. elaṇḍa. (Page 161)
Pali is the language of the Tipiṭaka, which is the sacred canon of Theravāda Buddhism and contains much of the Buddha’s speech. Closeley related to Sanskrit, both languages are used interchangeably between religions.
Marathi-English dictionary
ēraṇḍa (एरंड).—m f (S) Castor oil-plant, Palma Christi or Ricinus communis. Pr. ōsāḍa gāṃvīṃ ē0 baḷī. Pr. thōra vāḍhalā ē0 tara kāya hōīla ikṣudaṇḍa? ēraṇḍāsārakhā vāḍhaṇēṃ To shoot up rapidly--animal or plant. With implication of overgrowing its strength.
ēraṇḍa (एरंड).—m ḍī f Castor-oil plant. ēra़ṇḍāsārakhā vāḍhaṇēṃ To shoot up rapidly-animal or plant. With implication of over- growing its strength. (ēraṇḍācēṃ guṛhāḷa n
Marathi is an Indo-European language having over 70 million native speakers people in (predominantly) Maharashtra India. Marathi, like many other Indo-Aryan languages, evolved from early forms of Prakrit, which itself is a subset of Sanskrit, one of the most ancient languages of the world.
Sanskrit dictionary
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड).—The castor-oil plant; (a small tree with a scanty number of leaves); and hence the proverb: निरस्तपादपे देशे एरण्डोऽपि द्रुमायते (nirastapādape deśe eraṇḍo'pi drumāyate).
-ṇḍā Long pepper.
Derivable forms: eraṇḍaḥ (एरण्डः).
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड).—m.
(-ṇḍaḥ) The castor-oil plant, (Palma christi or Ricinus communis. ) f. (-ṇḍī) Long pepper. E. ir to go, &c. āṅ prefixed, aṇḍac affix, fem. affix ṅīṣ; also with kan added eraṇḍaka.
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड).—m. The castor oil plant, Ricinus communis, [Pañcatantra] i. [distich] 108.
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड).—[masculine] the castor-oil plant.
1) Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड):—m. the castor-oil plant, Ricinus Communis or Palma Christi, [Suśruta; Pañcatantra] etc.
2) Eraṇḍā (एरण्डा):—[from eraṇḍa] f. long pepper, [cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]
3) [v.s. ...] Name of a charm, [Divyāvadāna]
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड):—(ṇḍaḥ) 1. m. The castor-oil plant. ṇḍī f. Long pepper.
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड):—
1) m. Ricinus communis, eine Staude, aus deren Samen das vielgebrauchte purgir. Oel bereitet wird, [Amarakoṣa 2, 4, 2, 31.] [Trikāṇḍaśeṣa 2, 4, 26.] [Hemacandra’s Abhidhānacintāmaṇi 1150.] [AINSLIE I, 253.] [Suśruta 1, 137, 5. 144, 18. 145, 17. 2, 59, 14. 357, 8.] eraṇḍataila [1, 74, 19. 160, 17. 167, 15. 182, 11. 2, 87, 13.] [Mahābhārata 13, 6512.] eraṇḍabhiṇḍārkanalaiḥ prabhūtairapi saṃcitaiḥ . dārukṛtyaṃ yathā nāsti tathaivājñaiḥ prayojanam .. [Pañcatantra I, 108.] nirastapādape deśe eraṇḍo pi drumāyate [Hitopadeśa I, 63.] śvetairaṇḍa eine bes. Species davon [Rājanirghaṇṭa im Śabdakalpadruma] —
2) f. eraṇḍā langer Pfeffer (pippalī) [Śabdacandrikā im Śabdakalpadruma]
--- OR ---
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड):—
1) bīja [SARVADARŚANAS. 40, 15. 19.] —
3) f. ī a) eine best. Pflanze: pāka [Oxforder Handschriften 319,b, No. 758.] — b) Nomen proprium eines Flusses: saṃgama [Oxforder Handschriften 65,b,35.] saṃgamatīrtha [66,b,13. 67,b,13]; vgl. eraṇḍītīrtha .
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड):——
1) m. Ricinus communis. taila n. Ricinusoel. —
2) *f. ā langer Pfeffer.
Eraṇḍa (एरण्ड) in the Sanskrit language is related to the Prakrit word: Eraṃḍa.
Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.
Hindi dictionary
Eraṃḍa (एरंड) [Also spelled erand]:—(nm) castor;—[phala] regma.
...
