Amukkara or Ashwagandha? - The Difference

Here is a herb in Siddha Medicine called as Amukkara, the same called in Ayurveda as Ashwagandha. This herb is considered to cure Arthritis, Tumors, and Male Infertility. Even though many people consider this as a single herb with different name, somebody consider this as two different herb. Many of them are traditional Siddha doctors also.

Our ancestors named plants and animals to identify them. One plant usually been given two different names in different languages. In Tamil, Lion is called as Singam, but in Hindi it is called as Singh.

Later, to avoid confusions in the identity, Scientists given Biological name to all living things. The Botanical name of both Ashwagandha and Amukkara are same which is Withania Somnifera. In the sense, both are same. Similarly, the uses of Amukkara mentioned in Siddha texts and the uses of Ashwagandha mentioned in Ayurveda texts are also nearly same.

Then why some intellects consider both are different?

Murungai or Drumstick is the tree originated from South India. Even the botanical name of this plant is Moringa Oliefera which is also derived from its tamil word 'Murungai'. If the plant is grown in a entirely different environment of South India along with the reuse of its seeds to grow new tree, over several thousand years, the new Drumstick tree will not be same as the natural tree. Its nature and chemical properties would be different. But the Botanical name is same.

In the same way, Amukkara from South India could have become Ashwagandha in North India over several thousand years or Ashwagandha from North India could have become Amukkara in South India over several thousand years. So, it could have certain changes in its properties which has been understood by those intellects. It may be like A1 and A2 milk of cow.