Piccha basti

Piccha basti is a classical therapeutic enema with decoction (niruha basti). It is indicated explicitly in colorectal disorders like dysentery, bleeding, colitis. It is also helpful in the management of specific complications of niruha basti. This formulation has styptic (sangrahi), healing (ropana), and hemostatic (shonitasthapana) properties.

Contributors

Section/Chapter/topic	Concepts/Basti/Piccha basti
Authors	Auti Swapnil1
Reviewer	Basisht G.2,
Editor	Deole Y.S.3
Affiliations	1 Department of Panchakarma, All India Institute of Ayurveda, Goa, India 2 Rheumatologist, Orlando, Florida, U.S.A. 3 Department of Kayachikitsa, G. J. Patel Institute of Ayurvedic Studies and Research, New Vallabh Vidyanagar, Gujarat, India
Correspondence emails	swapn.punarvasu19@gmail.com, carakasamhita@gmail.com
Publisher	Charak Samhita Research, Training and Development Centre, I.T.R.A., Jamnagar, India
Date of publication:	December 16, 2022
DOI	10.47468/CSNE.2022.e01.s09.124

Etymology and derivation

Piccha basti formulation has sticky or slimy (picchila) properties. The word 'piccha’ is derived from picchila (पिच्छिल) that means slimy touch, gummy, sticky, sliminess. Hence the basti formulation having such properties is called ‘Piccha basti’.

Table 1. Specific indications of piccha basti:

Sr.No.	Indications	Reference
1.	In the management of bleeding piles (raktarsha)	Cha. Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 14/ 224
2.	In management of diarrhoea (atisara)	Cha. Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 19/ 63
3.	In management of dysentery (pravahika)	Cha. Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 19/ 94, Su. Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 37/ 41-42
4.	In the management of obstructed Vata and kapha in the gastrointestinal tract (mahasrotas), excessive evacuation of kapha (mucus) with colic pain	Cha. Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 19/ 117
5.	In management of parisrava (rectal oozing), a basti complication	Cha. Sa. Siddhi Sthana 7/ 60
6.	Use of fresh blood in piccha basti	Su. Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 38/ 85-86, Sharangdhara Samhita 6/23

Classical formulations of piccha basti

1. Piccha basti formulation 1:

Following ingredients are used as homogenous mixture for piccha basti:

• Two prastha (1536 ml) processed milk decoction (kshira Kashaya) made from Yavasa (Alhagi camelorum Fisch.), Kusha (Imperata cylindrical Beauv.), Kasha (Saccharum spontaneum Linn.), flowers of Semul (Bombax ceiba L), and adventitious roots of Nyagrodha (Ficus bengalensis Linn.), Udumbara (Ficus racemosa Linn.), and Ashwattha (Ficus religiosa Linn.) 2 pala i.e. 96 gm each)
• Paste of the resin from Shalmali (mocharasa, Bombax ceiba L), Majishtha (Rubia cordifolia L.), Chandana (Santalum album L.), Utpala (Nymphaea stellata Willd), seeds of Kutaja (Holorrhena antidysenterica Wall.), Priyangu (Callicarpa macrophylla Vahl.) and Padmakeshar (Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.)
• Ghee, honey, and sugar. [Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 14/ 225-229]

2. Piccha basti formulation 2:

• One pala (48 gm) paste of green stalks of Shalmali (Bombax ceiba L) prepared by putapaka method mixed with one prastha (768 gm) of boiled milk
• Oil, ghee
• Paste of madhuka (Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn.)

Specific indications: Pitta dominant diarrhea, fever, edema, gulma (abdominal lumps), chronic diarrhea, grahani (digestive disorders), and the acute complications of purgation and asthapana basti. [Cha.Sa. Chikitsa Sthana 19/ 64-68]

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