अथातोऽनुवासनोत्तरबस्तिचिकित्सितं व्याख्यास्यामः ||१||
यथोवाच भगवान् धन्वन्तरिः ||२||
विरेचनात् सप्तरात्रे गते जातबलाय वै |
कृतान्नायानुवास्याय सम्यग्देयोऽनुवासनः ||३||
Meaning of the śloka
The chapter on treatment connected with anuvāsana and uttara-basti is introduced. The text says that anuvāsana may be given appropriately seven nights after virecana, once strength has returned and the person has eaten.
The commentary limits the seven-night rule to a person whose strength has returned, since adequate agni is considered necessary. It cites another statement requiring assessment of agni and preserves two readings: one says the person has eaten in the evening, while another says the person should always have eaten. The latter emphasizes that anuvāsana is not given on an empty stomach.
Key terms
anuvAsana (anuvāsana)
An unctuous basti discussed after virecana.
jAtabala (jātabala)
A state in which strength has returned.
agni
Digestive capacity assessed before the procedure in the commentary.
Age refers here to bodily stages beginning with the first year. The reduction leaves three quarters of the nirūha measure. Caraka and another tradition are cited, the latter giving three graded measures for anuvāsana. An alternative reading says to subtract half of a half; the commentator observes that this likewise means one quarter.
Key terms
nirUha (nirūha)
The basti whose age-based measure supplies the comparison.
snehabasti (sneha-basti)
Unctuous basti assigned a reduced comparative measure.
Basti is said to follow passage of flatus, stool, and urine, because when retained they obstruct sneha and prevent proper entry. In a cleared body, sneha-basti is said to convey its potency and spread through the body.
The commentary presents this as preliminary preparation: retained flatus, stool, and urine obstruct the nozzle route. It preserves an alternative reading, 'obstructed otherwise,' explained in the same setting of incomplete evacuation. Another recorded half-verse says sneha covered by doṣas does not spread through the channels.
Key terms
anilaviNmUtra (anila-viṇ-mūtra)
Flatus, stool, and urine whose retention is described as obstructive.
The text begins a sequence of medicated oils historically used for drinking, anuvāsana, and nasya. Two complex formulations with milk, water or decoction, and numerous substances are described. They are claimed to promote movement of obstructed vāta and address named conditions including piles, grahaṇī disorder, distension, irregular fever, gulma, impaired agni, urinary obstruction, and vāta disorders of the trunk and limbs.
Some readers of the older Suśruta introduce cooked oils because they regarded uncooked sneha, even when applied at the anus, as capable of complications. 'In sequence' means according to vāta and the other doṣas. The commentary identifies several plants, explains pañcamūla as the group beginning with bilva, and invokes a rule that a repeatedly named ingredient is used in twice the proportion. This reports historical formulation reasoning, not efficacy.
Key terms
mUDhavAta (mūḍha-vāta)
Obstructed movement of vāta.
anuvAsana (anuvāsana)
The unctuous basti route named here.
pa~jcamUla (pañcamūla)
The five-root group beginning with bilva in this commentary.
A medicated oil made with many listed substances and milk is described. Used historically as basti, it is praised for vāta disorders including gṛdhrasī, lameness, bodily bending, and urinary udāvarta, including in people described as having low strength and weak agni.
Two elaborate oil preparations are described. One is historically claimed, in basti regimens, to address vāta disorders located in the limbs, trunk, neck, and head. The second, combining oil and ghee with milk and many substances, is described for anuvāsana and is claimed to promote reproductive capacity, agni, and strength, nourish, pacify vāta and pitta, relieve gulma and distension, and address disorders above the clavicle when used as nasya or drink.
The commentary identifies bhūtika as kattṛṇa or fragrant grass; amṛtadvaya as guḍūcī and harītakī; sahācara as sairīya; varī as śatāvarī; viśvā as dry ginger; and kākanāsā as vāyasaphalā. It does not resolve safety or the full botanical identities.
Ghee containing one-quarter oil is described with milk, a nyagrodhādi decoction, and a listed paste. Historically used in basti, it is claimed to address burning, bloody discharge, visarpa, vāta-śoṇita, abscess, fever attributed to pitta and rakta, and other pitta disorders.
An oil-and-ghee preparation with lotus parts, two sārivās, two sandalwoods, and other substances is described with a grass-root decoction and milk. Historically used in basti, nasya, anointing, or drinking, it is claimed to address many pitta disorders.
Three complex oil preparations are presented for kapha-associated conditions. The first is described for drinking, anointing, gargling, nasya, and basti and is claimed to address obesity, lassitude, itching, and other kapha disorders. The second, made with oil or castor oil, is claimed in anuvāsana to address kapha disorders. The third is claimed to address splenic disorder, udāvarta, vāta-rakta, gulma, distension, kapha disorders, prameha, urinary gravel, and piles.
The commentary identifies several substances and distinguishes creeper and thorny pañcamūla groups. It explains use of a fourfold muṣkakādi decoction with either sesame or castor oil. It classifies the chapter's oils by vāta, pitta-rakta, kapha, and mixed doṣa contexts and says they follow general sneha-cooking rules. These are historical selection principles, not current guidance.
Even a person who has not undergone purification, when severely afflicted by vāta alone, is said to be eligible for anuvāsana at any time of day or night.
This is presented as an exception to the preference for a purified body. 'Vāta alone' is linked with tissue depletion. The commentary reasons that further purification in a depleted body could intensify depletion and vāta disorder. 'At any time' is qualified by the later statement about digestion of the previous meal and feeding.
Key terms
ashuddha (aśuddha)
A person who has not undergone the otherwise discussed purification.
The commentary reads the negative prefix in asnigdha as 'slightly,' so the person is somewhat rather than completely ununctuous. Snehapragāḍha means abundant in sneha. This is understood as an unctuous āsthāpana used without prior oleation.
