Kvatha, aka: Kvātha; 6 Definition(s)

Introduction

Kvatha means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit, Marathi. 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)

Kvātha (Decoction): Herbs are boiled in water without a lid till three-fourths or more water is evaporated. The filtrate is known as kvātha. This process is useful to extract medicinal qualities of herbs with hard consistency. The herbs containing volatile oils are not used to make kvāthas. These forms of medicines are easy to digest and effective in action. Example: Daśamūlāriṣṭa. Kvathas are usually taken orally. They are also used for tub-bath (avagāhana) as external use. Kvāthacūrna means certain drugs or combination of drugs are made into coarse powder and used to prepare kaṣāya.

Kvatha is prepared by boiling the herb (about 60gms or 1 pala) in 16 parts of water in an earthen pot over a mild fire till it is reduced to 1/8 of the original amount. About 120g of decoction can be administered at a time, slightly warmed, after the food has digested. For example, Guducyadi-kvatha.

Kvatha (Decoction): Kvatha is prepared by boiling 1 part of herb with 16 parts of water in an open vessel on mild fire till it reduces to one-eighth of the original quantity. The quantity of water may be four times, eight times or sixteen times the quantity of the part of the plant. This variation in the amount of water depends on the hardness of the material used. Like, it may be simply four times in soft herbs (herbs whose leaves and flowers are used), eight times for medium hardness (includes soft barks of plants, roots of shrubs and plants, soft roots, tubers and medium tubers), while sixteen times in case where the plant material to be used for preparing decoction is too hard (Hard barks of trees, root bark of trees and creeper).

context information

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.

Rasashastra (chemistry and alchemy)

Kvātha or Kaṣāya is the filtered liquid obtained by boiling coarse powder of drug(s) in proportion of 4, 8 or 16 (Mṛdu-dravya - 4, Madhyama-dravya - 8 and Kaṭhina-dravya - 16 respectively) times of water and reduced to one-fourth. (see the Śārṅgadhara-saṃhitā II.9.3, which is a 14th century medicinal Āyurvedic treatise in Sanskrit written by Śārṅgadhara).

context information

Rasaśāstra (रसशास्त्र, rasashastra) is an important branch of Ayurveda, specialising in chemical interactions with herbs, metals and minerals. Some texts combine yogic and tantric practices with various alchemical operations. The ultimate goal of Rasashastra is not only to preserve and prolong life, but also to bestow wealth upon humankind.

Languages of India and abroad

Marathi-English dictionary

kvātha (क्वाथ).—m S A decoction: also a thing boiled.

kvātha (क्वाथ).—m A decoction, a thing boiled.

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