Brassica juncea (L.) Czern. (SARSAPA / RAJIKA)

Sarsapa (B. juncea), svetasarsapa and rajika (B. nigra) are known for their raksoghna and krmighna properties and are found in all works of Ayurveda. Different varieties of Mustard  are there viz., black mustard (Brassica nigra), brown mustard (Brassica juncea), and white/yellow mustard (Brassica alba or Sinapis alba Sinapis alba L. subsp. alba). Caraka considered leaves of sarsapa as forbidden vegetable (C.S.Su.25).

Botanical Description –

Sarsapa – Brassic juncea (L.) Czern. Plant is up to 100 cm tall. Stem is glabrous, branched. Lower leaves are green, lyrate-pinnatifid or more rarely almost entire, petiolate, with rigid sparse hairs along ribs and petioles from below or more rarely glabrous. Stem leaves are glaucous, not amplexicaul, in the middle of the stem their shape is similar to the lower leaves. Upper leaves are oblong-linear, entire, sessile, rarely located on short petioles. Inflorescence is nearer to corymbose, petals are golden yellow, 1.5 times as long as sepals. Fruit is silicle. Silicles are twice as long as petals, slantwise-upward directed, tubercular, with thin subulate beak which is about four times shorter than silicle, middle rib on the valves of silicle is clearly visible. Seeds are globular, dark-brown, or more rarely yellow. This plant flowers in June-July and bears fruits in August-September.

Svetasarsapa –Brassica alba The white mustard grows from 1 to 2 feet in height. It is more or less hairy, with stiff, spreading hairs. The lower leaves, which are 6 to 8 inches in length, are deeply lobed, but the upper ones are lance shaped. The surface of the leaves is rough hairy. The light yellow flowers are borne in clusters at the ends of the stems from about June to September. The narrow, spreading seed pods which follow are rough hairy, contracted between seeds, and are about an inch in length, containing numerous roundish, pale-yellow seeds.

Rajika – Brassica nigra (L.) W.D.J. Koch  (black mustard) is an annual weedy plant cultivated for its seeds. The plant itself can grow from 2 to 8 feet tall with racemes of small yellow flowers. These flowers are usually up to 1/3″ across, with 4 petals each. Its leaves are covered in small hairs. The spice is generally made from ground seeds of the plant, with the seed coats removed. The small (1 mm) seeds are hard and vary in color from dark brown to black. They are flavorful, although they have almost no aroma. The seeds are commonly used in Indian cuisine, for example in curry, where it is known as ‘rai’. The seeds are usually thrown into hot oil or ghee after which they pop, releasing a characteristic ‘nutty’ flavor. The seeds have a significant amount of fatty oil. This oil is used often as cooking oil in India.

Since the 1950s, black mustard has become less popular as compared to india mustard because some cultivars of india mustard have seeds that can be mechanically harvested in a more efficient manner.

Major Chemical Constituents–Seed- Rutin, arabinogalactan,

Part Used– Seed, seed oil (leaf of Sarshapa is forbidden by Caraka).

Dosage– Seed powder 2-4 g.