Nasya karma is considered one among Pañcakarma as it does the Śōdhana of Doṣās residing in Śiras and thereby Curing Ūrdhva Jatru Vikāras. Since Śiras is the seat of Śleṣma, Upasthitha Doṣā can be taken out by Nasya.

ETYMOLOGY (NIRUKTI)

The word Nasya is derived from the root form NAS means Gati or motion

Nas + Yath à Nasya

According to Vācaspatya

नासिकाये हितं तत्र भवोवायत् नासादेशः।

Says, being in the nose or things beneficial to the nose.

According to Śhabdakalpa Druma

नासाद्वाादयौषधविशेषा।

Says, medicines which is given through nasal opening.

DEFINITION OF NASYA (LAKSHANA)

औषधमौषधसिद्धो वा स्नेहो नासिकाभ्यां दीयत इति नस्यम् | ( Su/Chi/40/21)

Says, administration of medicine or medicated oil through the nose is known as Nasya.

नासायां प्रणीयमानमोउषधं नस्यम्|नावनं नस्यकर्मेतिच संज्ञां लभते||२|| (Ash Sang/Su/29)

Administration of medicine through the nasal route is known as Nasya. It’s also called as Nāvana or Nasta Karma.

नस्यमिति नासया दीयते इति नस्यम्। ( Sha/Ut Kh/8/1. Adhamalla vyākhyā)

Administration of medicine through nose.

नस्यं तत्कथ्यते धीरैर्नासाग्राह्यं यदौषधम्। (Sha/Ut Kh/8/2)

The medicine that is administered through nostrils in the courageous persons is Nasya.

SIGNIFICANCE OF NASYA KARMA

Pañcakarma helps in eliminating Utkliṣṭa Doṣā through Āsanna Mārga (nearest route).

नासा हि शिरसो द्वारं तेन तद्व्याप्य हन्ति तान्||१|| (As Hr/Su/20/2)

Nose is the entry and exit door to the head through which we can administer the Nasya Dravya for Jatru Ūrdhva Vikāras.

ऊर्ध्वजत्रुविकारेषु विशेषान्नस्यमिष्यते| (As Hr/Su/20/2)

Nasya is the important Śōdhana for curing disease above clavicle.

शिरसः श्लेष्मधामत्वात्स्नेहाः स्वस्थस्य नेतरे| ( As Hr/Su/20/33 )

Śiras is the seat of Kapha Doṣā and Nāsā is the dwāra to Śiras. Hence Nasya is considered as important for Ūrdhvajatru vikāras.

आशुकृच्चिरकारित्वं गुणोत्कर्षापकृष्टता|| (As Hr/Su/20/34)

Nasya is having Āśukāri effect and Cirakāri effect as well.

आजन्ममरणं शस्तः प्रतिमर्शस्तु बस्तिवत्|  (As Hr/Su/20/32)

Pratimarśa Nasya is good from birth to death just like Basti.

SYNONYMS (PARYĀYA ŚABDAS)

• Nasta Karma
• Nasta Prachardanam
• Śirovirecanam
• Mūrdha Virecanam
• Nāvana
• Nasya

According to Caraka

नावनं चावपीडश्च ध्मापनं धूम एव च|
प्रतिमर्शश्च विज्ञेयं नस्तःकर्म तु पञ्चधा||८९||
                                                                           ( Cha/Si/9/89-92)

1. Nāvanam
2. Avapīḍa
3. Dhmapānam
4. Dhūma
5. Pratimarśa

These are the five basic classification of Nasya. Each of these is further divided as

sub-classification (Nasya Bhedas)

                              SUB-CLASSIFICATIONS

Nāvana is of two types viz. a) Snehanam and b) Śōdhanam

स्नेहनं शोधनं चैव द्विविधं नावनं स्मृतम्|

Avapīḍa is of two types’ viz. a) Śōdhanam and b) Sthambhanam

शोधनः स्तम्भनश्च स्यादवपीडो द्विधा मतः |

Dhmāpāna has only one action of  srotośōdhanam of Deha

चूर्णस्याध्मापनं तद्धि देहस्रोतोविशोधनम्  |

Dhūma Nasya is of three types viz. a) Prāyogika b) Snaihika c) Vairechanika

विज्ञेयस्त्रिविधो धूमः प्रागुक्तः शमनादिकः|

Pratimarśa  is the last type which do both the action of Snehana, Śamana and Śōdhana.

प्रतिमर्शो भवेत् स्नेहो निर्दोष उभयार्थकृत्|
एवं तद्रेचनं कर्म तर्पणं शमनं त्रिधा|

According to Suśruta,

तद्द्विविधं शिरोविरेचनं, स्नेहनं च |
तद्द्विविधमपि पञ्चधा |तद्यथा- नस्यं, शिरोविरेचनं, प्रतिमर्शो, अवपीडः, प्रधमनं च|
तेषु नस्यं प्रधानं शिरोविरेचनं च; नस्यविकल्पः प्रतिमर्शः, शिरोविरेचनविकल्पोऽवपीडः प्रधमनं च; ततो नस्यशब्दः पञ्चधा नियमितः ||२१|| ( Su/Chi/ 40/21)

Says, Nasya can be classified broadly into 2 types viz

1. Śirovirecanam and b)Snehanam.

This two can be categorised into five further.

