अथातो धूमनस्यकवलग्रहचिकित्सितं व्याख्यास्यामः ||१||
यथोवाच भगवान् धन्वन्तरिः ||२||
Meaning of the śloka
Now the treatment concerning therapeutic smoke (dhūma), nasal administration (nasya), and holding substances in the mouth (kavalagraha) will be explained, as taught by the revered Dhanvantari.
The commentary explains that the word kavala also indicates gaṇḍūṣa, holding liquid in the mouth, and pratisāraṇa, rubbing or applying a substance in the mouth, because their treatment is similar in this context.
Key terms
dhūma
Therapeutic smoke in the chapter's historical framework.
nasya
Administration of a medicinal substance through the nostrils.
kavalagraha
Holding or moving a medicinal substance within the mouth.
gaṇḍūṣa
Holding liquid in the mouth, included by the commentator under kavala.
Dhūma is described as fivefold: prāyogika, snaihika, vairecanika, kāsaghna, and vāmanīya.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
तेष्वाद्यस्य धूमस्य विषयभेदप्रतिपादनाय पाञ्चविध्यामाह- धूम इत्यादि| कासघ्नवामनीययोरत्रैवान्तर्भावात्त्रिविध इत्यन्ये| तत्र प्रयोगः स्वस्थस्य सततोपयोगस्तत्र साधुः प्रायोगिकः; स च श्लेष्माणमुत्क्लेशयति, उत्क्लिष्टं चापकर्षति, शमयति वातं, स्नेहनविरेचनाभ्यां तुल्यत्वात्| कासहरत्वात् कासघ्नः; स पुनरुरःकण्ठरोगहरोऽप्यावस्थिक एव| अभिष्यण्णशिरसि शिरो विरेचयतीति विरेचनः, विरेचन एव वैरेचनः; वैरेचनः श्लेष्माणमुत्क्लेश्यापकर्षयति, रौक्ष्यात्तैक्ष्ण्यादौष्ण्याद्वैशद्याच्च| रूक्षस्य स्नेहाय प्रभवतीति स्नैहिकः; स च वातं शमयति, स्नेहनादुपलेपनाच्च| वामयतीति वामनीयः, स पुनरुत्कृष्टकफाभिपन्नकण्ठोरसः||३||
Meaning of the commentary
The fivefold division is given according to differing applications. Some authorities instead call it threefold because they include the cough-relieving and emesis-producing forms within the other classes. Prāyogika is explained as a form considered suitable for regular use by a healthy person; it is said to mobilize and remove śleṣman and calm vāta because it shares features with oleating and evacuative forms. Kāsaghna is named for its intended effect on cough and is described as situationally used for disorders of the chest and throat. Vairecanika is said to evacuate the head and to mobilize and remove śleṣman through dryness, sharpness, heat, and clarity. Snaihika is intended to lubricate dryness and calm vāta through unctuousness and coating. Vāmanīya is intended to provoke emesis when markedly increased kapha affects the throat and chest. These are historical classifications and attributed actions.
Key terms
prāyogika
The form described as suitable for regular use in the historical classification.
snaihika
The unctuous form intended to counter dryness and calm vāta.
vairecanika
The evacuative form directed toward the head and śleṣman.
The passage assigns different materials to wicks for the five kinds of therapeutic smoke. For prāyogika it describes a finely ground elādi mixture excluding kuṣṭha and tagara, applied to a cloth-wrapped reed. For snaihika it names oil-bearing seed kernels, beeswax, sarjarasa, guggulu, and similar substances mixed with unctuous material. For vairecanika it uses substances classified for evacuation of the head. For kāsaghna it lists bṛhatī, kaṇṭakārikā, trikaṭu, kāsamarda, hiṅgu, iṅgudī bark, manaḥśilā, chinnaruhā, karkaṭaśṛṅgī, and other cough-related substances. For vāmanīya it lists animal-derived and other materials historically classed as emetic.
The commentary says these are materials for combustible smoke wicks. It insists that kuṣṭha and tagara be excluded from the elādi group and cites Nimi's warning that smoke from them can harm the brain. It identifies the reed, explains the dimensions and wrapping, and cites another authority who makes the wick one-sixth the length of the smoke tube, thicker in the middle and thin at both ends. It glosses the kernels of oil-bearing fruits and expands several ingredient groups, including substances assigned to head evacuation, cough, and emesis. These construction measurements and formulas are preserved only as a historical description, not as instructions.
Key terms
dhūmavarti
A prepared wick burned to produce the historically prescribed smoke.
elādi
A group of aromatic substances, here specified without kuṣṭha and tagara.
manaḥśilā
A hazardous mineral substance named in the cough-related mixture.
shirovirecana dravya (śirovirecana-dravya)
Substances historically classified for evacuation of the head.
vāmanīya
Materials historically intended to provoke emesis.
The materials used for a dhūmanetra are said to be those already described for a basti nozzle. The passage then gives differing lengths and bore dimensions for tubes used with the several kinds of smoke, and separately describes a shorter tube intended to direct smoke toward a wound.
The commentary names metals such as gold, silver, tin, lead, copper, and bell metal among the materials referred from the basti nozzle. It explains the tube's front as the mouth-or-nose end and its wider root as the wick end, then interprets the measurements assigned to each type. Some read a ten-aṅgula tube for the emetic form, but Gayadāsa, following Videha, rejects that reading. Another textual tradition describes the tube as straight, divided into three chambers, and without raised joints. The wound tube's opening is glossed in relation to the stated pulse-sized dimensions. All apparatus details are historical descriptions.
Key terms
dhūmanetra
A tube described for conveying therapeutic smoke.
aṅgula
A traditional finger-based unit used for the stated dimensions.
vraṇanetra
A tube intended in the text to direct smoke toward a wound.
bastinetra
A basti nozzle whose materials are applied by reference to the smoke tube.
The passage historically describes posture, preparation of a lit unctuous wick, routes for taking in and expelling smoke, and different routes assigned to the five classes. It expressly says smoke taken through either the mouth or nose should be released through the mouth, because sending it in the reverse direction through the nose is said to damage vision. Prāyogika is chiefly associated with the nose, snaihika with mouth or nose, vairecanika with the nose, and kāsaghna and vāmanīya with the mouth.
The commentary explains the bodily and mental posture and says the wick is first coated with fat and then lit. Where both routes are applicable, it reads the mouth as preceding the nose, but insists that smoke be expelled only through the mouth. It cites another authority who associates reverse movement with disturbed vision. The routes are then related to the historical location of the disorder: mouth for chest or throat, nose for head, ear, eye, or nasal regions. It preserves further nuances and citations: prāyogika may sometimes begin through the mouth; snaihika varies with the stated location of vāta; and vairecanika may begin through the mouth or nose depending on the condition of kapha. Kāsaghna and vāmanīya are restricted to the mouth because their targets are assigned to the chest and throat. These distinctions are historical rather than procedural advice.
