Educational information, not medical advice — ask your doctor or midwife.
Dūrvā is a common creeping lawn grass. In Latin it is called Cynodon dactylon. In English it is called Bermuda grass or couch grass.
In Ayurveda the fresh green plant is washed, crushed and pressed for its juice. You swallow that juice, or dab it on the skin. It is used mainly for small bleeds, burning during urination and minor skin trouble.
It is a single drug in Ayurveda. That means one plant used on its own, not a mixed formula.
The name couch grass is also used for a different European plant, Elymus repens. So check the Latin name on any product you buy.
Dūrvā has a long and respected place in Ayurveda. But long use is not the same as proof of effect. We say this once here, and not again on this page.
Human trial evidence for Dūrvā is thin. Most of what is published is lab and animal work. So treat any health claim about it as unproven.
Nobody has shown clearly how Dūrvā works in people. So what follows is a fair idea, not a settled fact.
Ayurvedic texts call it cooling and drying. They use it where there is heat, bleeding or burning. Two examples are a nosebleed and stinging urine.
Lab work finds plant chemicals in the grass. In test dishes and in animals, these can mop up harmful molecules. They can also calm inflammation, which means swelling and irritation.
Animal studies hint at lower blood sugar. They also hint at a diuretic (water pill) effect, which means passing more urine. None of this has been confirmed in good human trials.
The traditional form is svarasa, the fresh juice pressed from washed green grass. Ayurvedic texts describe this form most often.
Other forms include:
- a paste of the crushed plant, rubbed on the skin - a water decoction, which is the plant simmered in water - dried powder
Shops also sell capsules, powders and bottled juices. Dried and bottled products vary a lot in strength and purity.
Grass can also be gathered from the wrong place. Roadsides, sprayed lawns and public parks may leave it dirty. It can carry pesticide, animal waste or road grime.
Dūrvā appears in the classical Ayurvedic texts and in Indian ritual life. The grass is offered in worship. It is treated as a symbol of long life.
Healers have used it for centuries for bleeding, urinary burning and skin complaints. They also gave it as a cooling juice in hot weather.
Similar folk uses appear in Siddha practice. The same uses turn up in parts of Southeast Asia and Africa, where this grass grows as a weed.
Get urgent medical help if your lips, tongue or throat swell, if you come out in hives, or if you struggle to breathe or wheeze after taking it. These are signs of a serious allergic reaction.
See a doctor the same day if bleeding will not stop after ten minutes of pressure, if you have blood in your urine, or if you have fever with pain when passing urine.
Book an appointment if burning urine, heartburn or a skin problem has not improved after two weeks, or if you feel dizzy, very thirsty or unusually tired while taking it.
Evidence grades and traditional-use labels are explained in our methodology. Nothing here is medical advice.
What it is typically used for, usual dose, cautions, and the study behind it where real trial data exists.
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