Karavira (Oleander)
Karavīra करवीर
Nerium indicum / N. oleander · Apocynaceae
Common: Oleander · Kanher
shrub rootleaf ushna cosmetic excluded cultivated
Rasa-Panchaka — five-fold pharmacology
- Rasa
- tikta · katu · kashaya— tastes at first contact
- Guna
- laghu · ruksha · tikshna— qualities
- Virya
- ushna— potency (heating)
- Vipaka
- katu— post-digestive effect
Dosha effect
V
Vata
·neutral
P
Pitta
↑aggravates
K
Kapha
↓pacifies
pacifies (↓) aggravates (↑) neutral (·)
Functions
anti-Kushtha (external root only)
⚡ Toxic. Contains oleandrin — cardiotoxic glycoside. Classical use is external root only on intact skin for severe Kushtha. Never internal.
Modern cosmetic adaptation: omit entirely and substitute with Karanja or Bhringaraja. Some Sushruta recipes call for it (e.g. Cikitsa 20.15 alopecia oil) but the cosmetic-acceptable adaptation removes it.
Safety flags
- Cardiotoxic — root only, external only, intact skin only
- Modern cosmetic: omit