The term phoga is found only in madanapala ighantu. Neither brhat trayi texts nor other ighantu works quoted this name. Therefore, the identity of the plant becomes difficult. Idintification on the basis of other synonyms will be helpful.
Marudbhava is the synonym used for yasa, padmaka, kadara etc.
Srngi is the synonym used for karkatasrngi, ativisa, plaksa, vata etc. Sasadana is the synonym which is not matching with any other plant.
Finally, its synonym suksmapuspa matches with a variety of sanapuspi (ksudra-sanapuspi) mentioned in rajanighantu (guducyadi varga). However, suksmapuspa/ ksudrasanapuspi is useful in niyamana samskara of parada where as, similar description is not observed in madanpala nighantu in the context of phoga.
Another plant which is described as canakyamulaka in dhanvantari nighantu may also be considered as one of the sources for phoga since it is attributed with marusambhava as one of the synonyms. But the terms like marusambhava and marudbhava are different.
Keeping the order and the properties of sveta-marisa and phoga in view it may be concluded that A. blitum is the correct source for phoga while A. gangeticus is rakta-marisa.
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