Key terms
asnigdha
Interpreted here as slightly ununctuous.
snehapragADha (sneha-pragāḍha)
Containing abundant sneha.
AsthApana (āsthāpana)
A cleansing basti inferred here in an unctuous form.
After nirūha has been properly completed, anuvāsana is said to be given for vāta and the other doṣa conditions using oils associated respectively with bilva, yaṣṭyāhva, and madana fruit.
The commentary preserves several explanations. One has oils prepared with decoctions of bilva root, licorice, and madana fruit; another uses their pastes. It records alternative definitions of bilva oil, yaṣṭyāhva oil, and phala oil from other formulations. Some identify phala oil as castor oil prepared with madana fruit. The alternatives remain unresolved.
Key terms
samyagnirUDha (samyag-nirūḍha)
A person in whom nirūha is considered properly completed.
bilvataila (bilva-taila)
An oil with alternative formulations in the commentary.
phalataila (phala-taila)
An oil with competing explanations, one involving castor oil.
रात्रौ बस्तिं न दद्यात्तु दोषोत्क्लेशो हि रात्रिजः |
स्नेहवीर्ययुतः कुर्यादाध्मानं गौरवं ज्वरम् ||४७||
Meaning of the śloka
The verse says basti should not be given at night because nighttime aggravation of doṣas, combined with sneha potency, may cause abdominal distension, heaviness, and fever.
The prohibition is explained through nighttime digestion, coolness, and constricted channel openings, said to produce moist disturbance of doṣas, tissues, and wastes. A cited passage additionally describes altered food essence, coated channels, and withdrawal from activity as favoring doṣa aggravation.
Key terms
doShotklesha (doṣotkleśa)
Aggravation or stirred-up moist disturbance of doṣas.
During the day, when doṣas remain in place, agni is supported by digested food essence, and the body's channel openings are clear, sneha potency is said to spread through the body.
The commentary presents reasons for daytime administration: open channels, doṣas in place, and agni capable through fully digested food essence. Snehaujas is interpreted as the potency of sneha passing through the body.
As an exception, when pitta is increased, kapha diminished, and a dry person has vāta pain, anuvāsana is said to be given at night in a hot season. Daytime use in heat or increased pitta is said to cause burning and related disorders, so pradoṣa is specified.
The commentary restricts 'night' to its first watch because the verse specifies pradoṣa. It further says pradoṣa excludes both twilight and the later night.
Key terms
pradoSha (pradoṣa)
The early part of night, distinguished from twilight and later night.
To avoid the previously described faults, oleation is said to occur during the day in the cold season and spring, and at the end of the day in summer, the rainy season, and the clear season after the rains.
The commentary says this verse makes explicit the season-and-time rule inferred from the preceding discussion. It glosses parijihīrṣatā as 'by one wishing to avoid.'
When vāta predominates and pain is intense, anuvāsana is allowed at any time of day or night after the previous food has been digested and the person has been fed.
The commentary treats this as an exception. It adds an implied qualification that qualities opposed to those unsuitable for the relevant time should first be arranged. Unlike the earlier allowance for an unpurified person afflicted by vāta alone, this passage concerns a purified person, so it is not considered repetitive.
The commentary says upward movement may produce a complication like that seen in a severely afflicted person. It preserves Gayadāsa's alternative reading, 'because of subtlety' instead of 'because of purification'; this is explained as sneha naturally following subtle pathways. The two readings remain distinct.
Anuvāsana is described immediately after a suitable meal. If sneha is administered after improperly digested food, fever may arise. Food that is excessively unctuous may lead to intoxication or fainting when combined with the administered sneha, while a dry meal may diminish strength and complexion. Therefore, the person should eat food containing an appropriate small amount of unctuousness. According to the disorder, the meal may include yūṣa, milk, or meat broth, and should be less than the person's usual quantity.
The commentary stresses that anuvāsana follows the meal without delay and explains the faults associated with unsuitable food. It glosses yuktasneha as food with a small amount of sneha and yathāvyādhi as appropriate to the disorder, while samīkṣya also requires consideration of suitability and doṣa. Yūṣa is identified as prepared mudga soup, milk as cow's milk, and rasa as meat broth; these are correlated respectively with kapha, pitta, and vāta. The reduction from the usual meal is interpreted as one quarter, one half, or three quarters according to digestive strength, while another cited authority allows a meal reduced by one half or one third. These are historical procedural interpretations, not present-day instructions.
Key terms
anuvAsana (anuvāsana)
The unctuous basti procedure discussed in relation to timing after food.
yuktasneha (yukta-sneha)
Food containing an appropriately small amount of unctuous substance.
yUSha (yūṣa)
Prepared pulse soup, identified here as mudga soup.
The person intended for anuvāsana is described as first being anointed, warmed with hot water, fed according to the prescribed method, and allowed to walk. After passing stool and urine, the text says that a sneha-basti is administered. The method of placing it is deferred to the discussion of nirūha.
After the sneha has been introduced, the person is described as lying face upward with all limbs extended so that its potency may spread. The text then describes repeated gentle striking of the palms, soles, and buttocks and lifting the bed three times. With the basti thus given, the person is to remain quietly on a well-spread bed, avoiding exertion and excessive speech and following a suitable regimen.
The commentary treats this as aftercare. It assigns the actions concerning the patient and practitioner separately and explains that the palms and soles are struck gently three times to prevent the sneha from returning too quickly; the buttocks are also included. It reports a customary but unstated practice of lifting the elbows and knees, and gives two readings for lifting the bed: raising a wooden couch with the patient, or lifting the region of the buttocks while the patient lies on it. Being devoted to proper conduct is explained as avoiding anger and similar disturbances. These variant interpretations are preserved as historical commentary only.