Prakrit-English dictionary
1) Eraṃḍa (एरंड) in the Prakrit language is related to the Sanskrit word: Eraṇḍa.
2) Eraṃḍa (एरंड) also relates to the Sanskrit word: Airaṇḍa.
Prakrit is an ancient language closely associated with both Pali and Sanskrit. Jain literature is often composed in this language or sub-dialects, such as the Agamas and their commentaries which are written in Ardhamagadhi and Maharashtri Prakrit. The earliest extant texts can be dated to as early as the 4th century BCE although core portions might be older.
Kannada-English dictionary
Ēraṃḍa (ಏರಂಡ):—[noun] a tropical or subtropical shrub or tree, Ricinus communis, of Euphorbiaceae family, grown for its oil-yielding seeds which is used as a purgative and lubricant; castor.
Kannada is a Dravidian language (as opposed to the Indo-European language family) mainly spoken in the southwestern region of India.
See also (Relevant definitions)
Starts with (+16): Eramdakitta, Eranda-gach, Erandabija, Erandabijadi, Erandacem Gurihada, Erandachirbhata, Erandachirbhita, Erandadi, Erandadi, Erandadi, Erandaditaila, Erandaditailayoga, Erandaditailayoga, Erandaditailayoga, Erandadvadashaka, Erandagalla, Erandah, Erandaka, Erandakarakati, Erandakarkati.
Full-text (+96): Erandaphala, Mogali Eranda, Erandapatrika, Raktairanda, Sthulairanda, Mahairanda, Erandamula, Erandapalla, Erandapattraka, Erandam, Shvetairanda, Hrasvairanda, Surati Eranda, Tambada Eranda, Hirava Eranda, Erandaka, Rana-eranda, Erandataila, Erandapattrika, Cancu.
Relevant text
Search found 51 books and stories containing Eranda, Eramda, Eraṃḍa, Ēraṃḍa, Eraṇḍa, Ēraṇḍa, Eraṇḍā; (plurals include: Erandas, Eramdas, Eraṃḍas, Ēraṃḍas, Eraṇḍas, Ēraṇḍas, Eraṇḍās). You can also click to the full overview containing English textual excerpts. Below are direct links for the most relevant articles:
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine
Ayurveda, counseling, yoga, and meditation in Ankylosing Spondylitis. < [Volume 13 (issue 1), Jan-Mar 2022]
Ayurveda for managing PCOS-related infertility: A case report. < [Volume 13 (issue 2), Apr-Jun 2022]
Efficacy and safety of Ayurvedic therapy for post-COVID mucormycosis < [Volume 13 (issue 3), Jul-Sep 2022]
Dictionaries of Indian languages (Kosha)
Page 299 < [Hindi-Gujarati-English Volume 1]
Page 338 < [Bengali-Hindi-English, Volume 1]
Page 724 < [Bengali-Hindi-English, Volume 3]
Maha Prajnaparamita Sastra (by Gelongma Karma Migme Chödrön)
Part 6 - Why the arhats surround the Buddha < [Chapter VI - The Great Bhikṣu Saṃgha]
Part 4 - Disadvantages of immorality < [Chapter XXI - Discipline or Morality]
The Āmra-sūtra < [III. Recollection of the community (saṃgānusmṛti)]
World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research
An ayurvedic management of trigeminalneuralgia < [2020: Volume 9, July issue 7]
Study on nitya virechana's effect in rheumatoid arthritis. < [2023: Volume 12, December issue 21]
A review of eranda (ricinus communis linn.) in ayurveda classics < [2023: Volume 12, June issue 9]
International Research Journal of Ayurveda and Yoga
Management of Amavata by Langhana Therapy-A Single Case Study. < [Vol. 6 No. 5: May (2023)]
Mono-Herbal Recipes in Vangasena Samhita-A Review < [Vol. 5 No. 11: Nov (2022)]
Role of Ayurveda Chikitsha Siddhanta in the Management of Amavata W.S.R. to... < [Vol. 6 No. 12: Dec (2023)]
Journal of Ayurveda and Integrated Medical Sciences
Multi-modal treatment approach in management of Sandhigata Vata w.s.r. to... < [Vol. 2 No. 04 (2017)]
A clinical study to evaluate the effect of Nithya Virechana on range of... < [Vol. 10 No. 4 (2025)]
Understanding Rheumatoid Arthritis and Gout w.s.r. to Amavata and Vatarakta < [Vol. 7 No. 3 (2022)]