by Sheela Rani Chunkath
It is agni natshatram (the star of fire) time in Chennai. Days are hot and even a diehard Chennaite like me wants to take off to cooler climes. But then there is a sudden summer shower and I decide it is not worth the trouble when I have so much to do on the farm.
I have harvested the gingelly, the black gram and green gram crops. Preparations are on to sow our samba rice crop. The green manure Sunn Hemp, a nitrogen-fixer, is to be sown so that we get rich nitrogen when it is ploughed back into the soil in 60 days or so. Anyway, I am here braving the summer sun and overseeing the cultivation of my organic crops. Naturally my eyes felt dry and dusty, itchy and irritated. Ayurveda has this preparation called Elaneer Kuzhambu which is very popular in Kerala. The method of preparation and ingredients are given in the Sahasrayoga Urdhwanga Roga Chikitsa (Netraroga) section. Normally I just wash my eyes with a filtered solution of triphala but I felt the need for a 'stronger' medicine.
Elaneer Kuzhambu is made from tree turmeric (Berberis aristata) and our old friends the three ingredients of triphala (namely Terminalia chebula, Terminalia bellerica and Emblica officinalis). Licorice (Glycyrrhzia glabra) is yet another ingredient. To this combination is added coconut water from which the preparation gets its name. This preparation is boiled to get a semisolid consistency. The powders of camphor (Cinnamomum camphora), pitakarohini (coptis teeta) and rock salt are then added. Once the mixture has cooled sufficiently, a quantity of honey is added to the mixture and mixed well.
Elaneer Kuzhambu is to be used last thing at night. One or two drops per eye should suffice. It is better that someone applies it to your eyes. The medicine comes in easy to use dropper bottles. These bottle are usually made from plastic and I am not very happy about that. If even multi-crore traditionalist ayurvedic houses switch to plastic instead of glass what hope do we have of driving out the plastic scourge. I usually do a silent rant when I see my favourite ayurvedic oils in plastic bottles and have started to make a few of them myself, but doing it all is not practical. Many 'foreign' companies are slowly coming up with their organic versions and I wish our major ayurvedic manufacturing units would do the same. I guess we need a more aware and demanding consumer for the change to happen.
I knew a vaidyar who used to make his own elaneer kuhambu. He would substitute pure rain water for coconut water. He was in Kerala and I guess he did not have to wait long for the rains to come. He would gather the rain water away from trees, houses and other obstructions, practically collecting the water straight from the clouds. His elaneer kuzhambu was made from pure rain water. He used to be very miserly with his elaneer kuzhambu and would sell you some only after a great deal of persuasion!
I have saved the best part for the last. So how does it feel when you apply Elaneer Kuzhambu to your eyes? Like you want to scream and ask what kind of a torture is this. At least that is my version. My friend says she loves it. I always suspected that she was a masochist. When you first apply Elaneer Kuzhambu you feel a terrible burning sensation in your eye like when you apply too much kajal inside your eyes. But it soon settles down and the eyes start tearing copiously and all the excess kapha drains out.
Elaneer Kuzhambu balances the three doshas. If your eyes were earlier burning or feeling dry and itchy, they will feel wonderful the morning after. Once the medicine has been applied, switch off the lights and go to sleep with a small napkin handy to wipe the tears. In the morning your eyes see more clearly and feel rested and soothed.
Elaneer Kuzhambu is used to treat corneal ulcers, pterygium, early stage cataracts and congestive glaucoma. It is also useful in treating eye infections. My vaidyar suggests using it once a fortnight to maintain healthy eyes.
--- The writer is retired Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Tamil Nadu. She can be reached at Sheelarani.arogyamantra@gmail. com. Earlier articles can be accessed at http://arogyamantra.blogspot.com/