Key terms
praNihitasneha (praṇihita-sneha)
Sneha after it has been introduced by basti.
mandAyAsa (mandāyāsa)
Minimal physical exertion after the procedure.
AcArika (ācārika)
The prescribed conduct or regimen, interpreted as avoiding anger and similar states.
स तु सैन्धवचूर्णेन शताह्वेन च योजितः |
देयः सुखोष्णश्च तथा निरेति सहसा सुखम् ||६३||
यस्यानुवासनो दत्तः सकृदन्वक्षमाव्रजेत् |
अत्यौष्ण्यादतितैक्ष्ण्याद्वा वायुना वा प्रपीडितः ||६४||
सवातोऽधिकमात्रो वा गुरुत्वाद्वा सभेषजः |
तस्यान्योऽल्पतरो देयो न हि स्निह्यत्यतिष्ठति ||६५||
विष्टब्धानिलविण्मूत्रः स्नेहहीनेऽनुवासने |
दाहक्लमप्रवाहार्तिकरश्चात्यनुवासनः ||६६||
Meaning of the śloka
The sneha is described as combined with powdered saindhava and śatāhvā and given comfortably warm, so that it returns readily. If an anuvāsana returns immediately after administration, the text attributes this to excessive heat or sharpness, compression by air, excessive quantity, or heaviness from too much medicinal material. It then proposes a smaller administration, since sneha that does not remain is said not to produce unctuousness. An anuvāsana deficient in quantity or qualities is associated with obstruction of flatus, stool, and urine; an excessive one is associated with burning, exhaustion, straining or thirst according to a variant reading, pain, and excessive discharge.
The commentary says even cooked sneha is combined with saindhava and śatapuṣpā and cites a historical quantity for a middle-aged person. It explains immediate return as following the instrument, and attributes it to excessive warmth, overly sharp processing substances, air pressure caused by tying the apparatus without expelling air, excessive volume, or excessive medicinal loading. The proposed repeat is interpreted as having opposite qualities and a smaller quantity because some unctuousness is presumed from the first administration. Hīna means deficient in quality or measure. The commentary also adds excessive passage of flatus, stool, and urine to the signs of excess, and preserves a variant reading of pipāsā, thirst, in place of pravāha, straining. These details are descriptive historical reasoning only.
Key terms
saindhava
Rock salt named as an additive to the sneha.
shatAhvA (śatāhvā)
An aromatic medicinal substance, identified by the commentary with śatapuṣpā.
atipravRutti (ati-pravṛtti)
Excessive discharge inferred by the commentary as a sign of excess administration.
pipAsA (pipāsā)
Thirst preserved as a variant reading for pravāha.
सानिलः सपुरीषश्च स्नेहः प्रत्येति यस्य तु |
ओषचोषौ विना शीघ्रं स सम्यगनुवासितः ||६७||
जीर्णान्नमथ सायाह्ने स्नेहे प्रत्यागते पुनः |
लघ्वन्नं भोजयेत् कामं दीप्ताग्निस्तु नरो यदि ||६८||
प्रातरुष्णोदकं देयं धान्यनागरसाधितम् |
तेनास्य दीप्यते वह्निर्भक्ताकाङ्क्षा च जायते ||६९||
Meaning of the śloka
Anuvāsana is considered properly given when the sneha returns promptly with flatus and stool, without burning or a drawing type of burning; urine is also included by the commentary. After the prior food has digested and the sneha has returned, a person with strong digestion may eat light food in the evening. In the morning, the text describes warm water prepared with dhānya and nāgara, saying that it kindles digestion and produces desire for food.
The commentary explains oṣa as slight burning and coṣa as a drawing or pulling kind of burning. It also preserves Gayī's different interpretation: freedom from burning and thirst. Śīghram is interpreted as within roughly three or four yāmas. The evening specification excludes eating in the forenoon; light food is explained as light both in quantity and substance, and a person with strong agni may take it as desired, provided it remains light.
Key terms
oSha (oṣa)
Slight burning, with a variant interpretation involving burning generally.
coSha (coṣa)
A pulling type of burning; Gayī instead reads the pair as burning and thirst.
dIptAgni (dīptāgni)
A person described as having strong digestive capacity.
nAgara (nāgara)
A substance used with dhānya in the described warm-water preparation.
Adhikarana ૨૫ (૭૦) · Śloka ૭૦
સ્નેહબસ્તિક્રમેષ્વેવં વિધિમાહુર્મનીષિણઃ |૭૦|
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स्नेहबस्तिक्रमेष्वेवं विधिमाहुर्मनीषिणः |७०|
Meaning of the śloka
The learned authorities are said to prescribe this method in the courses of sneha-basti.
The commentary explains that Suśruta, as the author of śalya-tantra, cites the approval of specialists in kāya-cikitsā for the method of basti just described. Manīṣiṇaḥ therefore refers to physicians knowledgeable in the sequence of sneha-basti.
Key terms
snehabastikrama (sneha-basti-krama)
The sequence or course of unctuous basti described in the preceding passages.
manIShiNaH (manīṣiṇaḥ)
Learned physicians, interpreted here as kāya-cikitsā specialists knowledgeable about sneha-basti.
The commentary relates the alternative counts to doṣas situated in sneha and other dhātus, which are discussed later. During a course of sneha-bastis, it places a pause after the third, fourth, or fifth according to factors such as agni; after restoration through saṃsarjana, nirūha is inserted to address accumulated doṣa. A Caraka passage is cited with different counts for predominance of vāta. This is a historical regimen and not a current dosing schedule.
Key terms
nirUhaNa (nirūhaṇa)
Insertion of a cleansing basti within the described course.
saMsarjana (saṃsarjana)
A restorative dietary sequence mentioned before the intervening nirūha.
dhAtu (dhātu)
Bodily constituent in which the commentary situates doṣa for determining the alternative counts.