Key terms
dhūmapāna
The historical practice of taking in medicinal smoke.
pratiloma
Reverse movement, here smoke expelled toward the nose.
ghrāṇa
The nasal route.
dṛṣṭi
Vision, said to be harmed by reverse smoke movement.
The passage gives historical apparatus arrangements for producing and conveying smoke from a prepared wick. It distinguishes the arrangement for prāyogika, snaihika, and vairecanika from that for kāsaghna and vāmanīya, where covered earthen vessels and repeated additions of material are described until the stated doṣa purification is reached.
The commentary glosses the vessel as stable and properly positioned, explains the second vessel as having a hole at its base, and notes that either a smoke wick or powder may be placed inside. It adds no independent therapeutic interpretation. The procedure and endpoint remain a historical account and are not safe operating directions.
Key terms
varti
The prepared combustible wick used to generate smoke.
śarāva
An earthen vessel used in the described smoke apparatus.
doṣaviśuddhi
The historical endpoint described as purification of the affected doṣa.
dhūmapānopāyavidhi
The stated method or arrangement for administering smoke.
Adhikarana ७ (११) · Śloka ११
तत्र शोकश्रमभयामर्षौष्ण्यविषरक्तपित्तमदमूर्च्छादाहपिपासापाण्डुरोगतालुशोषच्छर्दिशिरोऽभिघातोद्गारापतर्पित- तिमिरप्रमेहोदराध्मानोर्ध्ववातार्ता बालवृद्धदुर्बलविरिक्तास्थापितजागरितगर्भिणीरूक्षक्षीणक्षतोरस्क- मधुघृतदधिदुग्धमत्स्यमद्ययवागूपीताल्पकफाश्च न धूममासेवेरन् ||११||
Meaning of the śloka
The passage lists people considered unsuitable for dhūma, including those affected by grief, exhaustion, fear, anger, heat, poison, bleeding attributed to pitta, intoxication, fainting, burning, thirst, pallor, dryness of the palate, vomiting, head injury, belching, undernourishment, visual disorder, prameha, abdominal disease or distension, or upward-moving vāta. It also excludes children, older or weak people, those recently purged or given āsthāpana basti, those kept awake, pregnant people, those who are dry, wasted, or injured in the chest, people who have consumed honey, ghee, curd, milk, fish, alcohol, or gruel, and those with little kapha.
The commentary identifies this as instruction about persons unsuitable for smoke. Grammatically, it explains that the word meaning 'afflicted' applies separately to every condition from grief through upward-moving vāta.
Key terms
dhūmānarha
A person considered unsuitable for therapeutic smoke.
garbhiṇī
A pregnant person, explicitly excluded.
bāla-vṛddha-durbala
Children, older adults, and weak people, explicitly excluded.
kṣatoraska
A person with injury to the chest.
Adhikarana ८ (१२) · Śloka १२
अकालपीतः कुरुते भ्रमं मूर्च्छां शिरोरुजम् |
घ्राणश्रोत्राक्षिजिह्वानामुपघातं च दारुणम् ||१२||
Meaning of the śloka
Dhūma taken at an unsuitable time is said to cause dizziness, fainting, head pain, and severe injury to smell, hearing, sight, and taste.
The commentary simply introduces the verse as describing complications arising when smoke is taken at an improper time; it adds no further interpretation.
The first three kinds of dhūma are assigned to twelve occasions: after sneezing, cleaning the teeth, nasya, bathing, eating, daytime sleep, sexual activity, vomiting, urination or defecation, laughter, anger, and a surgical procedure. The passage then distributes snaihika, vairecanika, and prāyogika among particular occasions.
The commentary asks when smoke is to be taken and presents the verse as the answer. It glosses ruṣita as anger but supplies no additional rationale for the allocations. The schedule is a historical classification, not a recommendation for use after these events or procedures.
Key terms
dhūmapānakāla
The occasions assigned for smoke use in the source.
snaihika
The unctuous category allocated to a subset of occasions.
vairecanika
The evacuative category allocated to a subset of occasions.
śastrakarma
A surgical procedure, after which prāyogika is historically listed.
The text attributes distinct actions to the three forms: snaihika is said to calm vāta through unctuousness and coating; vairecanika to mobilize and remove śleṣman through dryness, sharpness, heat, and clarity; and prāyogika both to mobilize and remove śleṣman and to calm vāta because it shares features with the preceding two.
The commentary focuses on prāyogika and explains that its combined actions are attributed to similarity with both the oleating and evacuative forms. The claims belong to the source's doṣa-based therapeutic reasoning.
Key terms
vātaśamana
Calming of vāta as attributed in the passage.
śleṣman
Kapha, said here to be mobilized and removed.
raukṣya
Dryness, one quality invoked to explain vairecanika.
sādhāraṇatva
Sharing features with the two preceding forms.
Adhikarana ११ (१५-१६) · Śloka १६
भवति चात्र- नरो धूमोपयोगाच्च प्रसन्नेन्द्रियवाङ्मनाः |
दृढकेशद्विजश्मश्रुः सुगन्धिविशदाननः ||१५||
तथा कासश्वासारोचकास्योपलेपस्वरभेदमुखास्रावक्षवथुवमथुक्रथतन्द्रानिद्राहनुमन्यास्तम्भाः पीनसशिरोरोगकर्णाक्षिशूला वातकफनिमित्ताश्चास्य मुखरोगा न भवन्ति ||१६||
Meaning of the śloka
The passage claims that use of dhūma keeps the senses, speech, and mind clear; the hair, teeth, and beard firm; and the face fragrant and clear. It further claims prevention of cough, difficult breathing, loss of appetite, coating of the mouth, altered voice, oral discharge, sneezing, vomiting, sudden interruption of breathing, drowsiness, sleeplessness, stiffness of the jaw and neck, nasal catarrh, disorders of the head, ear and eye pain, and oral disorders attributed to vāta and kapha.
The commentary identifies these verses as a statement of the claimed benefits of smoke use. It defines kratha as a sudden obstruction of breathing. It does not provide evidence or a further mechanism for the listed claims.
Key terms
dhūmopayoga
Use of therapeutic smoke in the historical account.
kratha
A sudden interruption or obstruction of breathing, according to the commentary.
pīnasa
A nasal disorder named in the list.
vāta-kapha-nimitta
Attributed to vāta and kapha within the source's framework.
