The plant without which Shiva Puja cannot be considered complete is also one of the most marvelous medicinal plants described by Ayurveda literature. Also known as Shivadruma (the tree of lord shiva) and another form of Lord Kailashnath, Bael is considered sacred in Hinduism and medicinal in the Indian system of medicine. It is believed that Lord Shiva lives under Bilwa tree and Goddess Laxmi resides in its leaves. The three leaflets in Bael leaf’s trifoliate structure are believed to represent the three gunas/ attributes — Satwa (morality), Rajas (superiority) and Tamas (immortality) along with three Gods (Brahma: the creator, Vishnu: the nurturer, and Mahesh: the destroyer) and three lives (past, present and future) respectively. The Bael plant is also quoted in ancient Indian scriptures such as the Vedas, especially the Yajurveda and the Mahabharata. Given its religious significance, the cutting of the Bael tree is considered sinful in Hindu culture.
Known in English as stone apple, Bael is a significant but underutilized fruit crop of Bharat with a high economic value. In 1629 CE, the Chinese Buddhist pilgrim, Hiuen Tsiang also noticed the presence of the Bael tree during his visit to India.
The stone apple is known by the following vernacular names:
Hindi: Bel, Beli, Belgiri, Baelputri, Sirphal, Kooralam
Sanskrit : Bilva, Shivadruma, Shivaphala, Vilva
English: Bael fruit, Indian Bael, Holy fruit, Indian quince,Elephant apple, Stone apple
Urdu: Bel, Bel kham
Bengali: Bael
Kannada: Bilpatra, Kumbala, Malura
Telugu : Maredu
Malayalam : Kuvalum, Marredy
Assamese, Marathi: Bel
Gujarati : Bilivaohal, Bili
Oriya: Belo
Tamil : Vilva marum
MEDICINAL PROPERTIES OF BAEL
The unripe fruit of Bael is medicinally more potent than the ripe fruit. The differences between the qualities of both the ripe and unripe Bilwa fruit are clearly defined as:
- Ripen fruit is sweet, aromatic, cooling, nutritive, laxative, appetizer, and good for the heart.
- The unripe fruit acts as an astringent, digestive, stomachic, a little constipative, antipyretic, bitter and pungent, appetizer, and good for the heart.
Ayurveda advocates its usage to cure indigestion, intermittent fever, typhoid, cholera, heart palpitation, stomach and intestinal disorders, among various others. In ancient times, the Bael tree was considered as an indicator plant to trace underground water. All parts of this plant — root, leaf, trunk, seed and fruits carry enormous medicinal properties. It is a rich source of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The fruit contains bioactive compounds, carbohydrates, minerals, coumarins, phenolic acids, alkaloids, flavonoids, fire, organic acids, volatile compounds and fatty acids and vitamins such as Vitamin A (0.05 mg/100 g), vitamin B2 (1.20 mg/100 g), Vitamin C (8.0 mg/100 g), riboflavin (0.03 mg/100 g), thiamine (0.13 mg/100 g) and beta-carotene (55.0 mg/100 g. It is also known to act as a Climate Purifier, absorbing poisonous gases from the surroundings, thereby making them inactive or neutral.
MEDICINAL USES OF VARIOUS PARTS OF BAEL PLANT ARE AS FOLLOWS:
| Parts | Uses |
| Leaves | Fever / intermittent fever, nausea, vomiting, swellings, dysentery, dyspepsia, and seminal weakness. |
| Root | Urinary problems, heart palpitations, fevers, abdominal pain, diarrhoea, and flatulence. |
| Bark | Fever and cough. |
| Flower | Anti-dysenteric, antidiabetic, diaphorectic, expectorant and local anesthetic medication can be produced by distilling flowers, used as a tonic for the stomach and intestine. |
| Fruit | Fruits are edible, pulp is laxative, helps in respiratory ailments, chronic diarrhoea, peptic ulcers, inhibit lipid peroxidation, free radicals scavenging, antioxidants, anti-ulcerative colitis, gastroprotective, hepatoprotective, antidiabetic, cardioprotective, radioprotective, antibacterial, antiviral. |
| Seeds | Antidiabetic and hypolipidemic. |
Ayurveda has explicitly explained the application of Bael (as either single herb or in polyherbal formulations) in different clinical conditions, some of which are listed below:
• Kapha vata shamaka: Balances the Kapha and Vata dosha.