The text assigns progressive effects to successive properly given bastis: the first is said to unct the basti and groin, the second to overcome vāta situated in the head, and the third to produce strength and complexion. The fourth through ninth are said successively to unct rasa, rakta, māṃsa, medas, asthi, and majjā. A doubled course is then said to address doṣas situated in śukra.
The basti and groin are taken as representative of the lower body. For the second effect, the main reading treats mūrdhastha as vāta in the head or upper body, while Jaijjaṭa interprets it as vāta in the upper part of the basti by supplying an omitted word. The doubled number is explained as eighteen sneha-bastis and śukra-related disorders are linked to impotence and lack of sexual excitement as listed elsewhere. The commentator says this sequence concerns unction of locations and dhātus, while another cited text gives different numbers based on the doṣa involved. These differing systems must remain distinct.
Key terms
mUrdhasthamanila (mūrdhastham anila)
Vāta situated in the head or upper body; Jaijjaṭa offers a different interpretation involving the upper basti region.
rasa
The first dhātu in the sequence said to be affected by the fourth administration.
shukragata doSha (śukra-gata doṣa)
Doṣa situated in śukra, for which a doubled course is claimed.
अष्टादशाष्टादशकान् बस्तीनां यो निषेवते |
यथोक्तेन विधानेन परिहारक्रमेण च ||७५||
स कुञ्जरबलोऽश्वस्य जवैस्तुल्योऽमरप्रभः |
वीतपाप्मा श्रुतधरः सहस्रायुर्नरो भवेत् ||७६||
Meaning of the śloka
A person who repeatedly undertakes sets of eighteen bastis by the stated method and observance is praised as gaining the strength of an elephant, the speed of a horse, divine radiance, freedom from wrongdoing, strong retention of learning, and a lifespan of a thousand years.
The commentary presents these as exceptional rasāyana results after repeated courses intended to address doṣas in the dhātus. It explains the metaphors of elephant-like strength, horse-like speed, divine brilliance, freedom from prior wrongdoing, enhanced mental capacity, and extraordinary longevity. Although the verse mentions eighteen sneha-bastis with intervening nirūhas, the commentator uses other texts to understand this as eighteen repetitions of a thirty-basti karma course containing twelve yāpana nirūhas, one preliminary sneha, and five concluding snehas. It also cites Vāgbhaṭa's distinct karma, kāla, and yoga schedules and explains yāpana bastis as neither excessively unctuous nor dry. A final view attributed to Gayadāsa associates thirty, fifteen, or eight bastis respectively with stronger disturbance, moderate seasonal disturbance, or healthy persons seeking benefits. The systems and attribution remain separate.
Key terms
rasAyana (rasāyana)
The exceptional rejuvenative result category invoked by the commentary.
karmabasti (karma-basti)
A thirty-basti course used by the commentary to interpret the set of eighteen.
yApanabasti (yāpana-basti)
A sustaining nirūha described as neither excessively unctuous nor dry.
parihArakrama (parihāra-krama)
The prescribed observance associated with the course.
स्नेहबस्तिं निरूहं वा नैकमेवातिशीलयेत् |
स्नेहादग्निवधोत्क्लेशौ निरूहात् पवनाद्भयम् ||७७||
तस्मान्निरूढोऽनुवास्यो निरूह्यश्चानुवासितः |
नैवं पित्तकफोत्क्लेशौ स्यातां न पवनाद्भयम् ||७८||
Meaning of the śloka
The text advises against excessive exclusive use of either sneha-basti or nirūha. It associates sneha alone with impairment of agni and excitation, and nirūha alone with danger from vāta. It therefore describes alternating anuvāsana after nirūha and nirūha after anuvāsana, claiming that this avoids excitation of pitta and kapha and danger from vāta.
The commentary says the verses show the fault in overusing either of the two alone. It preserves another reading stating that excessive anuvāsana causes impairment of agni and excitation, while use of nirūha may produce vāta-born disorders. The alternative wording does not change the underlying warning against exclusive overuse.
Key terms
agnivadha (agni-vadha)
Impairment of digestive capacity attributed here to excessive sneha use.
utklesha (utkleśa)
Excitation or disturbance associated with excessive anuvāsana.
रूक्षाय बहुवाताय स्नेहबस्तिं दिने दिने |
दद्याद्वैद्यस्ततोऽन्येषामग्न्याबाधभयात्त्र्यहात् ||७९||
Meaning of the śloka
The text says that a physician may give sneha-basti daily to a person who is dry and has abundant vāta, while for others it is spaced at three-day intervals because of concern about disturbance of agni.
The commentary identifies this as a statement about daily use of sneha-basti in a particular condition and adds no further explanation.
Key terms
rUkSha (rūkṣa)
A person characterized here by dryness.
bahuvAta (bahu-vāta)
A person described as having abundant or predominant vāta.
agnyAbAdha (agny-ābādha)
Disturbance of digestive function feared with more frequent use in others.
Adhikarana ૩૧ (૮૦) · Śloka ૮૦
સ્નેહોઽલ્પમાત્રો રૂક્ષાણાં દીર્ઘકાલમનત્યયઃ |
તથા નિરૂહઃ સ્નિગ્ધાનામલ્પમાત્રઃ પ્રશસ્યતે ||૮૦||
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स्नेहोऽल्पमात्रो रूक्षाणां दीर्घकालमनत्ययः |
तथा निरूहः स्निग्धानामल्पमात्रः प्रशस्यते ||८०||
Meaning of the śloka
For people characterized by dryness, a small quantity of sneha is said to be usable over a long period without mishap. Likewise, for those characterized by unctuousness, a small quantity of nirūha is praised.
