Yogaraja Guggulu: Top Benefits, Side Effects And Formation Process

Are you looking for the details to one of the widely used ayurvedic formulations ‘Yogaraja Guggulu’? If yes, then you are at the right place as you will get to know all details about this ayurvedic formulation.

Yogaraja Guggulu, sometimes also spelled as Yograj Guggul or Yograj Guggulu. Before getting into the depth of Yograj Guggulu, you may have a confusion between simple Guggulu and Yograja Guggulu.

So let me clear you that Guggulu is a medicinal plant whose oleo resin (gum like substance) is used for preparation of Guggulu tablets (guggulu vati) whereas Yograja Guggulu is a formulation of Guggulu mixed with other botanical drugs.

• Scientific name: Commiphora wightii (also Commiphora mukul)
• Common name: Indian bedellium tree
• Synonyms in Ayurveda: Devdhup, Kaushik, Kumbh, Ulukhal and Palankash

What Is Yogaraja Guggulu?

It is one of the formulations of Guggulu among its 12 formulations like Gokshuradi Guggul, Mahyograj Guggul, Triphala Guggul and others.

Yogaraja Guggulu is a combination of around 29 components (including guggulu), out of which 28 are drugs, while the last is clarified butter (ghee) for processing.
The names of all components have been written in the upcoming sections of this article with the reference of Ayurvedic shlok taken from “Bhaisajya Ratnavali” in Sanskrit.

Yogaraja Guggulu Uses & Benefits

Yograj guggul can be used in many conditions, however, there are a few chief diseases in which the use of Yograj guggulu is advised.

In ayurveda, the reason for all diseases is the imbalance of Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. So, yogaraj guggul is suggested for treating Vata-based disorders involving pain, especially bone and muscle disorders.

Primary Uses Of Yogaraja Guggulu

• Rheumatoid Arthritis

In ayurveda, this disease is known as Amavata, which is an autoimmune disorder in which pain, inflammation, and stiffness is observed as symptoms that can be effectively treated by the Yograja Guggul along with some other Ayurvedic medicines. [1]

• Any Other Vata Disorder

All other vata rog (disorders), especially of musculoskeletal origin, can be treated by this ayurvedic medicine. Examples of such diseases are Sciatica and Osteoporosis.

Other Benefits Of Yogaraja Guggulu

Below are some other therapeutic uses of Yograja Guggulu:

• It is quite effective in weight loss.
• Act as a good herbal medication for diabetes.
• In some cases, it is the main drug for treating osteoarthritis.
• Given as a supplementary drug on prostate enlargement.
• In some classical ayurvedic texts, it has been classified as one of the main drug of choice for anemia.

Yogaraja Guggulu Dose & Adjuvants

The specific dose of Yogaraja Guggulu depends on the condition and disease of the patient. However, the general dose of the drug is mentioned below.

• General Dose of Yogaraja Guggulu: 1 to 3 grams per day, but it should not be taken at once, instead it should be divided in two doses (morning and evening) after meals.
• Adjuvants: Yogaraja guggulu tablets should be consumed with either of these things: lukewarm water, butter milk, or dashmool kwath.

Tolerability

In some serious conditions, the dose of the drug can be extended up to 6 grams.
However, the tolerability of Yogaraja Guggulu was seen to be good up to 9 grams on a clinical examination from research, whose references have been mentioned at the bottom of this article. [2]

Side Effects Of Yogaraja Guggulu

In higher doses, or in some allergic conditions, some side effects have been observed in a clinical trial.
Below are some side effects of Yogaraja Guggulu on the explained conditions:
• Heartburn
• Stomatitis
• Diarrhoea
• Burning sensation of eyes, soles, and palms

Ingredients Of Yogaraja Guggulu

As already mentioned above, 29 drugs or components are mixed in a specific proportion for the preparation of Yogaraj Guggul. Below are the names of all ingredients.

Note: The numbering of drugs has been assigned as per the reference shloka as shown in the image above. [3]

Method Of Preparation Of Yograj Guggul

As quantity is mentioned in the above table, you must follow the same amount. If you change it, then the potency of the formed medicine will also be altered.