1. Nasya
2. Śirovirecana
3. Pratimarśa
4. Avapīḍa
5. Pradhamana

Classification of Vāgbhaṭa

विरेचनं बृंहणं च शमनं च त्रिधाऽपि तत्||२| (As Hr/Su/20/2)

1. Virecanam
2. Bṛṃhaṇam
3. Śamanam

According to dosage Vāgbhaṭa classifies Nasya viz. a) Marśa and b) Pratimarśa.

GENERAL DRUGS USED FOR NASYA ACCORDING TO VARIOUS SAMHITAS (NASYA DRAVYAS)

According to Vāgbhaṭa (As Hr/Su/20/5-7)

1. Medicines like Kvātha, Sneha, Madhu, Lavana and Āsavas can be used for Śōdhana Nasya
2. Dravyas like Jala and Kṣīra can be used for Śamana Nasya
3. Dravyas likes Dhanvamāṃsa Rasa, khapura can be used for Bṛṃhaṇa Nasya.

According to Caraka ( Cha/Vi/8/151)

 Nasya Dravya can be chosen based on the prayojya Aṅga or useful plant parts

1. Phala or fruit – Apamārga, Pippali, Marica, Vidaṅga, Śigru, Śirīṣa, oily, Tumburu, Ajāji, Ajagandha, Ela, Hareṇuka, Vārtaka
2. Patra or leaf- Sumukha, Surasa, Kuṭheraka, Gaṇḍīra, Parṇāśa, Kṣavaka, Phaṇijjaka. Haridrā, Śṛṅgavera, Mūlaka, Nata, Tarkārī, Sarṣapa, Kallamalaka
3. Mula or root – Arka, Alarka, Kuṣṭha, Nāgadantī, Vacā,Apāmārga, Śveta, Jyotiṣmatī, Gavākṣī, Gaṇḍīra, Vākpuṣpa, Vṛścikālī, Vayaḥstha, Ativiṣa
4. Kaṇṭha or tuber – Haridrā, Śṛṅgavera, Mūlaka, Laśuna,
5. Puṣpa or flower – Lodhra, Madana, Saptaparṇa, Bimbi, Arkapuṣpa
6. Niryasa or resin – Devadāru, Agaru, Sarala, Śallakī, Jiṅginī, Asana, Hiṅgu
7. Teak or bark – Tejowatī, Varaṅga, Hiṅgu, Shobhañjana, Bṛhatī, Kaṇṭakārī

Shirsha virecana gana in Cha/Su/2/3

अपामार्गस्य बीजानि पिप्पलीर्मरिचानि च|
विडङ्गान्यथ शिग्रूणि सर्षपांस्तुम्बुरूणि च||३||
अजाजीं चाजगन्धां च पीलून्येलां हरेणुकाम्|
पृथ्वीकां सुरसां श्वेतां कुठेरकफणिज्झकौ||४||
शिरीषबीजं लशुनं हरिद्रे लवणद्वयम्|
ज्योतिष्मतीं नागरं च दद्याच्छीर्षविरेचने||५||

In order to eliminate vitiating factors from the head seeds of Apamārga (Achyranthes aspera Linn.), Pippali (Piper longum Linn.), Marica (Piper nigrum Linn.), Vidaṅga (Embelia ribes Burm.f.), Śigru (Moringa oleiferaLam.), Sarṣapa (Brassica juncea Czern. & Coss), Tumburu (Zanthoxylum alatum (Roxb.) DC), Ajāji  (Cuminum cyminum Linn.),  Ajagandha  (Gynandropsis gynandra (L.) Briquet), Pīlu (Salvadora persica Linn.), Ela (Elettaria cardamomum Maton), Harenu (Vitex negundo Linn.), Prithvika (Gardenia lucida  Roxb.), Surasa (Ocimum sanctum Linn. ),  Śveta (Ocimum sanctum Linn), kuṭheraka. (Orthosiphon pallidus), Phaṇijjaka (Ocimum canum Sims), seeds of Shireesha (Albizzia lebbeck (L.) Benth), Laśuna (Allium sativum Linn.), Haridrā dwaya (Haridrā (Curcuma longa Linn.), Daruharidrā (Berberis aristata), Lavana dwaya (Saindhava, Souvarchala), yotiṣmatī (Celastrus panniculatus), Nāgara (Zingiber officinale Rosc.).

Śirovirecanopaga gana in Cha/Su/4/13

ज्योतिष्मतीक्षवकमरिचपिप्पलीविडङ्गशिग्रुसर्षपापामार्गतण्डुलश्वेतामहाश्वेता इति दशेमानि शिरोविरेचनोपगानि भवन्ति (२७)

Jyotiṣmatī (Celastrus paniculatus), Kṣavaka (Centipeda minima), Marica (Piper nigrum), Pippali (Piper longum), Vidaṅga (Embelia ribes), Śigru (Moringa oleifera), Sarṣapa (Brassica nigra), Apamārga Bīja (seed of Achyranthus aspera), Śveta (Clitoria ternetea white variety), Mahāśveta (variety of Clitoria ternatea) are the Śirovirechanopaga Dravyas.

Nasya Dravya for daily use

Taila can be used daily for healthy person.  

तैलमेव च नस्यार्थे नित्याभ्यासेन शस्यते||३३||
शिरसः श्लेष्मधामत्वात्स्नेहाः स्वस्थस्य नेतरे| ( As Hr/Su/20/33 )