The commentary presents this as a way to avoid complications during repeated use. It interprets a small sneha quantity as one half, or as one quarter remaining, and gives historical numerical equivalents. For nirūha in unctuous persons, it similarly interprets small as reduced by one quarter or one half and says such reduction is praised because it is considered free from mishap. The differing fractional explanations are retained without choosing between them.
Key terms
alpamAtra (alpa-mātra)
A reduced quantity, interpreted by the commentary through alternative fractional reductions.
rUkSha (rūkṣa)
A person characterized by dryness in this dosing distinction.
snigdha
A person characterized by unctuousness in this dosing distinction.
The text next introduces complications arising from sneha-basti. When vāta and the other doṣas are strong in the koṣṭha, they may overcome a weak sneha, produce various complications, and prevent it from returning. When vāta predominates, the signs listed are an astringent taste in the mouth, yawning, various vāta pains, trembling, and irregular fever. With pitta predominance, the mouth tastes pungent, with burning, thirst, fever, sweating, and yellow discoloration of the eyes, urine, and body. With śleṣman predominance, the signs are salivation, a sweet taste, heaviness, vomiting, difficult breathing, chills or cold fever, and loss of appetite.
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સ્નેહબસ્તિવ્યાપલ્લક્ષણં સચિકિત્સિતં પ્રતિપાદયિતુકામઃ સ્નેહબસ્તિવ્યાપદ્વ્યાખ્યાનપ્રતિજ્ઞામાહ- અત ઊર્ધ્વમિત્યાદિ| દોષાભિભૂતસ્નેહવ્યાપદાં સામાન્યાં સમ્પ્રાપ્તિમુદ્દિશન્નાહ- બલવન્ત ઇત્યાદિ| સ સ્નેહઃ| ન નિવર્તતે ન નિર્ગચ્છતીત્યર્થઃ||૮૧-૮૫||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary states that this begins an account of the signs and treatment of sneha-basti complications. It gives the general mechanism as strong doṣas in the koṣṭha overpowering the sneha and glosses its failure to nivartate as failure to come out. It offers no additional interpretation of the individual symptom groups.
Key terms
vyApad (vyāpad)
A complication arising from sneha-basti.
koShTha (koṣṭha)
The internal digestive or visceral region in which the doṣas are said to be strong.
viShamajvara (viṣama-jvara)
Irregular fever listed in the vāta-associated group.
praseka
Excess salivation listed in the śleṣman-associated group.
The commentary interprets the basti as a nirūha made from a decoction intended to reduce the relevant vāta or other doṣa, with cleansing substances added to remove the sneha. Other doṣa-calming measures are also selected accordingly. It excludes complications attributed to undigested food, fever, or doṣas in the āmāśaya; when āma is involved, it instead mentions fasting and related measures. These are historical therapeutic distinctions, not current rescue instructions.
Key terms
doShAbhibhUta sneha (doṣābhibhūta sneha)
Sneha considered overpowered by a doṣa and retained.
nirUha (nirūha)
A cleansing basti proposed by the commentary for removing retained sneha.
Ama (āma)
An incompletely processed state for which the commentary separates the response.
If sneha does not return because it is overwhelmed by excessive food, the listed signs are heaviness in the āmāśaya, pain, obstructed movement of vāta, pressure near the heart, unpleasant taste, difficult breathing, fainting, dizziness, and loss of appetite; the text then describes reducing measures followed by measures to kindle digestion. If, in a person not cleansed beforehand, sneha mixed with waste does not return, weakness of the limbs, distension, difficult breathing, pain, and heaviness in the pakvāśaya are described, followed by strong nirūha and anuvāsana preparations. If sneha travels far in a cleansed person, the text describes oiliness or coating of the body and senses, weakness, an oily smell from the mouth, cough, difficult breathing, and loss of appetite, and compares the response to that for excessive pressure, together with āsthāpana.
The commentary defines a person who is aśuddha as one who has not undergone virecana or nirūha. In the cleansed person, dūrānusṛta is explained as sneha having travelled into the abdomen; upalepa is glossed as increase of waste and avasādana as fatigue or languor. Siddhi is taken to mean the therapeutic management. The response referred to from excessive pressure is said to extend from pressure at the throat through cold sprinkling, while āsthāpana is described with cleansing decoction and cow urine to remove sneha. These invasive and potentially hazardous descriptions are historical only.
Key terms
atyAshita (atyāśita)
A state of excessive food intake said to obstruct the return of sneha.
ashuddha (aśuddha)
Interpreted as a person not previously given virecana or nirūha.
dUrAnusRuta (dūrānusṛta)
Sneha interpreted as having travelled far into the abdomen.
upalepa
Coating, glossed by the commentary as an increase of waste.
In a person who has not been warmed or cleansed, a small, cold, and mild quantity of sneha may fail to return and move only weakly. The listed results are obstruction, heaviness, distension, and pain in the pakvāśaya. The text then calls for prompt āsthāpana together with anuvāsana.
The commentary glosses mandaṃ pravāhate as moving with weak force. It says āsthāpana and anuvāsana should be strong, promptly used, and selected in opposition to the doṣa. This records the commentator's historical response and must not be treated as current management.
Key terms
asvinna
A person not subjected to the warming or sudation preparation described by the text.
mandaM pravAhate (mandaṃ pravāhate)
Moves or is expelled with weak force.
pakvAshaya (pakvāśaya)
The lower digestive region where obstruction, heaviness, distension, and pain are located.
When a person has eaten too little and a small, mild sneha is given, it may fail to return and cause severe exhaustion, excitation, and distress. The text then proposes āsthāpana with a cleansing basti and, in a parenthetical line, anuvāsana with cleansing sneha.
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અલ્પમિત્યાદિ| નૈતિ ન પ્રત્યાગચ્છતિ||૯૫-૯૬||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary only clarifies that naiti means the sneha does not return. It does not discuss whether the parenthetical line represents a variant or interpolation.
