Last verified: April 2026

Unmada — Classical Psychiatry

उन्माद — Un (up/out) + Mada (intoxication/altered state) — mental derangement

Unmada is the classical Ayurvedic documentation of major mental disorders — conditions characterised by disturbed mind (Manas), intellect (Buddhi), consciousness (Samjna), memory (Smriti), desire (Bhakti), and behaviour (Sheela). Charaka Samhita, Chikitsasthana 9 documents Unmada as one of the most comprehensively documented conditions in classical Ayurveda — with specific types, causation, pathogenesis, and treatment at greater length than most physical conditions.

Important noticeThis page documents what classical Ayurvedic texts record. Not medical advice. Diagnosis and treatment require assessment by a qualified practitioner (BAMS or MD Ayurveda). Full disclaimer

Charaka Samhita, Chikitsasthana 9.4

Unmade mano buddhi samjna smriti bhakti sheela achara vikritih — In Unmada, the following are disturbed: mind, intellect, consciousness, memory, desire, character, and behaviour. The disturbance of all these simultaneously — not merely one — constitutes Unmada as distinguished from milder Manas conditions.

Five classical types

Vataja Unmada: Rapid, erratic thought and behaviour; excessive, incoherent speech; fearfulness; restlessness; tendency toward nudity and wandering; emaciation. Corresponds to schizophrenia-spectrum conditions with thought disorder and disorganised behaviour.

Pittaja Unmada: Aggression, violence, anger; the patient attacks others; excessive heat; nakedness from heat; fear of light; yellow discolouration. Corresponds to manic psychosis and aggressive psychotic presentations.

Kaphaja Unmada: Excessive sleep, social withdrawal, silence, excessive eating, slow thinking, saliva drooling. Corresponds to catatonic and severely depressive psychotic presentations.

Sannipataja Unmada: Features of all three; most severe and difficult to treat.

Agantu Unmada: Exogenous cause — classified as arising from Bhuta (exogenous entities), grief (Shoka), fear (Bhaya), or joy (Harsha). Classical documentation explicitly separates the exogenous-cause type for treatment purposes — the treatment addresses the external trigger rather than the internal Dosha balance alone.

Primary herbs and formulations

Brahmi (Bacopa monnieri) — primary Medhya Rasayana; Brahmi Ghrita (medicated ghee) is the primary compound formulation for Unmada and Apasmara; documented in multiple classical texts. Shankhpushpi — for Vataja and anxiety-type presentations. Vacha (Acorus calamus) — Nasya and internal for Kaphaja Unmada. Sarasvata Churna and Sarasvatarishta — classical compound preparations. Sarpagandha (Rauwolfia serpentina) — for Pittaja/aggressive presentations; practitioner prescription required.

The Agantu and modern psychiatry

Charaka Samhita's classification of exogenous-cause Unmada (Shoka-Unmada — grief-induced; Bhaya-Unmada — trauma-induced) pre-dates modern psychiatry's diagnostic category of reactive psychosis and trauma-related disorders by two millennia. The classical recognition that these conditions require addressing the psychological trigger alongside biological treatment is consistent with modern evidence-based psychiatry's emphasis on trauma-informed care.