Medicinal use of Harsingar(Night jasmine)

Harsingar flowers (Parijat) are very aromatic and used for making garlands that are used in puja. Harsingar flowers are white and orange in color. The orange colored corolla tubes are separated from flower by local people and dried. This is used for dyeing silk and cotton.

night Jasmin medicinal use

Harsingar is also known by many names such as night jasmine, paarijat. Its botanical name is Nyctanthes arbor-tristis. Parijaat or Harsingar is small ornamental tree with fragrant white flowers. The leaves are given for treating chronic fever, rheumatism, arthritis, joint pain, obstinate sciatica. It is a sacred tree mentioned in Hindu mythology. Mythology says Bhagwan Shri Krishna brought this tree from heaven for his beloved wife Satyabhama. It is one of the five tree that exist in heaven. It is mentioned as Kalpavriksh or wishing tree, which came out of ocean during Samudra manthan. It is a divine tree with numerous medicinal uses.

Scientific classification

Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Class: Magnoliopsida Order: Lamiales Family: Oleaceae Genus: Nyctanthes Species: arbor-tristis

Botanical name: Nyctanthes arbor-tristis

Sanskrit: Parijata, Shephali, Shephalika, Mandara Hindi: Harsingar Bengali: Harsingar, Shephalika, Siuli Malayalam: Parijatakam Marathi: Parijathak Gujarati: Jayaparvati Oriya: Gangasiuli Kannada: Parijatha Tamil: Parijata, Paghala Siddha: Pavazha mattigai.

Constituents: The leaves and seeds contain iridoid glycosides. The other constituents reported from the leaves are mannitol, beta-amyrin, beta-sitosterol, hentriacontane, benzoic acid, astragalin, nicotiflorin, oleanolic acid, nyctanthic acid friedelin and lupeol. The seeds containa polysaccharide glucomannan.

Distribution of Nyctanthes arbor-tristis or Harsingar

Parijata is native to India. It is distributed widely in sub-Himalayan regions and southward to Godavari. It is also found in Bangladesh, Indo-Pak subcontinent and South-East Asia, tropical and sub-tropical South East Asia. Night jasmine flowers during August to November and the tree bears fruits in cold season. Parts used for medicinal purpose: Leaves, flowers, seeds and bark.

Scientifically proven therapeutic activities

Nyctanthes arbor-tristis or Night jasmine leaves possess anti-arthritic properties. In addition, decoction of the leaves also possess the liver protecting, anti-viral, anti-fungal, analgesic, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, antispasmodic, hypotensive and respiratory stimulant activities. The leaves also has anti-leishmanial (Acting against Leishmania parasites) activity.

Medicinal Uses of Various Night jasmine plant parts

In Ayurveda, Parijaat is used for the treatment of many ailments. For the medicinal purpose leaves, stem, flowers and seeds are used. The leaves are given for treating chronic fever, rheumatism, arthritis, joint pain, obstinate sciatica. For chronic fever, the fresh leaves juice with honey is administered orally. Leaves decoction or Kadha is recommended to treat sciatica.

Harsingar leaves

In Ayurveda Parijata leaves are extensively used for the treatment of a variety of diseases such as chronic fever, cough, sciatica, rheumatism, parasitic worms, constipation, etc. The leaves juice is bitter in taste and works as a tonic.

  • The paste prepared from leaves is useful in the fever, high blood pressure and diabetes.
  • Leaf juice is given in cough as it has expectorant action.
  • Leaf juice with honey, three times a day, is useful in the treatment of fever, cough. Fever which occurs at irregular intervals and is not continuous or steady, the leaves juice in a dose of 10 ml, twice a day for five days is given.
  • Leaves juice is given with sugar for intestinal ailments.
  • The decoction or Kadha of leaves is extensively used by Ayurvedic physicians for the treatment of arthritis, obstinate sciatica, malaria, intestinal worms and as a Tonic, cholagogue and laxative.

Harsingar Flowers

White-orange aromatic flowers on oral administration tones stomach, prevents gas formation, astringent to bowel, prevents excess bile secretion by the liver, cures cough. The corolla tube is bright orange in color due to nyctanthin, which is similar to coloring substance of saffron.

Harsingar stem

The powder of stem bark is useful in the treatment of rheumatic joint pain and malaria. In Orissa, stem bark of Parijata is boiled with dry ginger power and pippali or long pepper. This is taken orally for two days to cure malaria.

Direction for uses

For sciatica:Take 3-4 leaves and grind them and boil with water and drain and drink twice in day.

For swelling and pain: Boil leaves in water to make decoction and drink.

For arthritis: Take leaves, bark, flower about 5 gm and make decoction with 200 gm of water. Decoction   is said to be formed when water reduces to ¼ of initial quantity.

For dry cough: Grind leaves in mortar and pestle to extract juice and take it with honey.

For intestinal parasites: Grind leaves in mortar and pestle to extract 2 tbs of juice and take it with misri and water.

For ring worm: Apply paste of leaves on the affected area.

For fever: Take 3 gm bark and 2 gm leaves with 2-3 leaves of tulsi and boil in water and drink 2 times a day.

45 Comments

  1. R-71 of Dr Reckeweg is homeopathic treatment of Sciatica

  2. Is ot useful for severe condition of alkylosing spondylitis…if yes then for how many days we need to consume it.

  3. It’s sanjivani for arthritis

  4. Hi
    I live in Canada and heard about Harshingar leaf treatment for R A.As I will not be able to get fresh leaf is it possible if I use the powder or sun dried leaf .have R A since the Last 2 years. Kindly advice

  5. If we take paritath kada for joint pain.. what should we eat food for lunch. Breakfast. And dinner

  6. Can we take other medicine after taking the parijat kada? How long it takes to cure the RA arthritic ( I mean it is nearly 6 years now)? Your best suggestion is awaited.