Key terms
alpabhukta (alpa-bhukta)
A person who has eaten a small amount.
mandaguNa sneha (manda-guṇa sneha)
Sneha described as mild in qualities.
utklesha (utkleśa)
Excitation or disturbance listed among the consequences.
The text states that sneha returning even after a day and night does not necessarily cause harm and may still produce the effects attributed to basti, though once digested or absorbed its effect is said to be slight.
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સ્નેહસ્તુ અષ્ટભિઃ કારણૈર્ન નિવર્તત ઇતિ અનિવૃત્તિર્વ્યાપદુક્તા, તત્ કિયતઃ કાલાદિત્યાહ- અહોરાત્રાદિત્યાદિ| અપિશબ્દાત્ત્રિચતુરાદિયામનિવૃત્તિસ્તાવન્ન દુષ્યત્યેવાહોરાત્રાદપીત્યપિશબ્દાર્થઃ| ન દુષ્યતિ ન દોષં કરોતિ, ન વ્યાપદ્યત ઇત્યર્થઃ||૯૭||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary relates this to the previously described eight reasons for non-return. It understands api to include earlier return after three or four yāmas and glosses na duṣyati as not causing a fault or complication. The statement is part of the source's historical framework and does not establish that prolonged retention is safe.
Key terms
ahorAtra (ahorātra)
A complete day and night used as the stated period of retention.
jIrNa sneha (jīrṇa sneha)
Sneha regarded as digested or absorbed, and therefore said to have lesser effect.
vyApad (vyāpad)
A complication which the commentary says is not necessarily produced within the stated framework.
यस्य नोपद्रवं कुर्यात् स्नेहबस्तिरनिःसृतः |
सर्वोऽल्पोवाऽऽवृतो रौक्ष्यादुपेक्ष्यः स विजानता ||९८||
Meaning of the śloka
If a sneha-basti that has not returned causes no complication, whether all or only a small part is retained, the text says that a knowledgeable person may leave it alone when it is obstructed or retained because of dryness.
The commentary emphasizes that complete or partial non-return without complications need not itself be treated as a complication. Āvṛta is interpreted as obstruction by any of the three doṣas, excessive food, or accumulated waste. Raukṣya is said to encompass the three situations of sneha travelling far, use in a person not warmed, and a small dose after a small meal, because in each the commentator attributes retention to vāta associated with excessive dryness. Together these form eight described causes. Upekṣya means that an effort to draw the sneha out is not made in that circumstance. This is historical reasoning, not modern advice to ignore retention.
Key terms
aniHsRuta (aniḥsṛta)
Not expelled or not returned after administration.
AvRuta (āvṛta)
Obstructed, interpreted through doṣas, excess food, or accumulated waste.
raukShya (raukṣya)
Dryness used by the commentary to group three causes of retention.
upekShya (upekṣya)
To be left without an attempt at extraction within the text's stated conditions.
The commentary limits this statement to retained sneha accompanied by complications. In that situation, it explains haret as removal through cleansing basti procedures. This records the commentator's historical clinical reasoning, not a current treatment instruction.
Key terms
sneha
Unctuous material administered in the basti described here.
saMshodhana (saṃśodhana)
Cleansing measures named as the historical response to complicated retention.
Adhikarana ૪૦ (૯૯) · Śloka ૯૯
સ્નેહબસ્તાવનાયાતે નાન્યઃ સ્નેહો વિધીયતે ||૯૯||
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स्नेहबस्तावनायाते नान्यः स्नेहो विधीयते ||९९||
Meaning of the śloka
When a sneha-basti has not returned, another administration of sneha is not prescribed.
The commentary specifies that when the retained sneha is causing complications, a nirūha-basti is described for cleansing rather than another unctuous basti. This distinction is historical and must not be used as an operational recommendation.
Key terms
snehabasti (sneha-basti)
An unctuous basti whose non-return is under discussion.
nirUhabasti (nirūha-basti)
A non-unctuous cleansing basti identified by the commentary as the alternative in this historical account.
Adhikarana ૪૧ (૧૦૦) · Śloka ૧૦૦
ઇત્યુક્તા વ્યાપદઃ સર્વા સલક્ષણચિકિત્સિતાઃ |૧૦૦|
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इत्युक्ता व्यापदः सर्वा सलक्षणचिकित्सिताः |१००|
Meaning of the śloka
Thus, all the complications have been stated together with their signs and treatment.
The commentator explains that “all” refers without remainder to the sneha-basti complications announced earlier by the statement that they would be described in this treatment chapter.
Key terms
vyApadaH (vyāpadaḥ)
Complications discussed in the preceding passages.
salakShaNacikitsitAH (salakṣaṇa-cikitsitāḥ)
Presented together with their identifying signs and therapeutic account.
The text now begins the method of the uttara-basti. It describes a tube measured by the patient's own finger breadths, fourteen aṅgulas long, with a tip like the stalk of a mālatī flower and an opening through which a mustard seed could pass.
The commentary identifies this as the start of the uttara-basti section and applies the stated tube dimensions to men. It adds a smooth tube of gold or another material, a central collar and two collars at the base, and cites another work describing a smooth, tapering, flower-stalk-shaped instrument. A cited view allows insertion by four, five, six, or at most seven aṅgulas and warns that exceeding the measure may injure the bladder and the person. These details preserve historical instrument descriptions and textual variants; they are not instructions for manufacture or insertion.
Key terms
uttarabasti (uttara-basti)
The specialized basti procedure introduced in this passage.