Proper, insufficient, and excessive use of dhūma should be recognized. Proper use is defined as calming the disorder and insufficient use as failure to calm it. Excessive use is said to cause dryness and burning of the palate and throat, thirst, fainting, dizziness, an intoxication-like state, ringing or abnormal sound in the ears, and disorders or weakness of sight and the nose.
The commentary connects both disorder and weakness with sight and the nose. It also preserves an additional reading found in some copies: after excessive use, drinking ghee, nasal administration, collyrium, and ocular nourishment are to be applied. This added therapeutic line is textually variant and should not be merged silently into the main passage.
Key terms
yoga
Proper use, defined here by the claimed calming of the disorder.
ayoga
Insufficient use, defined by failure to calm the disorder.
atiyoga
Excessive use associated with the listed complications.
The passage sets historical limits and endpoints for each class of dhūma: repeated inhalations for prāyogika, tears for snaihika, appearance of the affected doṣa for vairecanika, use of vāmanīya after a sesame-and-rice gruel, and use of kāsaghna between mouthfuls of food.
The commentary interprets one round as three inhalation-and-release cycles and varies the number according to doṣa and the person's strength. It cites Nimi and Bhoja for alternative dose distinctions in healthy, weak, lean, or strong people. For vairecanika, the endpoint is appearance of abnormal kapha, and another text gives differing daily repetition counts. Vāmanīya is connected with a gruel taken to fullness and continued toward signs of completed emesis. For kāsaghna, the text is variously read as between mouthfuls, at the end of a mouthful, or after the meal; its repetition is compared with vairecanika. These competing readings and quantities are historical descriptions, not dosing instructions.
Key terms
paryāya
A round, interpreted here as three inhalation-and-release cycles.
aśrupravṛtti
Onset of tears, used as a historical endpoint for snaihika.
doṣadarśana
Appearance of the affected doṣa, specifically abnormal kapha in the commentary.
grāsāntara
Between mouthfuls; the commentary preserves alternative readings.
The passage says that smoke should be directed toward a wound through a tube fitted to a closed pair of earthen vessels, and claims relief of pain, cleansing of the wound, and reduction of discharge. It then closes the concise account of dhūma and announces a complete description of nasya.
The commentary identifies this as the method of fumigating a wound and explains samāsena as 'briefly' or 'in summary.' It offers no further support for the claimed effects.
Key terms
vraṇadhūma
Smoke directed toward a wound in the historical procedure.
vraṇavaiśadya
Clarity or cleansing of the wound as claimed by the text.
āsrāvopaśama
Reduction of wound discharge as claimed in the passage.
nasya
Nasal administration, introduced as the next subject.
Nasya is defined as introducing a medicine, or a medicated unctuous substance, through the two nostrils. It is first divided into head-evacuating and oleating forms, and then discussed as five: nasya, śirovirecana, pratimarśa, avapīḍa, and pradhamana. Nasya and śirovirecana are presented as principal forms; pratimarśa is an alternative form of nasya, while avapīḍa and pradhamana are alternatives to śirovirecana. In this way the term nasya is applied to five forms.
The dual form 'through the nostrils' refers to the pair of nasal openings. The commentary relates nasya here to a later-described oleating use and defines śirovirecana by the use of substances classed for head evacuation. Pratimarśa is explained later. Avapīḍa is described as squeezing prepared cooled decoctions or fresh juices from a swab, while pradhamana is blowing powder through the mouth or a tube. The commentator adds that pratimarśa may also serve as an alternative to śirovirecana, citing Dṛḍhabala, who calls it an unctuous method serving both purposes. Thus the fivefold usage is presented as a regulated terminology.
Key terms
nasya
Nasal administration and, more broadly here, a fivefold category of nasal procedures.
śirovirecana
A nasal procedure historically intended to evacuate the head.
pratimarśa
A smaller unctuous nasal form treated as an alternative in the classification.
avapīḍa
Nasal administration by squeezing a liquid preparation from a swab.
pradhamana
Administration of powder by blowing it through the mouth or a tube.
Adhikarana १६ (२२) · Śloka २२
तत्र यः स्नेहनार्थं शून्यशिरसां ग्रीवास्कन्धोरसां च बलजननार्थं दृष्टिप्रसादजननार्थं वा स्नेहो विधीयते तस्मिन् वैशेषिको नस्यशब्दः |
तत्तु देयं वाताभिभूते शिरसि दन्तकेशश्मश्रुप्रपातदारुणकर्णशूलकर्णक्ष्वेडतिमिरस्वरोपघात- नासारोगास्यशोषावबाहुकाकालजवलीपलितप्रादुर्भावदारुणप्रबोधेषु वातपैत्तिकेषु मुखरोगेष्वन्येषु च वातपित्तहरद्रव्यसिद्धेन स्नेहेनेति ||२२||
Meaning of the śloka
The passage defines a special use of the term nasya for unctuous substances placed through the nose with the stated aims of nourishing an empty-feeling head, strengthening the neck, shoulders, and chest, or improving clarity of vision. It lists numerous conditions attributed to vata or combined vata and pitta, including loss of teeth, hair, or beard, severe ear pain or sounds in the ear, impaired vision or voice, nasal and oral disorders, dryness of the mouth, avabahuka, premature wrinkles or greying, difficult awakening, and certain diseases of the mouth. For these, it describes an unctuous preparation processed with substances regarded as reducing vata and pitta.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
तत्र नस्यविधौ| स्नेहः सर्पिस्तैलवसामज्जाख्यः, स च यथास्वगुणैर्वातपित्तकफहरद्रव्यैः सिद्धः; तत्र तैलं नस्ये वातकफहरं, पित्तरक्तहरं तु क्षीरसर्पिरिति ज्ञेयम्| तत्तु देयमित्यादि| तत् स्नैहिकं नस्यं वातपित्तहरैर्द्रव्यैः सिद्धेन स्नेहेन देयम्| तस्य कालावधिस्तन्त्रान्तराज्ज्ञेयः| तथाच भोजः- “एकान्तरं द्व्यन्तरं वा नस्यं दद्याद्विचक्षणः| सप्ताहं तु परं देयं विश्रान्तस्य पुनः पुनः||पक्षं विंशतिरात्रं वा यावद्वा साधु मन्यते”- इति| अपरस्त्वाह- “त्र्यहं पञ्चाहमथवा सप्ताहं वा सुयन्त्रितः| परं नवाहमूर्ध्वं तु नवाहात् सात्म्यतां व्रजेत्||न तन्नस्यगुणं कुर्यात् सात्म्यत्वाद्दोषकृन्न च| तस्मान्नस्यप्रयोगस्तु स्नैहिको न हितः सदा”- इति||२२||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary explains sneha as ghee, oil, animal fat, or marrow, prepared with substances selected according to their attributed effects on the dosas. It distinguishes oil as reducing vata and kapha in nasal use, while milk-ghee is said to reduce pitta and rakta. It then cites Bhoja on intervals and a limited course with periods of rest. A different authority proposes courses of three, five, or seven days, warns that use beyond nine days becomes habitual and ceases to produce the intended benefit, and concludes that unctuous nasya is not suitable continuously. These schedules are alternative historical opinions and do not constitute instructions for use.
