This index gives plain English meanings for the classical Ayurvedic terms that appear most often in writing about skin and hair, from dosha and dhatu to taila, lepa and Vyanga. Each entry gives the term, a short gloss, one or two sentences of meaning and the classical text and chapter where the term is found, cited at chapter level only. Where a chapter has not yet been checked against a named edition, the entry says so. Entries run in alphabetical order; use the letters below to jump. Most entries also link to one article on this site that uses the term in context. The editions relied on are listed under Sources.
Jump to: A · B · C · D · G · I · K · L · M · N · P · R · S · T · U · V · Y
A
- Abhyanga (अभ्यङ्ग), classical full-body oil massage
- Abhyanga is the application of oil to the whole body, with particular attention to the head, the ears and the feet. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 2 places it in the daily routine, and Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 5 describes it among the daily practices. Used on this site: the guide to Ayurvedic hair oils
- Agni (अग्नि), digestive fire
- Agni is the classical principle of transformation that digests food and, at the level of each tissue, turns nourishment into tissue. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sharira Sthana 3 describes nourishment passing from one tissue to the next, cooked in turn by the seven tissue fires (Dhatvagni). Used on this site: the acne guide
- Ama (आम), undigested metabolic residue
- Ama is food essence that has not been properly digested and lingers in a vitiated, sticky state. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 13 defines it as the first tissue (Rasa) left uncooked because Agni is weak, and records a second view that it arises when the doshas vitiate one another. Used on this site: the melasma handbook
B
- Bhrajaka Pitta (भ्राजक पित्त), the form of Pitta seated in the skin
- Bhrajaka Pitta is one of the five forms of Pitta, the one that resides in the skin. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 12 names it, and the name itself comes from bhrajana, to shine, a reference to the lustre of the skin. Used on this site: sun protection for Indian skin in the monsoon
C
- Churna (चूर्ण), medicinal powder
- Churna is a preparation of dried herbs pounded and sieved into a fine powder, one of the basic forms of classical pharmacy. Sharngadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda 6 (Churna Kalpana) is the chapter on powders and their preparation. Used on this site: Amla, Baheda and Harad in Ayurvedic skin care
D
- Darunaka (दारुणक), dandruff
- Darunaka is the classical term for a scalp that is dry, itchy and finely cracked, with flaking. Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 23 describes it among the disorders of the scalp and attributes it to Kapha and Vata; Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana) lists it among the minor diseases. Used on this site: dry scalp or dandruff
- Dhatu (धातु), bodily tissue
- Dhatu is the classical word for the seven tissues that sustain the body: Rasa (plasma), Rakta (blood), Mamsa (muscle), Meda (fat), Asthi (bone), Majja (marrow) and Shukra (procreative tissue). Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 lists them, and Sharira Sthana 3 describes how each forms from the one before. Used on this site: Ayurveda and salicylic acid for acne
- Dinacharya (दिनचर्या), daily routine
- Dinacharya is the classical daily regimen, running from waking before dawn through cleansing, oiling, exercise and bathing to conduct through the day and night. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 2 and Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 5 set it out. Used on this site: the guide to Ayurvedic hair oils
- Dosha (दोष), the three doshas, biological energies in Ayurveda
- Dosha is the collective name for Vata, Pitta and Kapha, the three functional principles of the body in classical Ayurveda. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 introduces them and states that in balance they sustain the body, while in a vitiated state they give rise to disease. Used on this site: the acne guide
G
- Guna (गुण), quality
- Guna is the classical word for the physical qualities of a substance. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 lists twenty of them as ten opposing pairs, such as heavy and light, cold and hot, oily and dry, slow and sharp. Used on this site: Lodhra in classical skin care
I
- Indralupta (इन्द्रलुप्त), patchy hair loss
- Indralupta is the classical term for hair lost from the scalp in a defined patch. Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 23 describes it among the disorders of the scalp as Pitta, joined with Vata, entering the hair follicles (roma-kupa), after which Kapha with blood blocks the follicles. Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana) lists it among the minor diseases.