The commentator says this measure concerns the unctuous type of uttara-basti and identifies one prakuñca with one pala in Suśruta's view, while Caraka is said to prescribe half a pala. The passage is then interpreted as scaling the measure from one twenty-fifth of a pala at one year of age, increasing by that fraction each year until a pala at twenty-five. This is a historical interpretation of dosage, including disagreement between authorities, and is not a safe dosing schedule.
Key terms
praku~jca (prakuñca)
A historical unit equated by this commentary with one pala.
pala
The historical weight or volume measure used in the commentator's calculation.
buddhikalpitA mAtrA (buddhi-kalpitā mātrā)
An amount adjusted through judgment rather than fixed at the maximum.
The instrument is described with a collar in its middle. For women, a collar is placed at four aṅgulas; its thickness corresponds to the urinary passage, its opening admits a mudga, and its length is ten aṅgulas. Some authorities describe another instrument in relation to the length of the male organ.
The commentary first supplies the unstated location of the collar on the instrument for men, then connects the four-aṅgula statement with the collar position for women. It explains the urinary-passage comparison as thickness, mudga-vāhī as the internal opening, and ten aṅgulas as length. For use through the reproductive passage, it reports a different view: the tube is as thick as the male organ, with a somewhat wider opening. These are historical anatomical and instrument descriptions, not specifications for present use.
Key terms
mUtrasrotas (mūtrasrotas)
The urinary passage used as the comparison for the tube's thickness.
mudgavAhI (mudga-vāhī)
Having an internal opening described as admitting a mudga seed.
apatyamArga (apatya-mārga)
The reproductive or vaginal passage in this context.
For women, the text states one depth for placement through the reproductive passage, a smaller depth through the urinary passage, and a still smaller urinary placement for girls; it says the method will be described according to rule.
The commentary interprets the reproductive-passage statement as applying to women considered of childbearing age, whether they have given birth or not, in a historical procedure described as cleansing the uterus. It gives a separate urinary-passage placement for both groups in urinary difficulty and interprets “girls” as those under twelve, for whom another urinary measurement is stated. These age and insertion distinctions are preserved solely as textual explanation.
Key terms
apatyamArga (apatya-mārga)
The reproductive or vaginal passage named as one route in the text.
mUtramArga (mūtra-mārga)
The urinary passage named as the other route.
kanyA (kanyā)
Interpreted by the commentary here as a girl below twelve years.
For women, the maximum measure of sneha is stated as one prasṛta measured in relation to the base of her own finger; smaller measures are to be chosen by judgment.
The commentary treats this as the measure for uttara-basti in women. It regards the stated prasṛta as the maximum for a strong disease condition across ages, while lesser amounts are to be judged for conditions of medium or low strength. It also anticipates a later statement giving twice the sneha for what the text calls cleansing the uterus. This is a historical account of dose selection, not current dosing guidance.
Key terms
prasRuta (prasṛta)
A historical measure described here in relation to the woman's own finger base.
sneha
The unctuous substance whose maximum amount is discussed.
garbhAshayashodhana (garbhāśaya-śodhana)
The historical purpose described as cleansing the uterus.
The text approves receptacles made from the bladder of a ram, wild boar, or goat; if these are unavailable, it mentions the neck skin of birds, and a variant line mentions part of a hide or another soft skin.
The brief commentary identifies aurabhra as belonging to a ram, śaukara to a wild boar, and āja to a goat. It offers no further explanation of the parenthetical variant, which is therefore retained without resolving its exact relationship to the main reading.
Key terms
aurabhra
Derived from or belonging to a ram in this context.
shaukara (śaukara)
Derived from a wild boar.
Aja (āja)
Derived from a goat.
basti
Here, the animal-bladder receptacle used in the historical apparatus.
The passage gives a detailed historical sequence for administering an unctuous uttara-basti: preparatory oleation and sweating, food according to strength, supported sitting, oiling the bladder region, locating the passage with a probe, gradual placement of the lubricated tube, gentle compression, withdrawal, later feeding, and repetition in a stated series.
The commentary distinguishes preparatory and subsequent care and infers morning administration from the later meal. It glosses relaxation of the internal passages as evacuation of flatus, urine, and stool, and explains posture, the bladder region, straight alignment, and the term nāla. It relates the stated placement measure to a medium-sized organ, while noting both a previously stated maximum and another opinion that uses the organ's length. Food choices are associated with kapha, pitta, or vāta. Finally, it interprets the repetition as several administrations on the same day after return of the earlier sneha, increasing the amount, continuing for three days, resting three days, and repeating until the disorder resolves, with a supporting citation from Vāgbhaṭa. These operational details are reported only to preserve the commentary and must not be followed.
Key terms
uttarabasti (uttara-basti)
The invasive unctuous procedure whose historical sequence is described.
For a woman lying on her back with the knees raised, the text describes administration toward the vaginal opening with a three-collared tube and controlled pressure.
The commentary identifies special features of uttara-basti placement for women. It records a variant reading, samāhinā, in place of vicakṣaṇaḥ and explains it as maintaining a steady mind free of sexual intention. It also infers from the three collars that two collars secure the receptacle. The description is historical and does not establish a safe modern procedure.
Key terms
yoni
The vaginal or reproductive passage in this procedural context.
trikarNika netra (trikarṇika netra)
A tube described as having three collars or flanges.
samAhina (samāhinā)
Variant reading explained as composed and free from sexual intention.
Adhikarana ૫૦ (૧૧૬) · Śloka ૧૧૬
ગર્ભાશયવિશુદ્ધ્યર્થં સ્નેહેન દ્વિગુણેન તુ |૧૧૬|
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गर्भाशयविशुद्ध्यर्थं स्नेहेन द्विगुणेन तु |११६|
Meaning of the śloka
For the stated purpose of cleansing the uterus, the text prescribes twice the amount of sneha.
The commentary explains that “twice” means twice the previously stated prasṛti measure based on the base of the finger. This preserves the historical calculation without endorsing the intervention or amount.
