Popular Indian medicinal plant Mucuna pruriens Linn.Has been used for many years in traditional ayurvedic Indian medicines to treat illnesses including Parkinson’s disease. L-DOPA, an amino acid that acts as a natural precursor of the neurotransmitter dopamine and is found in abundance in M. pruriens seed, is used extensively to treat Parkinson's disease. There have been reports of about 130 species from all over the world, including 15 species from India. Most of the species had been investigated for their potential as nutraceuticals, but there were just a few reports of their medicinal benefits. Pharmacological research on this plant has focused on its potential as an anti-diabetic, aphrodisiac, anti-cancer, anti-epileptic, and anti-microbial agent. This plant has produced a wide variety of phytochemical components that have been identified. In light of the numerous recent results on this plant that are significant, a detailed explanation of the morphological, phytochemical components, traditional usage, pharmacological actions, and analytical methodologies presented are given.