Key terms
nasya
Administration through the nose, here specifically of an unctuous substance.
sneha
An unctuous substance, explained as ghee, oil, fat, or marrow.
avabahuka
A named disorder involving the shoulder or upper limb in this context.
vata-paittika
Attributed jointly to vata and pitta in the source's framework.
Adhikarana १७ (२३) · Śloka २३
शिरोविरेचनं श्लेष्मणाऽभिव्याप्ततालुकण्ठशिरसामरोचकशिरोगौरवशूलपीनसार्धावभेदक- कृमिप्रतिश्यायापस्मारगन्धाज्ञानेष्वन्येषुचोर्ध्वजत्रुगतेषु कफजेषु विकारेषु शिरोविरेचनद्रव्यैस्तत्सिद्धेन वा स्नेहेनेति ||२३||
Meaning of the śloka
Shirovirecana, evacuative treatment through the nose, is described for kapha-attributed disorders affecting the palate, throat, and head, including loss of appetite, heaviness or pain in the head, pinasa, half-sided headache, worms, pratishyaya, apasmara, loss of smell, and other kapha disorders above the clavicles. The text refers either to designated shirovirecana substances or to an unctuous preparation made with them.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
अय शिरोविरेचनविषयावसरः- शिरोविरेचनमित्यादि| शिरोविरेचनानि पिप्पलीविडङ्गशिग्रुसिद्धार्थकापामार्गक्षवकफणिज्जकप्रभृतीनि| तत्र शिरोविरेचनद्रव्यैः कृतं च नस्यमवपीडाभिधानं, तत्सिद्धस्नेहेन कृतं शिरोविरेकं; गयी तु शिरोविरेचनद्रव्यसिद्धेन स्नेहेनैव पठति||२३||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary identifies examples of the designated substances, including pippali, vidanga, sigru, siddharthaka, apamarga, ksavaka, and phanijjaka. It calls a nasal application made from the substances themselves avapida and distinguishes it from shirovirecana performed with an unctuous preparation processed with them. Gayi, however, reads the passage as referring only to the processed unctuous preparation. Both interpretations are retained.
Key terms
shirovirecana
An evacuative nasal procedure directed at the head in the historical account.
urdhvajatrugata
Located above the clavicles.
avapida
A nasal application prepared directly from the stated substances, according to the commentary.
Both kinds of nasya are said to be given before food: in the forenoon for a kapha disorder, at midday for a pitta disorder, and in the later part of the day for a vata disorder.
The commentary treats the verse as specifying times for both unctuous and evacuative nasya according to the dosa assigned to the disorder. It says that timing for nasya used in a healthy regimen must be learned from another treatise. It then quotes Vrddha Vagbhata, who assigns different times according to season and weather and places it after basti during a pancakarma course. These are historical timing rules rather than a current schedule.
Key terms
snaihika
The unctuous form of nasya.
vairecanika
The evacuative form of nasya.
svastavrtta
A regimen described for maintaining health.
pancakarma
The group of procedures within which the cited authority places this timing rule.
The passage gives a detailed historical procedure for a person selected for shirovirecana: bodily preparation, a clear setting, positioning with the head slightly lowered and the eyes covered, elevation of the nose, warming and containing the preparation, and introducing a comfortably warm, continuous stream without letting it reach the eyes. During administration the person is told not to move the head, become angry, speak, sneeze, or laugh. The text says disruption may prevent proper passage and be followed by cough, pratishyaya, or disorders of the head and eyes.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
अथानन्तरं तद्दानविधानं- अथ पुरुषायेत्यादि| स्नेहमिति स्नेहस्योपलक्षणत्वात् कल्कक्वाथादिकमप्यनेनैव प्रकारेण देयम्| दत्तमात्रे च यत् कर्तव्यं तत्तन्त्रान्तराज्ज्ञेयं; तथा च वृद्धवाग्भटः- “दत्तमात्रे नस्ये कर्णललाटकेशभूमिगण्डमन्यास्कन्धपाणिपादतलान्यनुसुखं मर्दयेत्, शनैः शनैश्चोच्छिङ्घ्यात्”- इति||२५-२७||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary says sneha here also stands for pastes and decoctions delivered in the same general manner. For aftercare it cites Vrddha Vagbhata: gentle massage of regions including the ears, forehead, scalp, cheeks, neck, shoulders, hands, and soles, followed by gradual sniffing. The procedural detail is preserved as a historical account and is not a guide for performance.
Key terms
shirovirecaniya
A person selected for the evacuative nasal procedure.
sneha
The unctuous preparation, extended by the commentary to paste or decoction.
pratishyaya
A named nasal disorder listed as a possible complication.
The text describes three quantities of the unctuous nasal preparation, selected according to strength: a first measure expressed as eight drops from two finger joints, a second called one sukti, and a third called one panisukti.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
स्नेहस्य चाल्पमध्यमोत्तमप्रमाणान्याह- तस्येत्यादि| तस्येति स्नेहस्य| अष्टाविति प्रत्येकं नासापुटयोः, एवं षोडश बिन्दवः| अङ्गुष्ठसमीपवर्तिन्यङ्गुलिः प्रदेशिनी, तत्पर्वद्वयच्युता बिन्दवः| प्रथमा मात्रा हीनेत्यर्थः| मध्यमा मात्रा शुक्तिर्द्वात्रिंशद्बिन्दवः| उत्तमा पाणिशुक्तिश्चतुःषष्टिबिन्दवः| गयी तु भोजदर्शनात् स्वस्थस्यैव प्रायोगिके नस्ये प्रत्येकं नासापुटयोरष्टौ बिन्दवः, स्नेहनार्थे तद्द्विगुणाः शुक्तिप्रमाणा इति प्रतिपादयति| तथा च भोजः- “प्रायोगिकं स्नैहिकं च द्विविधं नस्यमुच्यते| प्रायोगिके बिन्दवोऽष्टौ स्नैहिके शुक्तिरिष्यते||दोषोच्छ्रायं समासाद्य दद्याद्द्वित्रिचतुर्गुणम्”- इति||२८||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary classifies these as lower, middle, and higher quantities. It interprets the eight drops as applying to each nostril and equates the larger traditional measures with stated drop counts. Gayi, relying on Bhoja, offers another account: eight drops in each nostril for routine use in a healthy person, twice that quantity for oleation, with further multiplication according to the prominence of the dosa. These numerical traditions differ and are preserved only as textual interpretation.