Key terms
garbhAshayavishuddhi (garbhāśaya-viśuddhi)
The historical aim described as cleansing or purifying the uterus.
dviguNa sneha (dviguṇa sneha)
Twice the previously specified amount of unctuous substance.
For a decoction-based uttara-basti, the text states one prasṛta, and two prasṛtas for a woman in a specified context. For a woman who is not a girl, and for a girl, the bladder-related measure is said to follow the corresponding rule.
The commentary supplies “for a man” with the one-prasṛta statement and makes the measure age-relative and based on the patient's own hand. It assigns two prasṛtas to a woman considered suitable for conception, whether or not she has given birth, for the historical purpose called uterine cleansing. For bladder cleansing, however, it says women not in that category and girls below twelve receive the age-relative one-prasṛta rule like males, rather than the doubled amount. These distinctions are textual explanations, not dose recommendations.
Key terms
kvAtha (kvātha)
A decoction forming the administered material in this passage.
prasRuta (prasṛta)
A historical measure interpreted here in relation to age and the patient's own hand.
When an uttara-basti does not return, the passage lists historical attempts to bring it back: another basti combined with cleansing substances, a rectal suppository, insertion of a probe, pressure below the navel, and various prepared wicks placed with a rod. It concludes by referring to the management described for anuvāsana.
The commentary preserves differing opinions about how long return may take. Gayadāsa, citing Bhāluki, discusses return after a hundred mātrās and use of a wick if it fails; Dṛḍhabala is said to apply a different timing statement to anuvāsana-uttara-basti. The commentator accepts two context-dependent positions: retained sneha causing complications should be brought out after the stated interval, whereas uncomplicated retention may be observed for a day and night. It then expands the historical responses into cleansing decoctions administered by urinary or reproductive routes, rectal purgative wicks, probing, external pressure, and age-sized wicks made from named substances and inserted into urinary or reproductive passages. It identifies madana fruit and explains śukta, and refers remaining aftercare to the anuvāsana account. The disagreement and methods are preserved for study only and are not rescue instructions.
Key terms
uttarabasti (uttara-basti)
The procedure whose failure to return is being managed.
eShaNI (eṣaṇī)
A probe or rod described for insertion in the historical response.
varti
A medicated wick or suppository described for rectal, urinary, or reproductive placement.
mAtrAshata (mātrā-śata)
A period of one hundred mātrās used in one cited timing view.
When burning occurs in the bladder region, the passage describes a basti using cool madhuka water mixed with sugar and honey, or preparations involving a decoction of milk-bearing trees or cool milk.
The commentary attributes the burning either to aggravated pitta associated with retained sneha or to pitta aggravated by a hot and sharp cleansing basti given to expel it. It says the sugar-and-honey qualification should be carried across all three formulations. This explains the historical rationale and composition without recommending treatment.
Key terms
dahyamAna basti (dahyamāna basti)
Burning in the bladder region described as a complication.
madhuka
The named substance whose cool water is used in one historical formulation.
kShIravRukSha (kṣīra-vṛkṣa)
Milk-sapped trees used collectively for a decoction in the source.
The text attributes a wide range of reproductive, menstrual, urinary, bladder, groin, and genital disorders to the scope of uttara-basti, including altered semen or female blood, untimely or absent menstruation, urinary obstruction and difficulty, disorders of the yoni, retention of the placenta, seminal discharge, urinary gravel or stone, and pain. It excludes meha while making a broad claim about other bladder-born disorders.
The commentary explains puṣpa as menstruation, its excess as untimely onset, and kaṣṭa as difficult to cure. It glosses mūtrāghāta as urinary obstruction and mūtradoṣa as painful or difficult urination. Saṃsthiti is taken as failure to be expelled, and aparā as the fetal covering commonly called ulba, here referring to its retention. The final phrase is understood as a broad statement covering bladder disorders. These are historical therapeutic claims and should not be read as evidence of present efficacy.
Key terms
puShpa (puṣpa)
Menstruation in this passage.
mUtrAghAta (mūtrāghāta)
Urinary obstruction according to the commentary.
aparA (aparā)
The fetal covering or placenta whose retention is discussed.
ashmarI (aśmarī)
A urinary stone in this context.
meha
A disease category explicitly excluded from the broad claim in the verse.
The signs of properly administered uttara-basti, its complications, and the sequence of management are said to be the same as for sneha-basti.
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ક્રમઃ ચિકિત્સિતમિત્યર્થઃ||૧૨૭||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary briefly explains krama here as treatment or management. The verse therefore refers the reader to the earlier sneha-basti account rather than restating the signs and complications.
Key terms
samyagdattasya li~ggAni (samyag-dattasya liṅgāni)
Signs said to indicate proper administration.
vyApadaH (vyāpadaḥ)
Complications associated with the procedure.
krama
Explained by the commentary here as treatment or management.
Adhikarana પુષ્પિકા · Śloka ૩૭
ઇતિ સુશ્રુતસંહિતાયાં ચિકિત્સાસ્થાનેઽનુવાસનોત્તરબસ્તિચિકિત્સિતં નામ સપ્તત્રિંશોઽધ્યાયઃ ||૩૭||
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इति सुश्रुतसंहितायां चिकित्सास्थानेऽनुवासनोत्तरबस्तिचिकित्सितं नाम सप्तत्रिंशोऽध्यायः ||३७||
Meaning of the śloka
This concludes the thirty-seventh chapter of the Cikitsāsthāna in the Suśruta Saṃhitā, entitled Anuvāsana and Uttara-basti Treatment.
The colophon states that this is the thirty-seventh chapter of the Cikitsāsthāna in Dalhaṇa's Nibandhasaṅgraha commentary on Suśruta. The source contains a minor orthographic variation in Dalhaṇa's name.