Ashwagandha — The Supreme Adaptogen of Ayurveda
Ashwagandha (Withania somnifera) is Ayurveda's most celebrated Rasayana herb — an adaptogen that simultaneously builds strength and reduces stress, pacifies Vata, and is one of the most extensively clinically validated herbs in the Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia.
Ashwagandha (literally 'smell of horse,' referring both to the root's earthy aroma and to the horse-like strength and virility it is said to confer) is classified as a Balya (strength-promoting), Vrishya (aphrodisiac), and Rasayana (rejuvenating) herb. It is sweet and bitter in taste, with a warming potency and sweet Vipaka — making it primarily Vata-pacifying and mildly Kapha-increasing. Its primary doshic action is on Vata and the nervous system: it is the premier Ayurvedic herb for anxiety, insomnia, nervous exhaustion, chronic stress, and the cognitive decline of aging. Classical texts prescribe the powdered root taken in warm milk with ghee, sugar, or honey, especially at night, to rebuild the depleted and the aged and to quiet the restless; Charaka counts it among the Balya and Brimhana herbs that build flesh and strength and lists it as a Vajikarana (virilizing) tonic.
Ashwagandha gives the strength of a horse; one who takes it regularly does not age prematurely.
Withania somnifera takes its Sanskrit name Ashwagandha — the smell of a horse — from both the odor of the fresh root and its reputed power to confer a horse's strength and vigor. It is the archetypal Vata-pacifying Rasayana of the classical pharmacopoeia, valued for calming the mind while building the body.
Charaka Samhita