What is Ayurveda?
Ayurveda is one of the world's oldest systems of medicine, developed on the Indian subcontinent over more than two millennia. The word comes from Sanskrit — Ayur (life) and Veda (knowledge) — literally, "the knowledge of life."
Rather than treating the body as a set of isolated symptoms, Ayurveda looks at a person as a whole — constitution, digestion, daily rhythm and environment — and works to bring the body back into its own natural balance.
The three doshas
Ayurveda describes three fundamental energies — doshas — built from the five elements (space, air, fire, water, earth) and present in every person in a unique proportion.
वात
Vata
Built from space and air. Governs movement — breath, circulation, the nervous system and elimination. In balance it brings creativity and vitality; out of balance it shows up as dryness, anxiety and irregularity.
पित्त
Pitta
Built from fire and water. Governs transformation — digestion, metabolism and body temperature. In balance it brings sharp intellect and good digestion; out of balance it shows up as heat, inflammation and irritability.
कफ
Kapha
Built from earth and water. Governs structure — the body's tissues, joints and immunity. In balance it brings strength and calm; out of balance it shows up as heaviness, congestion and sluggishness.
The Charak Samhita
The Charak Samhita is one of the foundational texts of classical Ayurveda, compiled and expanded over centuries and traditionally attributed to Acharya Charak. Together with the Sushruta Samhita and the Ashtanga Hridaya, it forms the Brihat Trayi — the "great three" texts on which much of Ayurvedic internal medicine still rests today.
Its Sutrasthana (foundational section) contains a chapter — Shadvirechana Shatashritiya Adhyaya — that groups botanicals into fifty sets of ten herbs each, called Mahakashayas, organised by the therapeutic action they were classically understood to support. Every Kalyan Wellness formulation takes its name directly from one of these classical groupings.
Our six Mahakashayas
Each Kalyan Wellness formulation is named for the classical Mahakashaya group it draws from. Tap through to see the full formulation.
Sandhaniya Mahakashaya · संधानीय
The tissue-uniting group — ten herbs classically used to support the healing and joining of tissue.
Kushthaghna Mahakashaya · कुष्ठघ्न
The skin-clearing group — ten herbs classically used to support healthy skin from within.
Kandughna Mahakashaya · कण्डूघ्न
The itch-pacifying group — ten herbs classically used to ease persistent skin irritation.
Snehopaga Mahakashaya · स्नेहोपग
The oleation-aiding group — ten herbs classically used to support the Panchakarma preparatory therapy of Snehana.
Shothahara Mahakashaya · शोथहर
The swelling-reducing group — ten herbs classically used to ease inflammation and Edema.
Vedanasthapana Mahakashaya · वेदनास्थापन
The pain-easing group — ten herbs classically used to bring relief in everyday discomfort.
Reading a formulation
Every product page lists its dose, directions and where it's made — read these before use, and always alongside your physician's advice rather than in place of it. Ayurvedic formulations are traditionally taken consistently, as part of a daily rhythm, rather than as a one-time fix.
None of the information on this page is medical advice, and none of our formulations are intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease. For the full picture, see our Ayurvedic product disclaimer page.