K
- Kandu (कण्डू), itching
- Kandu is the classical word for itching as a symptom of the skin and scalp. Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 4 names one of its fifty groups of ten herbs after it, Kandughna, as a classification of the herbs the text associates with this symptom. Used on this site: Daruhaldi in classical skin care
- Kapha (कफ), the dosha of structure and cohesion, formed of earth and water
- Kapha is one of the three doshas, described as oily, cold, heavy, slow, smooth, slimy and stable. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 gives these qualities, and Sutra Sthana 12 describes the five forms of Kapha and where each resides in the body. Used on this site: the acne guide
- Kashaya (कषाय), astringent taste; also a water-based herbal decoction
- Kashaya has two classical senses. As a taste it is astringent, the last of the six tastes (Rasa); as a preparation it is a decoction of herbs boiled in water and taken down to a fraction of the starting volume. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 10 describes the tastes, and Sharngadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda 2 (Kwatha Kalpana) the decoction. Used on this site: Ayurveda and salicylic acid for acne
- Kesha (केश), hair
- Kesha is the classical word for the hair of the head. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sharira Sthana 3 lists nails and hair (nakha-roma) as the waste (Mala) of Asthi, the bone tissue, which is why classical physiology reads the hair alongside the bones. Used on this site: the guide to Ayurvedic hair oils
- Keshya (केश्य), of or for the hair
- Keshya is a classical descriptive word, formed from Kesha, that the texts attach to certain substances and that later writing uses for a working class of hair herbs. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 6 uses it in its account of food substances. It names a category in the texts, not a measured effect. Used on this site: rosemary oil and the classical hair herbs
- Khalitya (खालित्य), hair fall; also Khalati
- Khalitya is the classical term for the gradual loss of hair from the scalp. Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 23 describes it among the disorders of the scalp, directly after Indralupta, and states that it arises in the same way, with the difference that the hair falls gradually. Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana) lists it in the same group.
- Kshira-paka (क्षीरपाक), the classical milk-and-oil method
- Kshira-paka is the method in which herbs are simmered with milk in an oil base until the water has evaporated, leaving a medicated oil (Taila). It is a different preparation from the Ksheerapaka of Sharngadhara, a medicated milk taken by mouth. For the oil method, see Sharngadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda 9 (Sneha Kalpana), where milk may serve as the liquid. Used on this site: what Kshira-paka is
- Kshudra Roga (क्षुद्ररोग), minor diseases
- Kshudra Roga is the classical group of smaller, mostly local disorders of the skin, face, scalp and nails; the word minor describes their extent, not their importance to the person. Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 31 describes thirty-six of them, including Mukhadushika and Vyanga, and Uttara Sthana 32 sets out their management; Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana) is the parallel chapter in the Sushruta Samhita. Used on this site: dry scalp or dandruff
- Kumkumadi (कुङ्कुमादि), a class of classical saffron oils
- Kumkumadi names a class of classical oils whose ingredient list begins with kumkuma (saffron); the ending -adi means and the rest. Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 32 gives an oil of this kind, cooked with goat milk and given as Nasya. The fuller Kumkumadi Taila of the later formularies has its own lineage; classical reference to be confirmed.
- Kushtha (कुष्ठ), the classical group of chronic skin disorders
- Kushtha is an umbrella term for a group of chronic skin disorders, not the name of one disease, and it does not map onto any single modern diagnosis. Charaka Samhita, Nidana Sthana 5 and Ashtanga Hridaya, Nidana Sthana 14 describe the group, the doshas involved and the tissues it reaches: skin, lymph, blood and muscle. Used on this site: Amla, Baheda and Harad in Ayurvedic skin care
L
- Lepa (लेप), medicated paste applied externally
- Lepa is a paste of herbs ground with a liquid and spread on the skin, the classical form behind the household face pack. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 22 describes the face paste (Mukhalepa) in the same chapter as gargling and the four ways of oiling the head. Used on this site: the acne guide
M
- Mukhadushika (मुखदूषिका), acne, literally that which spoils the face
- Mukhadushika is the classical name for acne. Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 31 describes it as dense, painful eruptions on the faces of the young, shaped like the thorns of the silk-cotton tree (Shalmali) and containing fat (Medas). Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana) describes the same eruptions of the young under this name. Used on this site: the acne guide
N
- Nasya (नस्य), nasal administration
- Nasya is the classical route of giving medicated oils, powders or liquids through the nose, which the texts call the doorway to the head. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 20 is the chapter on Nasya, and Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 5 includes daily nasal oil in the daily routine. Used on this site: sesame oil or coconut oil for hair
P
- Palitya (पालित्य), greying of hair
- Palitya is the classical term for hair turning grey or white. Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 23 describes it among the disorders of the scalp, and Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 28 lists untimely grey hair among the disorders that arise from vitiated Rasa, the first tissue; Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana) lists it among the minor diseases.
