Knowledge about herbs has been one of the most basic matters in medication since antiquity. From ancient India, the Caraka-samhita (hereinafter, CS) and the Susruta-samhita (SS) are commonly known as the two great works of Ayurvedic literature. These works are also regarded as relating to the Bower Manuscript (Bower Ms.), which in turn was influenced by Indian Buddhism. The second part of the Bower Ms., which is called the Navanitaka, is intended to provide a standard manual of the foremost medical formulae as approved items. The aim of this paper is to throw light on the Navanitaka's description of haritaki, which is considered to correspond to the Terminalia chebula, Retz. The aim of this plant is also listed in the present Indian Pharmacopoeia. This study begins by outlining CS and SS. Next, the construction of the Bower Ms. and its contents, as well as the formation of the Navanitaka, are explained. Finally, the composition and contents of the 11 th chapter of the Navanitaka, which is a monograph of haritaki (Haritaki-kalpa), are shown. This herb has seven kinds of names and five kinds of taste excluding saltiness. It also enables the excretion of waste in its digestion and forms prescriptions in which molasses, honey and soup of grapes are applied together to enhance its medicinal action. It is noteworthy that these descriptions of haritaki are found in the 26 th and 27 th chapters of CS. According to the Haritaki-kalpa, the herb can also be applied to various symptoms due to the disorder of three humors as a depurative or as a tonic for perpetual youth and longevity. For these reasons, haritaki is explained as the most excellent herb in the Haritaki-kalpa.