Tulasī
The sacred basil of every courtyard, a satvik, clarifying herb for the breath, the chest and the household's morning ritual.
Herb · Leaf (and whole aerial plant)
Energetics
Taste (rasa)
- Pungent (kaṭu)
- Bitter (tikta)
Properties (guṇa / vīrya)
- Heating (uṣṇa vīrya)
- Light (laghu)
- Dry (rūkṣa)
- Sharp (tīkṣṇa)
Dosha effect
- Balances vāta
- Neutral for pitta
- Balances kapha
Traditional indications
- Chest and respiratory comfort, coughs, colds, mild congestion
- Traditional fever support (jvara) in home practice
- Clarifying and mildly adaptogenic, used for steadiness under stress
- The daily worship plant, its very presence is part of the tradition
Indications record traditional ayurvedic usage for study, they are not medical claims and not a recommendation to treat yourself.
Contraindications & cautions
- Pregnancy, traditionally used with caution (may stimulate the uterus)
- Anticoagulant or antiplatelet medication, consult a physician
- Diabetes medication, monitor (may lower blood sugar)
Herbs interact with medications, conditions and pregnancy; review anything here with a qualified practitioner before use.
Traditional preparation
The household form is tea: 8–10 leaves steeped in just-boiled water for 5 minutes, sipped warm, with honey added only once the tea is drinkable-warm. The juice of a few fresh leaves with honey is the traditional cough spoon. Dried leaf works for tea out of season.
In the tradition
Tulasī is planted, watered and bowed to before it is ever brewed; medicine as a form of daily devotion. The texts list it among the expectorant and fever-supporting herbs; the households of India simply call it “the incomparable one”.
Sources & further reading
- Bhāvaprakāśa Nighaṇṭu , Bhāvamiśra (tulasī, pungent, bitter, sharp; kindles digestion and passion for truth)
- Yoga of Herbs , David Frawley & Vasant Lad
Classical citations mark where a tradition is drawn on; modern references are further reading, never prescriptions.