Last verified: April 2026
Shankhpushpi — Shankhpushpi
Shankhpushpi is the second of Charaka Samhita's four Medhya Rasayana herbs — alongside Brahmi, Guduchi, and Jyotishmati. Its specific documented character within that group: it combines cognitive enhancement with calming, sleep-promoting action. Where Brahmi is documented primarily for intelligence and memory, Shankhpushpi is documented for cases where mental overactivity, Vata-driven anxiety, and sleep disruption are the presenting conditions alongside cognitive complaints.
The conch shape of the flowers is the classical visual identifier — and the name Shankhpushpi (conch-flower) is how practitioners recognise the herb. This matters because the Convolvulaceae family has many species, some of them toxic, and correct identification is critical. The API monograph specifically addresses the identity problem: Shankhpushpi in commercial markets includes material from Convolvulus pluricaulis, Clitoria ternatea (Aparajita — butterfly pea), and Evolvulus alsinoides, all of which are used under this name in different regional traditions.
The dual action — cognitive enhancement and sleep promotion — is the defining clinical signature of Shankhpushpi in the classical documentation. Charaka Samhita documents it specifically for Unmada (mental disorders characterised by agitation) and for conditions of mental overactivity with insomnia. This dual action makes it the herb most indicated when a patient presents with both racing thoughts and poor sleep alongside cognitive complaints — a combination that the classical system attributes to Vata and Pitta aggravation in the Manovaha Srotas (mind channels).
The cold Virya and sweet Vipaka explain both actions: the cold potency calms the heat and overactivity of Pitta in the mind; the sweet post-digestive effect nourishes the nervous tissue (Majja Dhatu) that sustains cognitive function. This combination of calming-and-nourishing is documented as more appropriate for the anxious, depleted patient than the purely stimulating cognitive herbs.
The species identity problem — a critical quality issue
The Shankhpushpi identity problem is one of the most discussed quality issues in Ayurvedic pharmacognosy. Three distinct plants are used as Shankhpushpi in different parts of India: Convolvulus pluricaulis (North India — UP, Rajasthan, Punjab), Evolvulus alsinoides (South India — used in Kerala tradition), and Clitoria ternatea (Bengal, Assam). All three have conch-shaped or conch-coloured flowers that provide the common name. The API Vol. II monograph specifies C. pluricaulis as the official source, but notes regional variation. Classical texts do not specify botanical identity — they describe the plant by appearance (conch flowers, creeping habit) without botanical precision. This means commercial Shankhpushpi preparations may contain any of the three species, all of which have somewhat different phytochemical profiles.
Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India monograph
API Volume II, Monograph No. 1.1.49 specifies: whole plant of Convolvulus pluricaulis Choisy, Family Convolvulaceae; total ash: not more than 14%; acid-insoluble ash: not more than 3%; alcohol-soluble extractive: not less than 8%; water-soluble extractive: not less than 15%. TLC identity uses scopoletin as a reference standard — a coumarin compound specific to C. pluricaulis and used to differentiate it from the other species sold as Shankhpushpi.