Key terms
bindu
A drop used as a traditional unit in the passage.
sukti
A traditional measure identified as the middle quantity.
panisukti
A traditional hand-based measure identified as the higher quantity.
prayogika nasya
Routine nasal use discussed in Gayi's alternative account.
A discerning person is generally told not to swallow the nasal preparation. After it has reached the srngataka region, it is expected to emerge into the mouth and should be expelled without holding it back, because retention is said to risk aggravating kapha.
The commentary glosses the instruction as not drinking or swallowing nasya and cites Videha, who associates swallowing it with cough, vomiting, aversion to food, and retching. It also preserves a contrary, restricted statement from Videha permitting nasal intake for a person described as depleted in flesh and strength, affected by vata above the clavicles, with strong agni and accustomed to unctuous substances; that view claims nourishment of the tissues. Srngataka is explained as the junction of vessels supplying the nose, ears, eyes, and tongue. Material reaching the mouth is to be discharged, with Vrddha Vagbhata specifying alternate sides. The exception and general prohibition are distinct historical positions.
Key terms
srngataka
A junction of channels or vessels associated with the nose, ears, eyes, and tongue in the commentary.
nisthivana
Expelling or spitting out material that reaches the mouth.
kaphotklesa
Agitation or increase of kapha feared from retaining the material.
snehasatmya
Being accustomed to unctuous substances, part of the cited exception.
Adhikarana २२ (३१) · Śloka ३१
दत्ते च पुनरपि संस्वेद्य गलकपोलादीन् धूममासेवेत, भोजयेच्चैनमभिष्यन्दि, ततोऽस्याचारिकमादिशेत्; रजोधूमस्नेहातपमद्यद्रवपानशिरःस्नानातियानक्रोधादीनि च परिहरेत् ||३१||
Meaning of the śloka
After administration, the passage describes warming the throat and cheeks again, using dhuma, and giving food characterized as abhisyandi. It then calls for appropriate conduct and avoidance of dust, smoke, unctuous exposure, heat, alcohol or liquids, head-bathing, excessive travel, anger, and related factors.
The commentary identifies these as post-procedure measures. It places dhuma after the stated recovery of speech and cites Bhoja on its routine use at that point. Abhisyandi is glossed as producing coating or obstruction. Acarika means conduct considered appropriate, while dust, smoke, daytime sleep, and similar factors are classed as unsuitable. The sequence is a historical account, not aftercare guidance.
Key terms
dhuma
Therapeutic smoke described as part of historical aftercare.
abhisyandi
Described by the commentary as producing coating or obstruction.
acarika
Conduct regarded as appropriate after the procedure.
The passage gives signs of proper, excessive, and insufficient unctuous nasya. Proper use is associated with lightness of the head, comfortable sleep and awakening, relief of the disorder, clarity of the senses, and mental ease. Excess is marked by salivation or kapha discharge, heaviness of the head, and disturbed senses, for which a drying measure is stated. Insufficient use is associated with disturbance of vata, dryness of the senses, and persistence of disease, followed in the text by repetition of nasya.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
गयी त्वयोगलक्षणं न पठति, प्रतिपादितस्य प्रायोगिकनस्यस्य स्वस्थविषयस्यायोगे वातवैगुण्यं न सम्भवति; यच्चायोगे वातवैगुण्यं तदवस्थाविषये||३२-३५||
Meaning of the commentary
Gayi does not read the signs of insufficient use. His reasoning is that the routine nasya under discussion concerns a healthy person, in whom vata disturbance from insufficient use would not arise; he limits such disturbance to use directed at an existing condition. This textual disagreement should remain explicit.
Key terms
yoga
Proper application, inferred from the stated favorable signs.
atiyoga
Excessive application.
ayoga
Insufficient or failed application.
indriyavibhrama
Disturbance or disorientation of sensory function.
Adhikarana २४ (३६) · Śloka ३६
चत्वारो बिन्दवः षड् वा तथाऽष्टौ वा यथाबलम् |
शिरोविरेकस्नेहस्य प्रमाणमभिनिर्दिशेत् ||३६||
Meaning of the śloka
For the unctuous preparation used in shirovirecana, the passage names four, six, or eight drops as quantities to be selected according to strength.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
स्नेहननस्यविशेषमुद्दिशञ्छिरोविरेचननस्यस्य मात्रामुपदिशन्नाह- चत्वारो बिन्दव इत्यादि| प्रत्येकमेव नासापुटयोर्हीनमध्योत्तमेष्वेषु दोषपुरुषबलेषु चतुःषडष्टबिन्दवः स्नैहिकस्य शिरोविरेचनस्य| तथा च विदेहः, “चतुरश्चतुरो बिन्दूनेकैकस्मिन् समाचरेत्| एषा लघ्वी मता मात्रा तथा शीघ्रं विरेचयेत्||अथ्यर्धां द्विगुणां वाऽपि त्रिगुणां वा चतुर्गुणाम्| यथाव्याधि विदित्वा तु मात्रां समवचारयेत्”- इति||३६||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary applies four, six, and eight drops to each nostril as lower, middle, and higher quantities, according to the strength of the dosa and the person. It cites Videha on four drops in each nostril as a light quantity and then mentions larger multiples selected after assessing the disorder. The numbers are historical dosage traditions, not current measurements or directions.
Key terms
shirovireka-sneha
An unctuous preparation used in the historical evacuative nasal procedure.
bindu
A drop used as a traditional unit.
hina-madhya-uttama
Lower, middle, and higher quantity categories.
yathabala
According to strength, as the passage qualifies selection.
Authorities describe three outcomes of nasya: proper cleansing, insufficient cleansing, and excessive cleansing. Proper cleansing is marked by lightness of the head, clearing of the channels, overcoming the disorder, and clarity of mind and senses. Insufficient cleansing is associated with itching, coating, heaviness, and kapha discharge. Excessive evacuation is associated with discharge described as mastulunga, increase of vata, sensory disturbance, and an empty feeling in the head. The text assigns kapha-reducing or vata-reducing measures for insufficient or excessive cleansing and an unctuous nasal application after proper cleansing. Bracketed verses also give repeated timing and twice-daily use in a person described as greatly affected by vata.
