Kashaya is a traditional
Ayurvedic decoction.
It is prepared by boiling sliced or powdered herbal materials such as bark, roots, leaves, fruits and flowers. The powder must be coarse. One part of the powder is boiled in four, eight or sixteen parts of water and reduced to a quarter. Earthen or chemically inactive vessels like stainless steel must be used.
Some of the significant kashayas are Ashtavargam Kashaya, Indukantham Kashaya, Balajeerakadi Kashaya and Garbharaksha Kashaya. They are useful in the treatment of all types of fevers, cough and asthma, rheumatic disorders, anemia and several other diseases.
