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Herbal Foundations

Ayurvedic framework for studying herbs.

Herb basics: start with taste

Rasa is the taste perceived on the tongue. Begin with these six tastes, then build the rest of the herb's profile.

Madhura

Sweet

Generally pacifies Vata and Pitta; increases Kapha.

Amla

Sour

Generally pacifies Vata; increases Pitta and Kapha.

Lavana

Salty

Generally pacifies Vata; increases Pitta and Kapha.

Katu

Pungent

Generally increases Vata and Pitta; pacifies Kapha.

Tikta

Bitter

Generally increases Vata; pacifies Pitta and Kapha.

Kashaya

Astringent

Generally increases Vata; pacifies Pitta and Kapha.

These are general traditional dosha tendencies, not the complete action of every herb. An individual herb's qualities and other features also matter.

Build the whole profile

Taste → qualities → potency → post-digestive effect → specific action. Karma names the actions attributed to the substance.

Guna · Qualities

Learn the qualities as contrasting pairs:

  • Guru / laghu · heavy / light
  • Snigdha / ruksha · unctuous / dry
  • Shita / ushna · cold / hot
  • Manda / tikshna · dull / sharp
Virya · Potency

Commonly described as ushna (heating) or shita (cooling). This is not simply the temperature at which an herb is served.

Vipaka · Post-digestive effect

Commonly described as madhura (sweet), amla (sour), or katu (pungent). It is inferred within the Ayurvedic framework—not the taste lingering in the mouth.

Prabhava · Specific action

A specific action not accounted for by the usual taste, qualities, potency, and post-digestive profile.

Karma · Actions

The actions attributed to a substance: the “what it does” category, rather than another taste.

What balances what?

Like increases like; opposite qualities counterbalance.

Read each quality in context: the whole herb profile, amount, preparation, season, and current condition matter. These are general traditional tendencies, not universal prescriptions.

Vata

Dry, cold, light, rough, and mobile.

Opposing qualities: unctuous, warm, heavy, smooth, and stable.

Pitta

Hot, sharp, slightly unctuous, and liquid.

Opposing qualities: cool and mild rather than intensely heating or sharp. No single quality describes the whole dosha.

Kapha

Heavy, cold, unctuous, slow, and stable.

Opposing qualities: light, warm, dry, sharp, and mobile.

Virya and dosha

Ushna · Heating

Generally pacifies Vata and Kapha; increases Pitta.

Shita · Cooling

Generally pacifies Pitta; increases Vata and Kapha.

This is potency in the Ayurvedic model—not serving temperature. Heating alone does not make every herb Vata-balancing; dryness and other attributes still count.

Vipaka and dosha

Keep these core associations distinct from the six-taste chart:

Madhura · Sweet vipaka

Tends to increase Kapha.

Amla · Sour vipaka

Tends to increase Pitta.

Katu · Pungent vipaka

Tends to increase Vata.

These are the principal increasing tendencies emphasized in Charaka, not an exhaustive all-dosha table.

Rasa is tasted directly; vipaka is inferred from post-digestive effects in the traditional model. Matching names do not make them interchangeable. Commonly, sweet and salty rasa lead to sweet vipaka, sour to sour, and pungent, bitter, and astringent to pungent—with exceptions.

Test yourself

Answer before opening each prompt.

Name all six rasa

Madhura—sweet; amla—sour; lavana—salty; katu—pungent; tikta—bitter; kashaya—astringent.

How are rasa and vipaka different?

Rasa is taste perceived on the tongue. Vipaka is the post-digestive effect described in the Ayurvedic framework.

Which two virya are most commonly taught?

Ushna—heating, and shita—cooling.

What distinguishes prabhava?

It describes a specific action not explained by the usual taste, qualities, potency, and post-digestive profile.

Which tastes generally pacify Vata?

Sweet, sour, and salty. These are general traditional tendencies.

Apply the foundations

Next: apply these basics to your class herbs. The class list and individual profiles have not been added yet.

Open the profile checklist
  • Sanskrit, common, and botanical names; part used
  • Rasa, guna, virya, vipaka, and prabhava
  • Dosha tendencies and karma, with course context
  • Course notes, comparisons, and references
  • Cautions and interactions, with preparation and population context
  • Modern research separately labeled from traditional descriptions

Sources

Foundations summarized from the traditional Ayurvedic framework. Check your course's preferred spellings and distinctions.

Study reference · Traditional classifications and modern research will remain clearly distinguished.