- Pitta (पित्त), the dosha of heat and transformation, formed of fire and water
- Pitta is one of the three doshas, described as slightly oily, sharp, hot, light, of raw smell, flowing and liquid. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 gives these qualities, and Sutra Sthana 12 describes its five forms, among them Bhrajaka Pitta in the skin. Used on this site: the melasma handbook
- Prakriti (प्रकृति), constitution
- Prakriti is the individual balance of the doshas fixed at conception, which shapes the body and temperament of a person for life. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sharira Sthana 3 describes seven kinds of Prakriti, set by the dosha that dominates in the seed, the womb, the diet and conduct of the mother, and the season. Used on this site: Ayurveda for sensitive skin
R
- Rakta shodhana (रक्तशोधन), blood purification
- Rakta shodhana is a descriptive phrase for the classical measures directed at vitiated blood (Rakta); it is a label in later writing rather than a chapter title. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 27 describes pure blood, how Pitta and Kapha vitiate it, and the procedure of releasing blood from a vein (Siravyadha). Used on this site: the acne guide
- Rasa (रस), plasma, the first tissue; also taste
- Rasa has two classical senses. As a tissue it is the first Dhatu, the nourishing fluid formed from digested food; as a taste it is one of six: sweet, sour, salty, pungent, bitter and astringent. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 names both, and Sutra Sthana 10 and Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 26 describe the tastes in detail. Used on this site: Lodhra in classical skin care
- Rasayana (रसायन), the classical category concerned with long life
- Rasayana is one of the eight branches of classical Ayurveda and the name of its class of formulas and regimens concerned with long life. The usual English gloss of the category is rejuvenation. Charaka Samhita, Chikitsa Sthana 1 and Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 39 are the Rasayana chapters. Used on this site: Amla, Baheda and Harad in Ayurvedic skin care
- Ritucharya (ऋतुचर्या), seasonal routine
- Ritucharya is the classical regimen of diet and conduct adjusted to the six seasons of the Indian year. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 3 and Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 6 describe the regimen for each season. Used on this site: the melasma handbook
S
- Shiro-abhyanga (शिरोभ्यङ्ग), oil massage of the head
- Shiro-abhyanga is the rubbing of oil into the scalp, the first of four classical ways of applying oil to the head (Murdha Taila). Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 22 names the four as massage, pouring (Seka), an oil-soaked pad (Picu) and oil held on the head (Shiro-basti), each stronger than the one before. Used on this site: how often to wash hair
- Sneha (स्नेह), fat or oil; literally unctuousness
- Sneha is the classical word for the fats used in medicine and in oleation. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 16 names four as the best, ghee, marrow, animal fat and oil, and ranks ghee first; Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 13 is the parallel chapter on oleation. Used on this site: sesame oil or coconut oil for hair
- Snehana (स्नेहन), oleation
- Snehana is the procedure of making the body unctuous with Sneha, taken internally or applied to the skin. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 16 defines an oleating substance by its qualities: mostly heavy, cold, flowing, oily, slow, subtle, soft and liquid. Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 13 covers the same procedure.