For example, if you take 10 grams of Chitraka (Plumbago zeylanica) then take all drugs from 3rd to 28th position from the above table in same quantity viz, 10 grams and the quantity of Guggulu resin will be 27 times of any single drug or in other words it should be equal to the sum of the quantity of rest of the drugs, in our case it will be 270 grams.

Step 1: Purification (Shodhana) Of Guggulu

It is necessary to purify Guggulu exudate as it has many impurities mixed in it whose removal is necessary.

• First prepare triphala kwath (Haritaki + Vibhatiki + Amalaki in 8 times water) and boil it till it becomes 1/4th of the initial volume.
• Take guggulu in a pure cotton cloth and make its bag (potali).
• Now again put the triphala kwath in a mild flame and dip & remove the cloth bag (potali) in the solution which will melt guggulu, and it gets mixed in the triphala liquid.
• Again filter the fluid and boil it till almost all of its moisture content evaporates, after which a shiny mass will be left, which is known as purified or shodhita guggulu, dry it in the sunlight.

Step 2: Mixing Purified Guggulu With All Drugs

• Take the dried purified guggulu in khalva yantra (mortar and pestle like instrument) with Ghee and pound it.
• Weigh the rest of the 26 drugs separately, and it should be in equal amounts, make it a powdered form.
• Put this powdered mixture in khalva yantra where guggulu is already placed, now add more ghee (clarified butter) and pound it, till the mixture is ready to make pills or vati (tablets) from it.

Step 3: Packaging The Finally Prepared Yogaraj Guggulu

Make the tablets or pills from the mixture prepared in the previous step, and make it dry in the shed, then store in a tight container, and then pack it by following all the norms and regulations for pharmaceutical products.

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Some Facts About Yograj Guggulu & Guggulu (For Ayurveda Scholars & Pharmacies)

• As per Bhavmishra, there are chiefly 5 varieties of guggulu (based on colour);
• Mahishaksha or Krishna guggulu – Black, 2. Mahaneela or neel guggulu – Blue, 3. Kumud or Kapish guggulu – Brown, 4. Padm or rakt guggulu – Red, 5. Hiranyaksha or peet guggulu – Yellow coloured.
• Out of these 5 guggulu, Hiranyaksha is used in humans, the first two are used in elephants, the next two are used in horses. If Hiranyaksha is not available on that condition, Mahishaksha guggul can also be used for treating humans.
• Yograj Guggulu is not a variety of guggulu, instead it is a formulation where many drugs are mixed and Guggulu is mixed in the majority. There are more than 40 such different formulations of Guggulu available in ayurvedic literatures.
• The drugs for Yograja Guggulu can also be changed based on the reference of scripture or Samhita you use to gain the knowledge. For instance, in this article I have listed the drugs that are taken from the reference of Bhaisajya ratnavali Amavata, which is the widely used medication.
  Other popular two references (where some drugs are changed) are also taken by some brands in India, and they are Rasa ratna samuchchaya & Brihat Nighantu Ratnakara.

FAQs: Yograj Guggul

Conclusion: Yograja Guggulu

Yogaraja Guggulu is one of the most widely used ayurvedic medicines in clinical practices by Ayush doctors in India. This formulation competes with many modern drugs and provides better results in diseases like Rheumatoid Arthritis.

Preparation, research, uses, and side effects of this drug have been discussed in detail with proper references. If you need any other detail, you can ask us in the comment section below.

References

Basisht GK, Singh RH, Chandola H. Management of rheumatoid arthritis (Aamavata) using symbiohealth healthcare system. Ayu. 2012 Oct;33(4):466-74. doi: 10.4103/0974-8520.110513. PMID: 23723661; PMCID: PMC3665188.

Antarkar D S, Pande R R, Athavale A V, Shubhangi R R, Saoji S R, Shah K N, Jakhmola A T, Vaidya A B. Phase I tolerability study of Yogaraj-guggulu–a popular ayurvedic drug. J Postgrad Med 1984;30:111

Shri.Govinda Das, Bhaishajya Ratnavali, edited by Shri Brahmashankar Mishra, Chaukhambha Prakashana, Varanasi: reprint 2015, 29th Chapter Verses 156-161,625pp.