Hajrul Yahood Bhasma: Traditional Uses, Evidence & Safety
TL;DR
Hajrul Yahood Bhasma is a calcined preparation of ber patthar, fossil encrinite, a lime-silicate stone, shared by Ayurvedic and Unani practice. Its entire traditional reputation rests on one job: dissolving and expelling urinary stones (ashmari). The modern record contains two single-patient case reports (both combining it with other medicines) and one review of Unani literature. No controlled trial, animal study, or toxicity study was found.
What it is
Hajrul Yahood (also spelled Hajar-ul-Yahud, Hazrul Yahud; Sanskrit Badarashma) is a fossil mineral: fossilized crinoid stone, essentially a lime silicate. The bhasma is its calcined form: the purified stone is processed through classical shodhana and marana until it becomes a fine mineral ash, a pishti-like preparation of the mineral kingdom. The Unani pharmacological literature review by Mustehasan et al. discusses it as a powdered or calcined (kushta) drug of the Unani materia medica (WJPR).
Traditional use
Both the Ayurvedic and Unani traditions use this stone for urinary conditions. Unani scholars describe it as diuretic, antispasmodic, and mufattit-e-hasat (lithotriptic, stone-dissolving). It is used for renal, ureteral, and bladder stones. For renal colic, retention of urine, and dysuria. Also to check rectal bleeding (Mustehasan et al., review of Unani literature).
Ibn Sina's view, as summarized in the same review. The stone is lithotriptic. It expels kidney and bladder stones and relieves renal colic (Mustehasan et al.). In Ayurveda it is used for ashmari (urinary calculi) and mutrakrichra (painful/difficult urination). Valued as cooling (shita virya) and Kapha-Pitta pacifying.
What modern research says
Case report: 14.2 mm renal calculus (2025)
Arshin et al. reported a single patient with a 14.2 mm renal calculus treated for two months with a combination of Virtaradi Kashay, Shweta Parpati, and Hajrul Yahuda Bhasma. Abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and burning micturition resolved. Ultrasound showed the stone reduced to 6 mm (WJPR 14(23), 2025).
The authors attributed diuretic, pain-relieving, and ashmari-bhedana (stone-breaking) actions to the combination. This is one uncontrolled case with three concurrent medicines. It cannot show which ingredient did what. Or whether the stone would have shrunk without treatment.
Case report: renal calculi cleared after Ayurvedic regimen
A second case report from an Ayurveda college hospital described a patient whose urinary calculi were no longer visible on ultrasound after 2.5 months. The multi-drug regimen included Hazrul Yahud Bhasma alongside Punarnava Mandur, Punarnavadi Guggulu, Pashanbheda Churna, and other medicines (IJIM). Same limitation, more pronounced: with that many co-interventions, the bhasma's individual contribution cannot be isolated.
What the evidence does not support (yet)
- No controlled trials. Neither case report had a comparison group.
- No studies of Hajrul Yahood Bhasma alone. Both reports used it inside multi-drug regimens.
- No animal, toxicity, or mechanism studies. The lithotriptic claim rests entirely on centuries of traditional use.
Safety & contraindications
No human safety data exist. The cautions are the standard ones for mineral bhasmas, plus one specific to its use:
- Mineral preparation. Proper classical purification and calcination are considered essential; source it only from reputable manufacturers and never attempt to prepare it at home.
- Kidney stones are not always safe to self-treat. A large or obstructing stone can damage the kidney. Any stone management should be supervised by a qualified practitioner with ultrasound monitoring. Traditional lithotriptic use is not a substitute for urological assessment.
- No data on pregnancy, breastfeeding, children, or drug interactions. Use under practitioner supervision only.
FAQs
What is Hajrul Yahood?
A fossil crinoid stone (ber patthar), a lime-silicate mineral, calcined into a bhasma. It is shared by Ayurvedic and Unani medicine, both of which prize it for urinary stones.
Does it dissolve kidney stones?
Traditionally, that is exactly its job. Modern evidence is limited to two single-patient case reports, both using it together with other medicines. No trial has tested whether it dissolves or expels stones.
What is the recommended dose?
Our editorial rule requires a pharmacopoeial or clinical-trial dose. None exists in the available sources, so we state none. And we do not repeat the figures found on commercial or blog sites, which are not evidence-based.
Can I use it instead of surgery or lithotripsy?
No. Stones above a certain size, obstructing stones, or stones with infection or impaired kidney function need prompt medical care. This preparation has no evidence of replacing any modern treatment.
Annotated Sources
Identity (fossil encrinite/ber patthar, lime silicate), traditional Unani indications (renal calculi, anuria, dysuria), Ibn Sina's view, and classical dosage forms are reviewed by Mustehasan et al. in the World Journal of Pharmaceutical Research (PDF). The 14.2 mm → 6 mm single case (combined Virtaradi Kashay + Shweta Parpati + Hajrul Yahuda Bhasma) is Arshin et al., WJPR 14(23), 2025 (PDF). The second combined-regimen case report is from the International Journal of Indian Medicine (HTML).
Related herbs
- [Shukti Bhasma](/learn/herbs/shukti-bhasma) (another calcined mineral preparation, with a digestive focus)
- [Gokshuradi Guggulu](/learn/herbs/gokshuradi-guggulu) (another classical preparation used for urinary complaints)
Disclaimer
This article is for educational purposes only and is not medical advice. Hajrul Yahood Bhasma has no controlled-trial evidence and no established safety profile; urinary stones can threaten kidney function and require proper medical assessment. Use only products from reputable manufacturers and only under the supervision of a qualified practitioner — especially if pregnant, breastfeeding, managing a medical condition, giving it to a child, or taking prescription medicines.