  7. Hello, I know some one who has benefited by drinking parijat leaves kada on empty stomach every morning. You must make the kada at night and drink it in the morning. Dont eat any thing for 45 minutes. I am also trying it now. Its effect will be seen in 1 to 3 months depending on how severe your problem is. For sciatica, soak feet in 15 litres hot water with 500 ml apple cider vinegar and handful of rock salt till water becomes room temperature. This should be done at night before going to sleep. Keep feet warm with thick socks or towel and do not walk without slippers next day. This worked for me.

  8. I am suffering from rheumatoid arthritis for last 4 yrs with severe joint pain. Will this remedy of taking decoction of harshingar leaves help me? How long will I have to take?

    • It may work or not, you can try this for 1 month. I will advice you to consult some good ayurvedic doctor, you can find good doctor in Gov Ayurvedic hospitals.

  9. Mohammed Ibrahim

    Mrs Marufa Chaudhry, there is good treatment in Homeopathy for sciatica, please consult any good and experienced homeopath, I am sure the problem will be solved

  10. Can kidney chronic disease patients use harsingar leaves…

  11. In Bengal we call it Shiuli ,also shefali. Good to know and surprised when I learnt from a video of Rajib Dixit ,that concoction as in above stories, are very good for remedies for knee pain. Also combined with this, one should soak for half hour every day in warm water amixed with 50ml vinegar,1tb sea salt and 1/2 ts Magnessium Salt.

  12. Amrish Kumar Aggarwal

    The concoction of Parijaat or Harsingar leaves does relieve joint pain as also sciatica pain if taken regularly on empty stomach.

  13. ashok Kumar Chowrasiya

    My left knee pain last 5months to till now,allopathic treatment (orthopatic )going on .But not improvement under treatment .Pls help me

  14. Mam i have a lot of pain of sciatica so how shall i use it so that it can be cure my one leg is badly effected .

  15. Hello Madam,

    We live in England. I am impressed by knowing the benefits of Harsingar (Parijaat) leaves. I have a question, can we get similar beneits by using dry leaves, dry flowers. The reason I am asking, I can bring dry leaves and dry flowers, when I visit my native place (Hyderabad). also suggest us how to dry leaves.. If we do not get the same benefits with dry leaves/flowers, what are the other means of getting benefits, as we don’t get fresh leaves/flowers over here. I mean do we need to dry in the sun or in shadow. Request your response, I am sure your response will be useful to many others too.

    Thanks and Regards,

    Srilathaa

    • Use sun dried leaves

      • my mother has rhimatology problem. heavy knee pain & also seviour gastric problem. should siuli leave is beneficial or not.kindly suggest.

    • We have 10 trees of Night Jasmine and to make Karha Kawath. Decoction of leaves and to give shelf life for three years we have set up bowl chopper hydraulic press vaccum sealing machine to pack KAWATH without sugar preservative also LAGGARDS auto sensors equipped to sterile filled pouches. Interested persons can contact on above email address. We have this Kawath on patients.

  16. Is this suitable for heel pain

  17. Suffering from knee joint pain. Need your advice how to control it. From where can i get harsinghar leaves,

  18. Ms Santosh Vinay Bindal

    Is harshingar is useful for diabetes?
    How can i use it the leaves?
    Please tell me.
    Thanks

  19. Can I use it for reducing my tummy or weight loss . I m 42 yrs old. Height 5 ft, weight 61.
    If parijatham is used for this can u tell me the directions to use it. I have the plant at home.

  20. Is there any formulation or kathha of haarsingar leaves available in market ???

  21. Mam. My husband have sytica problem. So much pain in leg. Can’t stand more thn 2 min. How to use this leave? Ayurvedic shop Sold powder of this leave … Can I use this?? How to make kadha??
    My husband take medicine and other therapy also.. But result is little tym.. Again as it is.. Plz give me answer

    • Very difficult, please consult some good doctor in your city. I am really sorry, i can’t put you in dark. No proper treatment of sytica is available.

      But anyway you can do this if you have fresh leaves, Take 3-4 leaves, grind them and boil in 100-150 ml water for 5-10 min, drain and drink twice in day.

    • Hijama (Wet Cupping) has a cure for sciatica. One of my friend is undergoing cupping treatment and almost 90% pain is gone. Treatment is cheap.

  22. Hi,
    I have sensitive liver because of which I my digestion is very very poor. Can I take Harsingar leaves Kadha? I am planning to get pregnant, soon. Is it safe to drink this kadha during this time? Please let me know. Thanks, Ash

    • Yes you can take harsingar leaves decoction, yes you can take while planning, but do not take anything after conception without consulting your Gynecologist.

  23. Mam can it will be useful in repair of torned cartilage?

  24. Good result for fever

  25. Hello sir as I suffering from sciatica from last 5 years. As I take the harsingar leaves kada for it.but I m confuse abt tht which time is good to be take it by empty stomach or after the lunch.pls guide me

  26. i have elbow joint pain since 3 year and now hand joint pain
    how use how many time in a day it will cure with in month or more
    hope you do nedd ful

  27. Dear Sir
    I have a stone in my urinary bladder. How can I use Night Jasmine herb to recover from problem and also a prostatic Enlargement Please repiy me.
    My Age=69year

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