Botanical Name :- Justicia adhatoda L., Family :- Acanthaceae

Synonyms :- Adhatoda vasica Nees, Adhatoda arborea Raf., Adhatoda zeylanica Medik., Ecbolium adhatoda (L.) Kuntze, Ecbolium latifolium (Benth. & Hook.f.) Kuntze, Gendarussa adhadota Steud.

Regional Name :- English : Vasaka,  Hindi : Aduss, Arusa, Bansa, Sanskrit : Vrsa, Atarusa, Vasaka, Urdu : Adusa, Basa, Punjabi : Bhekar, Vansa, Arusa, Gujrati : Aduso, Ardusi, Adulso, Assamese :Titabahak, Bahak, Vachaka, Bengali : Baksa, Vasaka, Kannada : Adsale, Adusoge, Atarusha, Adsole, Adasale, Kashmiri : Vasa, Malayalam : Attalataka m, Atalotakam, Marathi : Vasa, Adulsa, Oriya : Basanga, Tamil : Vasambu, Adathodai, Telugu : Addasaramu.

Part Used :- Leaves.

Description :- Vasa is found in Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Malaysia, and China. It is a sub-herbaceous bush, found throughout the year in plains and sub Himalayan tracts in India, ascending altitude up to 1200 m. Leaves, 10-30 cm long and 3-10 cm broad, lanceolate to ovate-lanceolate, slightly acuminate, base tapering, petiolate, petioles 2-8 cm long, exstipulite, glabrescent, 8-10 pairs of lateral vein bearing few hairs, dried leaves dull brown above, light greyish brown below, odour, characteristic, taste, bitter.

Phytoconstituents :- Vasa leaves contains phytochemicals such as Alkaloids, Essential oil, Tannins, Saponins, Phenolics and Flavonoids. It contains Vasicine, Vasicinone, Vasicinol, Vasicinolone, Vasicol, adhatonine, adhatodine and quinazoline alkaloid. Leaves also contain flavonoids like apigenin, kaempferol, astragalin, quercetin, isovitexin and vitexin. It also contains lilolenic, arachidonic, palmitic and oleic acids.

Ayurvedic Properties :- Rasa : Tikta, Kasaya, Guna : Laghu, Vipaka : Katu, Virya : Sita, Karma : Hrdya., Kaphapittahara, Raktasangrahika, Kasaghna.

Ayurvedic Applications :- Svasa, Kamala, Kasa, Ksaya, Kustha, Prameha, Raktapitta.

Medicinal Uses :- It is used to relieve cough, cold, whooping-cough, asthma, bronchitis, skin ailments, worms, joint, rheumatic pain, congestion, dyspnoea, diabetes, diarrhea, dysentery, epilepsy, leprosy, fever, flu, hysteria, insanity, neuralgia, rheumatic pain, skin disorders, swelling, Tuberculosis, vomiting, wasting. It is also used to treat Bleeding disorders, piles, peptic ulcers and menorrhagia; and relief from bleeding gums , pyorrhea and burning micturition. Leaves are applied on the abdomen for relieving urinary infection.