The commentary identifies the authorities as Videha and others and explains mastulunga as a ghee-like substance within the head. It interprets the post-cleansing unctuous application as ghee for a pitta constitution but processed oil for a vata constitution. The source visibly marks verses 42-43 in parentheses, so their textual status and the schedules they contain require review.
Key terms
suddhi
Proper cleansing in the outcome classification.
hina-visuddhi
Insufficient cleansing.
gadha-virecita
Excessively evacuated or cleansed.
mastulunga
A ghee-like substance said by the commentary to be within the head.
The passage describes avapida, likened to shirovirecana, for persons with a head affected by abhisyanda, snakebite, or loss of consciousness, using a pressed preparation from one of the stated evacuative substances. For depleted persons or in sonitapitta, it instead names sugar, sugarcane juice, milk, ghee, or meat broth. For thin, weak, fearful, delicate persons and women, it refers to cooked unctuous preparations or a suitable paste for cleansing the head.
The commentary contrasts avapida, which has restrictions and is not suitable for every dosa, with pratimarsha, discussed later as more broadly applicable. Abhisyanna is explained as a head pervaded by medas and kapha. It describes plant pastes or cloth saturated with decoction and records traditional quantities, but these details are not directions. Drawing on another treatise, it divides avapida into an awakening form for poisoning, trauma, unconsciousness, fainting, confusion, convulsive states, intoxication, apasmara, emotional distress, and related mental disturbance, and a restraining form for conditions such as raktapitta. One quoted compound is uncertain in the source, shown with a question mark.
Key terms
avapida
A pressed nasal application described in the passage.
abhisyanna
Explained as a head pervaded by medas and kapha.
sanjna-prabodhana
The awakening function attributed to one form of avapida.
stambhana
A restraining function attributed to the other form.
The text states that a powder may be blown into the nose for persons affected by disorders of mind, worms, or poison.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
प्रधमनप्रयोगविषयावधारणं- चेतोविकारकृमिविषाभिपन्नानामित्यादि| अत्राह विदेहः- “नाडी षडङ्गुलायामा द्विमुखी च तया धमेत्| त्रिश्चूर्णं मुच्चुटीमात्रमेष प्रधमने विधिः||शुक्तिप्रमाणं जिघ्रेद्वा बद्धं सूक्ष्मेण वाससा”- इति| तर्जन्यङ्गुष्ठाग्रमात्रग्राह्यं चूर्णं मुच्चुटीमात्रम्| गयी तु प्रतिमर्शानन्तरमवपीडप्रधमने प्राह||४६||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary defines the topic as pradhamana and quotes Videha on a two-ended tube, repeated blowing of a small quantity of powder, or alternatively smelling powder tied in fine cloth. It explains the traditional quantity as what can be held between the tips of the index finger and thumb. Gayi places avapida and pradhamana after pratimarsha. These apparatus and quantity details are historical descriptions only.
Key terms
pradhamana
Blowing powdered material into the nose.
ceto-vikara
A disorder of mind or mental function in the source.
muccuti-matra
A small traditional pinch measure explained by the commentary.
The passage lists people for whom nasya is to be avoided: one who has just eaten, is undernourished, has a very recent severe pratishyaya, is pregnant, has taken unctuous material, water, alcohol, or other liquid, has indigestion, has received basti, is angry, affected by poison, thirsty, overcome by grief, fatigued, a child, an older person, suppressing a natural urge, or intending to bathe the head. It also says nasya and dhuma should be avoided in unsuitable or cloudy weather.
The commentary introduces this as a statement of ineligibility for nasya. On the weather clause, it adds that the conjunction extends the avoidance to cloudy conditions even during the appropriate season. It does not further reconcile or qualify the listed exclusions.
Key terms
nasya-anarha
A person considered unsuitable for nasya in the historical text.
Complications are said to arise when nasya is too little or too much, excessively cold or hot, given abruptly, administered with the head lowered too far, or given while the person sniffs, moves, or eats, as well as when it is used despite a stated prohibition. Thirst, belching, and other complications are classified as arising either from disturbance of the dosas or from depletion.
The commentary presents the causes together with the complications. It clarifies that dosa-nimitta means arising from agitation of the dosas and contrasts these with complications attributed to depletion of the dosas. It adds no specific modern interpretation of thirst, belching, or the other unnamed outcomes.
The verse states that complications of nasya and shirovirecana are of two kinds and should be understood, respectively, as arising from aggravation of the dosas and from depletion.
The commentary makes the correspondence explicit: complications of unctuous nasya are attributed to dosotklesa, while those of evacuative treatment of the head are attributed to depletion. This is the source's historical explanatory classification and does not establish modern causes.
Key terms
nasya
Nasal administration, here referring to the unctuous form in the commentary.
shirovireka
Evacuative treatment directed at the head.
dosotklesa
Aggravation or agitation of the dosas.
ksaya
Depletion, assigned to the second class of complications.
Conditions caused by excitation of the doṣas should be overcome with measures that pacify or eliminate them. When the condition is caused by depletion, the appropriate nourishing measure is considered beneficial.
The commentary explains that pacification is intended when the excited doṣa is slight, while cleansing is intended when it is abundant. The verse contrasts these with bṛṃhaṇa, nourishment, for depletion. These are historical therapeutic categories rather than directions for treatment.
Key terms
doṣotkleśa
Excitation or increased activity of a doṣa, treated here as a cause.
śamana
Pacification, assigned by the commentary to a slight doṣic increase.
śodhana
Cleansing, assigned by the commentary to an abundant doṣic increase.
bṛṃhaṇa
Nourishing or building treatment in the setting of depletion.