T
- Taila (तैल), medicated oil
- Taila is an oil, classically sesame oil (the word comes from tila, sesame), cooked with a herbal paste and a liquid until the water has evaporated. Sharngadhara Samhita, Madhyama Khanda 9 (Sneha Kalpana) sets out the method for medicated oils and ghee, and Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 16 counts oil among the four great fats. Used on this site: the guide to Ayurvedic hair oils
- Twak (त्वक्), skin
- Twak is the classical word for the skin, the seat of touch and of Bhrajaka Pitta. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sharira Sthana 3 states that seven layers of skin form from blood as the foetus develops, in the way a layer of cream forms on milk as it boils. Used on this site: winter skin care for Vata dryness
U
- Ubtan (उबटन), household herbal paste
- Ubtan is a household Hindi word, not a classical Sanskrit term, for a paste of besan, haldi and other kitchen ingredients rubbed on the skin, familiar from weddings and childhood baths. Its classical relative is Udvartana; there is no classical chapter for ubtan itself. Used on this site: the melasma handbook
- Udvartana (उद्वर्तन), powder massage
- Udvartana is the classical practice of rubbing the body with herbal powder or paste. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 2 includes it in the daily routine (Dinacharya), between exercise and bathing, and the household ubtan descends from it. Used on this site: an Ayurvedic skin care routine for day and night
V
- Varnya (वर्ण्य), the classical group of herbs named for skin colour
- Varnya is a classical category of herbs named after Varna, the colour and appearance of the skin. Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 4 lists ten herbs as the Varnya group among its fifty groups of ten. It is a classification in the text, not a measured effect. Used on this site: the melasma handbook
- Vata (वात), the dosha of movement, formed of air and space
- Vata is one of the three doshas, described as dry, light, cold, rough, subtle and mobile. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 gives these qualities and Sutra Sthana 12 its five forms; Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 12 (Vatakalakaliya) is a chapter devoted to it. Used on this site: the guide to Ayurvedic hair oils
- Vipaka (विपाक), post-digestive taste
- Vipaka is the taste a substance takes on after digestion, which may differ from its taste on the tongue. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 counts three kinds, sweet, sour and pungent, and Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 26 describes the signs of each. Used on this site: Lodhra in classical skin care
- Virya (वीर्य), potency
- Virya is the active potency of a substance, the property through which it acts. Ashtanga Hridaya, Sutra Sthana 1 counts two kinds, hot (Ushna) and cold (Shita), and Sutra Sthana 9 discusses potency at greater length alongside taste and post-digestive taste. Used on this site: Lodhra in classical skin care
- Vyanga (व्यङ्ग), melasma
- Vyanga is the classical term for a thin, dark patch on the face. Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 31 lists it among the minor diseases, links it to Vata and Pitta stirred by grief and anger, and calls the same patch Nilika when it appears away from the face. Charaka Samhita, Sutra Sthana 28 places it among the disorders of vitiated blood, and Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana) lists it among the minor diseases. Used on this site: the melasma handbook
Y
- Yuvanpidika (युवानपिडिका), the classical Ayurvedic term for acne, literally youthful eruption
- Yuvanpidika is the widely used Ayurvedic name for the eruptions that appear on the face in youth. The older texts describe the same eruptions under the name Mukhadushika, in Sushruta Samhita, Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana) and in Ashtanga Hridaya, Uttara Sthana 31, among the minor diseases (Kshudra Roga). Used on this site: the acne guide
How to cite this page
Classical Ayurvedic Skin and Hair Terms: A Referenced Index. https://roshnibotanicals.com/page/ayurvedic-skin-and-hair-terms/ Last updated 2 November 2026.
Sources
- Ashtanga Hridaya of Vagbhata, Sanskrit text, machine-readable transcription by R. P. Das and R. E. Emmerick (1997), GRETIL, Gottingen State and University Library. Chapter numbers in this index follow this text.
- Charaka Samhita of Agnivesha, with the Ayurveda Dipika of Chakrapanidatta, edited by Yadavji Trikamji Acharya, Chaukhambha Sanskrit Sansthan, Varanasi, 1994 (Kashi Sanskrit Series 228), GRETIL e-text by Oliver Hellwig: Sutra Sthana 12, 26 and 28, and Chikitsa Sthana 1.
- Charak Samhita New Edition, Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre, Jamnagar (carakasamhitaonline.com): Sutra Sthana 4, 5, 6 and 13, and Nidana Sthana 5.
- Sushruta Samhita of Sushruta, with the Nibandhasangraha commentary of Dalhana, edited by Yadavji Trikamji Acharya, Chaukhambha Surbharati Prakashan, Varanasi: Nidana Sthana 13 (Kshudra Roga Nidana).
- Sharngadhara Samhita, English translation by K. R. Srikantha Murthy, Chaukhambha Orientalia, Varanasi: Madhyama Khanda 2 (Kwatha Kalpana), 6 (Churna Kalpana) and 9 (Sneha Kalpana).