• Shothahara (anti-inflammatory): Leaves are used to cure edema.
• Vedanasthapan (pain relieving): Associated with analgesic property which helps in reducing pain.
• Naaditantu (neuroprotective): Roots are used to treat neurological disorders.
• Deepan (appetizer): Unripe fruit acts as an appetizer.
• Krimighna (broad-spectrum anti-microbial): It is associated with anti-helminthic property.
• Mridurechan (laxative): Ripe fruit acts as a mild laxative.
• Yakritdutejak (modulating liver functions): Leaf decoction helps in enhancing metabolism.
• Pittasarak (modulating the functions of pitta): Stimulates digestive juices.
• Hridya (cardioprotective): Used as a cardio-protective agent.
• Raktastambhak (modulates excessive blood flow): Used to cure bleeding disorder.
• Mutra (urinary disorders): Used to treat the micturition problem.
• Garbhashaya shotha (uterine inflammations): Improves uterine health.
• Jwarghna (anti-pyretic): Helps in treating chronic disorders and acts as an antipyretic agent.
• Anidra (sleep disorders): Helps in treating insomnia.
• Atisaar and Pravahika (gastro-intestinal issues): Used to treat diarrhea and dysentery disorders.
• Grahni (IBS): Used to cure Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
• Udarshool (abdominal colic): Helps in relieving abdominal pain.
• Vibandh (constipation): Ripe fruit helps in curing constipation.
• Netrabhishyand (inflammatory eye diseases): Leaf decoction or leaf paste helps to cure cataract disease.
Its pharmacological properties can be understood through the lens of Ayurved as:
Sanskrit / English
Veerya / Potency
Vipaka / Metabolic property
Guna / Physical property
Rasa / Taste
Ushna / Hot
Katu / Bitter
Laghu / light, Ruksha / dry Kashaya / astringent, Tikta / astringent
Let us also understand some of the folk uses of Bael, which are medicinal as well as non-medicinal, including veterinary applications:
• Root, leaf and bark decoction treats intermittent fever, heart and stomach disorders.
• Leaves are beneficial for backache, cholera, asthma, ophthalmia, hypoglycemia, hearing loss, febrifuge, inflammation, analgesia and hepatitis.
• Leaves are also used in veterinary medicine to cure wounds, killing worms and as fodder for sheep, goats and cattle.
• Wood is used in agricultural implements, constructing carts and building houses.
• Semi-ripe fruits are used in the preparation of jams by adding sugar, citric acid and are also used as a preservative.
• Fruit pulp is used in making murabba and syrups.
• Roots are effective against urinary troubles, abdominal pain, fever, cardiac malfunction, melancholia and hypochondriasis.
• Mature fruit in fresh form is used as an astringent, febrifuge, appetizer, tonic, digestive and laxative agent and is used to treat epilepsy, constipation, gastric troubles, ulcer, intestinal parasites, gonorrhea, and stomachache.
• Immature fruit pulp when mixed with boiled rice water is used to cure vomiting in pregnancy which is taken twice a day.
• Leaf extract is used to get rid of intestinal worms.
• Paste of fresh leaves is used to cure abscesses.
• Leaves poultice is used in the treatment of eye disorders.
• Polyherbal formulation made by Bilwa oil treats earache and ear secretions.
• Flower is used to cure epilepsy disorder.
• Gums around the seed are used to improve the adhesive strength of water paints.
*The writer is an Ayurveda physician, DST Woman Scientist A, AIIMS New Delhi, and founder of Pratha Ayurveda.