Pratimarśa nasya is described for fourteen occasions: on rising from bed, after cleaning the teeth, when leaving the house, after fatigue from exercise, sexual activity, or travel, after urination and defecation, after kavala and collyrium, after eating, after vomiting, after rising from daytime sleep, and in the evening. The text assigns a different benefit to each occasion, including removal of accumulated impurity or fatigue, freshness of mind or senses, oral fragrance, lightness, appetite, concentration, and comfortable sleep and waking. Its measured amount is the quantity of oil that, with a slight sniff, reaches the mouth.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
प्रतिमर्शप्रमाणमाह- ईषदित्यादि| वृद्धवाग्भटे चान्यथा प्रतिमर्शप्रमाणम्| तथा च- “प्रमाणं प्रतिमर्शस्य बिन्दुद्वितयमिष्यते| बिन्दुर्वा येन चोत्क्लेशो नानुत्क्लिष्टस्य जायते||निहितो यत्र वा स्नेहो न साक्षादुपलभ्यते”- इति| शिरोविरेचनस्नेहवत् प्रतिमर्शस्नेहोऽपि नाभ्यवहरणीयः| तथाहि विदेहः- “उच्छिङ्घेन्न पिबेत् स्नेहं निष्ठीवेन्मुखमागतम्”- इति| नस्यादिषु नरावस्थिककालस्तन्त्रान्तरादनुसर्तव्यः; तथा च कृष्णात्रेयः- “सप्तवर्षमुपादाय नस्यकर्म चतुर्विधम्| प्रतिमर्शोऽथ वमनं जन्मप्रभृति शस्यते| धूमोऽथ द्वादशे वर्षे कवलः पञ्चमे मतः| दोषव्याधिबलावस्थां वीक्ष्य चैतान् प्रयोजयेत्”- इति||५१-५३||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary notes a different measure in Vṛddha Vāgbhaṭa: two drops, or one drop, described as a quantity that neither provokes disturbance nor is directly perceived after placement. As with oil used for head cleansing, it says the oil is not to be swallowed; Videha instead instructs one to sniff it and spit out what reaches the mouth. It further says age and timing should follow other authorities. Kṛṣṇātreya permits four kinds of nasya from seven years, pratimarśa and emesis from birth, smoke from twelve years, and kavala from five years, while also requiring consideration of doṣa, disease strength, and the person's condition. These conflicting historical age and dose statements must remain distinct and are not current guidance.
Key terms
pratimarśa
A small-dose form of nasal oil administration described in the passage.
bindu
A drop, used in the alternative measurement quoted by the commentary.
nasya
Nasal administration in the historical therapeutic system.
kavala
Movement of a manageable quantity of material within the mouth.
Adhikarana ३३ (५४-५५) · Śloka ५५
नस्येन रोगाः शाम्यन्ति नराणामूर्ध्वजत्रुजाः |
इन्द्रियाणां च वैमल्यं कुर्यादास्यं सुगन्धि च ||५४||
हनुदन्तशिरोग्रीवात्रिकबाहूरसां बलम् |
वलीपलितखालित्यव्यङ्गानां चाप्यसम्भवम् ||५५||
Meaning of the śloka
The verses claim that nasya alleviates diseases arising above the clavicles, clarifies the senses, and makes the mouth fragrant. They also attribute strength of the jaw, teeth, head, neck, upper back, arms, and chest to it, and claim that wrinkles, greying, baldness, and facial discoloration do not arise.
The commentary introduces these verses as a general account of the claimed benefits of nasya. It adds no separate mechanism or qualification. The statements belong to the source's historical framework and do not establish modern preventive or therapeutic effects.
Key terms
nasya
Nasal administration to which the claimed benefits are attributed.
ūrdhvajatruja
Arising in the region above the clavicles.
indriyāṇāṃ vaimalya
Clarity or purity of the sensory faculties in the source's terms.
khālitya
Baldness, listed among the conditions claimed to be prevented.
The text assigns oil when kapha is accompanied by vāta, animal fat when vāta occurs alone, ghee when pitta is present, and marrow when pitta is accompanied by vāta. It thus describes a fourfold use of fatty substances and states that oil is selected among them because it is considered compatible with the seat of śleṣman.
The commentary says the fatty substances are being divided according to their opposition to particular doṣas. It does not add preparation or administration details. The allocations are historical and not a present-day formula or dosing guide.
Key terms
taila
Oil, assigned to kapha accompanied by vāta.
vasā
Animal fat, assigned to vāta alone.
sarpiḥ
Ghee, assigned where pitta is present.
majjā
Marrow, assigned to the stated combined doṣic condition.
Kavala is classified into four kinds: lubricating, soothing, cleansing, and healing. The lubricating kind for vāta uses unctuous and warm qualities; the soothing kind for pitta uses sweet and cool qualities; the cleansing kind for kapha uses pungent, sour, salty, dry, and warm qualities; and the healing kind for a wound uses astringent, bitter, sweet, pungent, and warm qualities.
After nasya, the commentary introduces kavala as a means discussed for disorders of the head and mouth. It relates the first three kinds to the three doṣas and interprets the healing type prescribed for a wound as addressing blood, thereby identifying a fourth category. This is the commentator's historical classification, not a formulation guide.
Key terms
kavala
A mouth-holding procedure in which the quantity can be moved in the mouth.
The passage describes a heated, salted mouth-held preparation made by mixing a paste of trikaṭuka, vacā, mustard, and harītakī with one selected liquid among oil, vinegar, fermented liquor, urine, an alkaline liquid, or honey. Before holding it, the neck, cheeks, and forehead are described as warmed and massaged.
Because the mouth is regarded here as a site of kapha, the commentary presents this combination as an example of a kapha-reducing cleansing kavala. It gives no further qualification. The passage records a historical preparation and procedure and should not be converted into operational instructions.
Key terms
trikaṭuka
A pungent three-drug group included in the historical paste.
vacā
A botanical ingredient named in the preparation.
sarṣapa
Mustard, included among the pungent ingredients.
kṣāra
An alkaline substance listed as one possible liquid medium.
kavala
The historical mouth-holding procedure illustrated here.
Adhikarana ३७ (६२) · Śloka ६२
सुखं सञ्चार्यते या तु मात्रा स (सा) कवलः स्मृतः |
असञ्चार्या तु या मात्रा गण्डूषः स प्रकीर्तितः ||६२||
Meaning of the śloka
A quantity that can be moved comfortably within the mouth is called kavala. A quantity too large to be moved is called gaṇḍūṣa.
The commentary introduces the verse as the distinction specific to kavala and gaṇḍūṣa. The distinction rests on whether the held quantity can be moved, without adding a numeric measure.
Key terms
kavala
A manageable quantity that can be moved comfortably in the mouth.
gaṇḍūṣa
A mouth-filling quantity described as not movable in the mouth.
mātrā
The quantity used to distinguish the two procedures.
With the body held upright and attention undistracted, the substance is said to be retained until the cheeks become filled with doṣa and fluid reaches the nasal passages and eyes. It is then expelled and a fresh quantity taken.
The commentary identifies the doṣa in this description as kapha and explains nāsāsrotas as the nostril or nasal opening. It presents the passage as defining how long the material is held. These endpoints are historical procedural signs, not safe modern instructions.
