Fascinating History of Chyawanprash: The Legendary Health Tonic

I am sure you all are abreast of the myriad benefits of Chyawanprash. Your mom, dad, or granny have definitely tried to pass the spoon! According to them, it’s an elixir of life. And trust me they are not wrong! I grew up listening to many epic tales of Chyawanprash!

Different sources different stories!

But what remains constant in all those stories is sage Chyawan. The stories revolve around his fragile health and the miracles of Chyawanprash. The name of Maharishi Chyawan is often cited in Indian mythology and related literature under various contexts.

Here are some snippets from famous ancient scripts. I hope you enjoy experiencing this time travel of Chyawanprash.

Also Read: Chyawanprash – a great immune booster

From the pen of Charaka 

Charaka was the first to offer an elaborate writing on Chyawanprash. In the second chapter of the Rasayana, he elucidated all about Chyawanprash. This Samhita says that in the early days, old sages like Chyawana attained vital strength and increased life span by using this beneficial Rasayana formulation.

Charaka describes that Rishi Chyawana of Bhrigu region, fell prey to diseases in his old age. His complexion became dull and his voice became feeble. Ashwini restored his health and transformed him into a young man with the help of Chyawanprash.

Also Read: Evolution of Chyawanprash

The verna of Sharngadhara

Sharngadhara too narrated that Chyawanprash originated with Chyawana. He indicated it in seminal weakness. Chyawana was a symbol of dhatukshaya. This means increased catabolism and degeneration. 

Maharshi Chyawana suffered premature aging and many age-related health problems. 

But he benefitted from the use of a formulation prepared by the Ashwini’s. This formulation was later known as Chyawanprash. 

Thus, sages interpreted that Chyawanprash is capable of arresting the degenerative processes. 

Also Read: How to make Chyawanprash at home

In the pages of Mahabharata

The most popular epic narrates that Puloma was the mother and Bhrigu was the father of Chyawana. 

Once Bhrigu had gone out of his ashram to perform his rituals. And a monster entered his hermitage. Puloma’s beauty enchanted him. She was pregnant at that time. Out of fear and anxiety, Puloma aborted the fetus. 

And in that instant, the radiation of the aborted fetus turned the crooked monster into ashes. They named the baby boy Chyawana. But because of his premature birth, he was physically weak.

After that, Puloma gave birth to seven more children. But only Chyawana enjoyed the status of being the divine son of Puloma.

Also Read: Chyawanprash for kids

The folklore of torn pages

The story goes as…

Once upon a time, saint Chyawana entered a meditative trance. As time passed, his entire body got covered with clay. But his eyes remained uncovered, shining bright. 

Sukanya, the daughter of King Sharyati, saw those shiny gems. And out of curiosity, she pricked them with a thorn. Because of this eyes started to bleed and his trance was broken. 

Enraged by her foolish act, he cursed upon King Sharyati. 

The king came to Chyawana to beg his pardon. Maharshi agreed to nullify the curse only on one condition. So, the king agreed, to marry his daughter Sukanya to the aging saint under duress. 

A few days after marriage, the Ashwini came to the hermitage of Chyawana. They offered him medicine with the promise of youth. This medicine later came to be known as Chyawanprash, after saint Chyawana.

Exploring the pages of Puranas

According to another legend, once Chyawana, was lying in a village in a debilitating condition. 

Sharyati was passing through that village along with his children. The children started pelting stones at Chyawana for fun. The aged saint cursed them and they started quarrelling. 

Sharyati went to Chyawana along with his daughter, Sukanya. He promised the saint to marry his daughter to the ailing saint. 

Once while passing through that village, the Ashwini saw Sukanya and were enchanted by her spellbound beauty. They asked Sukanya to divorce her debilitated husband. 

Sukanya refused to do so and appraised her husband of their demands. Chyawana was smart. He advised her to challenge their strength and ability and ask them to reinvigorate him, should they like to testify their ability.

A few days later the Ashwini’s visited again and they happily accepted the challenge. They suggested that Chyawana should take a dip in the village pond to be young again. The magic worked and Chyawana regained his youth.

When Ashwini demanded Sukanya, Chyawana asked them to prove their strength. Thus, he kept his wife and regained his strength!

The epic tales of Chyawanprash

As you can see, Chyawanprash is an age-old remedy and it has found a place in many epic tales. In conclusion, Chywanprush is a time-stamp remedy that has been in use much before any modern medicine.

From boosting immunity to preventing chronic diseases, it was the protective shield of kings, sages, and soldiers. Isn’t it fascinating? Well, that’s all for today!

Which one do you think is the real story? Which one did you like the most? Do tell me in the comments section.

And if there is an unheard version of your granny’s story then let me know!