Laksha is a hard, rough material collected from the nests of certain insects that feed on the sap of trees. It is heated and formed into bracelets in India and is the raw material for shellac. It has also been used as an Ayurvedic remedy since ancient times.

Traditionally, this substance is powdered before use. It can be used internally or externally. Its sticky, binding property (snigdha) is useful for several things in Ayurveda.

It is used to heal external wounds (kshata) on the body. In the Mahabharata war it was used to bind and heal battle wounds, especially if they involved bone, ligament or nerve damage.

It is also used to heal internal wounds, or ulcers (vrana). It is not used for peptic ulcers, but for ulcers in the deeper tissues, which are most commonly caused by too much acidic, or highly reactive toxins in the body (amavisha or garavisha).

Laksha Helps Heal The Nerves and Bone Marrow According to Ayurveda

It is understandable that a sticky substance like laksha, when used externally, would be helpful to bind battle wounds. But it takes more time to see how laksha is able to help heal internal wounds deep inside the body.

The specialty of laksha, when used internally, is to help heal the nerves and remove toxins in the bone marrow. Majja dhatu (bone marrow) is the second deepest tissue of the body, and nervous tissue is directly related to majja dhatu according to Ayurveda.

Majja dhatu is one of the most protected tissues of the body. It lies inside the bones. Closely related to bone marrow are the nerves of the body, including the brain. In fact, the brain is also encased in bone.

For laksha to heal wounds in these deep tissues, it must be very penetrating. The word tuvera is used in the ancient text, Bhava Prakash, to describe laksha. Tuvera means that it moves quickly and very deeply into the body. It can pass the bone barrier and other barriers in the body to reach deep into the bone marrow and even deep into the brain.

Once it reaches the bone marrow or deep nervous tissue, it is able to bind any toxins found there, which may be causing ulcers in those tissues. In this way, laksha is able to promote healing in the nervous tissue and bone marrow.

Two Ancient Applications of Laksha for Internal Wounds

Herpes (visarpa in Sanskrit) is understood by Ayurveda to be primarily a result of highly acidic toxins coming out of the bone marrow, which cause the tissues to fall prey secondarily to a viral infection. Because laksha is able to bind toxins in the bone marrow, it is helpful, according to Ayurveda, in removing the primary cause of some forms of herpes.

Another place where laksha is used in Shaka Vansya Ayurveda is with multiple sclerosis. The wounds on the myelin sheaths of the nerves are caused by amavisha (reactive toxins) according to Ayurveda and laksha is able to bind those toxins even deep within the brain.

Ayurveda is an ancient science and is never a substitute for regular medical care. Please consult your physician if you have symptoms of herpes or multiple sclerosis.

Laksha can also bind toxins in the blood (asra) and cool the blood, which is helpful in the case of chronic cough (kas) and fever (jwara). For more information about laksha, listen to Vaidya Mishra's audio description below.

Learn More About Laksha from the Ayurvedic Text Bhava Prakash

You can download and listen to a 19 minute MP3 audio file by Vaidya Mishra on laksha for 99¢. In this audio presentation, you will go through several verses of Bhava Prakash where the use of laksha is described.

Vaidya Mishra translates each word and explains the meaning according to his family's tradition and his experience using this herb in the West.

If you are a practitioner, or want to learn more about this important herb, we recommend downloading this audio lecture on laksha and listening to it many times. Repeatedly listening to this and other 99¢ audio files by Vaidya Mishra is an easy way to expand your knowledge of Ayurveda.

Lakshaya (laksha in Sanskrit) is described by Bhava Prakash as varnya (enhancing complexion), hima (cooling), snigdha (unctuous), tuvara (penetrating), laghu (light) and pittasrapranut (reducing pitta in the blood).

Ingredients

Grade A wildcrafted lakshaya (laksha) powder

Packet Size

1 oz.

Directions

Add one pinch of lakshaya to your one or two liters of herbal tea mixuture given to you by your Shaka Vansya Ayurveda practitioner and sip throughout the day.

Use under the guidance of a Shaka Vansya Ayurveda practitioner.  As with all herbs, please consult with your physician before using.

Laksha In Our Herbal Products

Vaidya Mishra often calls laksha by the name lakshaya. The products below go by the name lakshaya.

Lakshaya Herbal Memory Nectar

• Contains only the subtlest fraction (sukshma bhag) of laksha so that it can penetrate easily to the deep tissues of the body to reach the majja dhatu (bone marrow) and nerve tissue.
• Travels quickly, without delay of digestion and begins acting right away.
• Should be added to 1 to 2 liters of cool, neutral pH spring water and sipped throughout the day.

Lakshaya Transdermal Cream

• Is used topically.
• Can easy be targeted to one specific area of the body.
• Gives sustained delivery of laksha over several hours.

The Following Products Contain Laksha as an Ingredient

• Super Sport Transdermal Cream

Disclaimer

This product and statements have not been evaluated by the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) and are not intended to be used to diagnose, treat or cure any disease. All of the information above is intended for educational purposes only and may not be used to replace or complement medical advice.