Key terms
doṣaparipūrṇakapolatva
The stated sign of the cheeks becoming filled with doṣa, interpreted here as kapha.
nāsāsrotas
The nasal passage or nostril, as glossed by the commentary.
nayanapariplāva
Overflow or watering involving the eyes.
Adhikarana ३९ (६४) · Śloka ६४
एवं स्नेहपयःक्षौद्ररसमूत्राम्लसम्भृताः |
कषायोष्णोदकाभ्यां च कवला दोषतो हिताः ||६४||
Meaning of the śloka
According to the doṣa involved, the text considers kavala preparations made with fatty substances, milk, honey, juice, urine, sour liquids, decoctions, or warm water to be beneficial.
Extending the method described for cleansing kavala to other media, the commentary explains sambhṛta as properly prepared. It interprets 'according to the doṣa' as choosing something opposed to the doṣa and disease; the disease is included through figurative reference to its cause. No safe recipe or present-day indication follows from this historical rationale.
Key terms
kavala
The mouth-held preparations discussed in the verse.
sambhṛta
Properly prepared, according to the commentary.
doṣataḥ
Selected in relation to the doṣa and, by implication, the disease.
Signs of proper kavala are described as reduction of disease, satisfaction, clarity, lightness of the mouth, and freshness of the senses. Insufficient use is associated with stiffness or dullness, excitation of kapha, and poor perception of taste. Excessive use—especially of the cleansing type—is said to cause inflammation or ulceration of the mouth, dryness, thirst, loss of taste or appetite, and fatigue.
The commentary treats the cleansing type as primary because of its relation to the site under discussion. Reduction of disease and the other signs apply especially to cleansing kavala and more generally to the lubricating and other types. It restricts the listed oral inflammation and related excessive-use effects to the cleansing type; effects of excess in the remaining types are to be inferred from the qualities of their substances. The source has irregular verse numbering around 65–67, so the numbering should be checked.
Key terms
śuddhilakṣaṇa
A sign interpreted as indicating proper cleansing or proper use.
hīnayoga
Insufficient application, associated with dullness and kapha excitation.
atiyoga
Excessive application, associated here with adverse oral effects.
mukhapāka
Inflammation or ulcerative soreness of the mouth in this context.
Adhikarana ४१ (६७-६८) · Śloka ६८
तिला नीलोत्पलं सर्पिः शर्करा क्षीरमेव च ||६७||
सक्षौद्रो दग्धवक्त्रस्य गण्डूषो दाहनाशनः |
कवलस्य विधिर्ह्येष समासेन प्रकीर्तितः ||६८||
Meaning of the śloka
For a burned mouth, the text describes a gaṇḍūṣa using sesame, blue lotus, ghee, sugar, and milk together with honey, claiming that it relieves the burning sensation. It then states that the method of kavala has been explained in summary.
🔊 Audio coming soon
Show commentary
आगन्तुकस्य क्षारादिदाहस्य कवलमुद्दिशन्नाह- तिला नीलोत्पलमित्यादि| एतैर्व्यस्तैः समस्तैश्च क्षारादिदाहे कवलः||६७-६८||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary understands this as kavala for an externally caused burn, such as one attributed to an alkaline substance. It says the listed ingredients may be used separately or together for such a burn. This preserves the historical claim but does not establish safety or efficacy for acute oral burns.
Key terms
dagdhavaktra
A burned mouth.
gaṇḍūṣa
The mouth-filling preparation described here.
kṣāradāha
A burn from an alkaline substance, given by the commentary as an example.
After judging and classifying the medicine carefully, pratisāraṇa is to be performed. It is described in four forms: paste, a thickened extract, honey, and powder, each applied with the fingertip as appropriate for a person with an oral disorder.
The commentary says the medicine is differentiated by taste, potency, qualities, post-digestive effect, doṣa, and the resulting disease before selecting the appropriate form. It defines rasakriyā as having the consistency of phāṇita and infers from fingertip application an amount the size of a jujube stone. A quoted ophthalmic or head-and-neck authority describes different numbers of applications according to disease severity and warns against excessive rubbing. Excess rubbing is linked with drying, burning, moisture, swelling, thirst, loss of appetite, and impaired speech; inadequate rubbing with sliminess, heaviness, poor desire for food, confusion, persistence, or lack of improvement; proper rubbing with clarity, lightness, sneezing, reduced salivation, and appetite. These measurements and repetitions are historical statements, not instructions.
Key terms
pratisāraṇa
Topical rubbing or application within the mouth.
kalka
A paste, one of the four forms.
rasakriyā
A thickened extract described as having a phāṇita-like consistency.
atigharṣaṇa
Excessive rubbing, associated with adverse effects in the quotation.
kolāsthimātra
An inferred quantity comparable to a jujube stone.
Adhikarana ४३ (७०-७१) · Śloka ७१
तस्मिन् योगमयोगं च कवलोक्तं विभावयेत् ||७०||
तानेव शमयेद् व्याधीन् कवलो यानपोहति |
दोषघ्नमनभिष्यन्दि भोजयेच्च तथा नरम् ||७१||
Meaning of the śloka
For pratisāraṇa, proper, insufficient, and excessive use should be assessed as described for kavala. The same disorders that kavala is said to remove are also said to be calmed by it, and the person is to receive food regarded as opposing the doṣa and as non-obstructive.
The commentary states that ayoga here includes both insufficient and excessive use and that the connective particle gathers treatment of proper, insufficient, and excessive use. Food is to oppose the vāta or other doṣa considered responsible for the oral disorder. It then quotes Kṛṣṇātreya's age rules: four types of nasya from seven years, pratimarśa and emesis from birth, smoke from twelve years, and kavala from five years, with attention to doṣa, disease strength, and condition. These historical pediatric claims are preserved without endorsement.
Key terms
yoga
Proper application in this context.
ayoga
Improper application, explained here to include insufficient and excessive use.
doṣaghna
Regarded as opposing the doṣa associated with the oral disorder.
anabhiṣyandi
Described as non-obstructive or not producing excessive moisture or channel blockage.
This concludes the fortieth chapter of the Cikitsāsthāna in the Suśruta Saṃhitā, entitled 'Treatment concerning therapeutic smoke, nasya, and holding substances in the mouth.' It also marks the completion of the fourth division, Cikitsāsthāna, taught by Dhanvantari and composed by his disciple, the sage Suśruta.
The colophon states that this is the fortieth chapter in Dalhaṇa's commentary on Suśruta, called Nibandhasaṅgraha and described as explaining the meanings of the collected textual traditions. The source shows the spelling Dalha(hla)ṇa, which appears to preserve a textual or editorial variation and should be reviewed rather than silently normalized.