Land-calotrops (Gokhru)
Also known as
Latin : Tribulus terrestris
English : Land-calotrops
Sanskrit : Goshurah
Hindi : Gokhru
Marathi : Gogharu
Tamil : Nerinci
Telugu : Palleru
Malayalam : Nerinnil
Kannada : Negalu
How it looks�It is an annual or perennial prostrate herb with many slender, spreading branches. The leaves are small, rounded at the base and shallowly pointed at the apex.
The flowers are bright yellow and the fruits are 5-angled and woody separated into 5 segments. Each segment has 2 long stiff spines which are the characteristic features of the
plant.
What we use�Whole plant
What it does�Roots.& fruits�cooling, diuretic, aphrodisiac, appetizer, digestive,
anthelmentic, expectorant, anti-inflammatory, laxative, styptic, tonic.
Leaves�diuretic, aphrodisiac, anthelmentic, tonic.
Seeds�strengthening, astringent.
How we use it�
In
painful urination�Boil a tsp of gokhru powder in milk and drink it to promote urination and reduce accompanying pain.
In
urinary stones�Squeeze out the juice of the whole plant of gokhru and boil it in ghee until the juice evaporates completely. Take a tsp of this ghee with hot milk on empty
stomach every morning.
Another method is to lick a tsp of powdered gokhru with honey and wash it down with goat milk. Follow this procedure for a week to break down urinary stones and expel them.
In
rheumatic joints�Drink a decoction of gokhru and dry ginger every morning to reduce pain and improve digestion.
In
an aphrodisiac�Boil the whole gokhru plant in milk and drink this milk at bedtime for an aphrodisiac effect.
In
consumption and wasting diseases�Lick the powders of gokhru and ashwagandha with honey and wash it down with milk. This is rejuvenating, strengthening and
improves resistance.
In
excessive bleeding�Boil gokhru powder in milk and drink twice a day to arrest bleeding and build lost strength.
In
alopecia (bald patches )�Paste gokhru and sesame flowers in equal quantities with honey and apply on the bald areas to stimulate regrowth of hair and nourish the scalp.
In
diabetes�Gokhru is combined with Guggulu (myrrh) and other drugs and rolled into pills. This is available in the market as Gokshuradi Guggulu. This mitigates pain, swelling and
such other conditions.
