The commentary says that after the chapter on śvāsa, beginning kāsa is fitting because vāta and kapha predominate in both and because their treatment is alike.
From injury by smoke and dust, from exertion and dry food, from food going the wrong way, and from holding back urges and sneezing, prāṇa, spoiled and following udāna, with a sound like a cracked bronze vessel, suddenly leaves the mouth with doṣa: the wise call it kāsa.
The commentary gives the pathogenesis and derivation. Prāṇa vāyu, joined with udāna, rises upward; spoiled, it comes out with a sound like a cracked bronze bell. 'With doṣa' means with fault, the fault being that the vāyu exits with such a sound. Some read 'saghoṣa' (with sound) and explain it as having a sound from the outflow of breath.
That (kāsa) arises from vāta and pitta, from kapha, another from injury (kṣata), and another from depletion (kṣaya): it is said by physicians to be fivefold; when it becomes increased, it produces the disorder of yakṣmā (wasting).
The commentary says kṣata means kṣataja and kṣayaja is from depletion of semen. The word 'five' is stated even though the count is implied, to fix the number: kāsa from vāta and the others is fivefold, and not further multiplied by other causes. 'Yakṣmā-causing' means it causes rājayakṣmā, since a disease can itself become the cause of another. An objection: how can kṣayaja kāsa cause depletion when it arises from depletion? Answer: it makes more depletion than before; or by the way one says 'the umbrella-bearers are going' even when some go without umbrellas. Some read 'five kinds are stated by the ancient physicians particularly by signs'.
Key terms
pañcaprakāra kāsa
The five kinds of cough.
kṣatajakāsa
Cough from injury.
kṣayajakāsa
Cough from depletion.
yakṣmā
A classical wasting disorder.
Adhikarana 5 (7) · Śloka 7
bhaviṣyatastasya tu kaṇṭhakaṇḍūrbhōjyōparōdhō galatālulēpaḥ |
svaśabdavaiṣamyamarōcakō'gnisādaśca liṅgāni bhavantyamūni ||7||
For one in whom it is about to occur, itching in the throat, obstruction to the passage of food, a coated throat and palate, unevenness of his own voice, distaste for food and weak agni are its signs.
The commentary gives the premonitory signs. Bhojyoparodha is obstruction of the morsel in the throat; svaśabdavaiṣamya is slight alteration of natural voice; agnisāda is weak digestive fire. Some do not read the premonitory signs, since indistinct signs are themselves prodromal; the commentary rejects this because it conflicts with a similar tantra.
One with pain in the heart, temples, head, abdomen and sides, with wasted face, depleted strength, voice and ojas, who coughs dry, continuously, by the force of vāta, with kapha inside, and with hoarse voice: (that is vātaja kāsa).
The commentary gives the signs of vātika kāsa. Kṣāmānana is one with lost facial expressions; 'strength' is the ability to perform work and ojas is that resting in the heart. 'Continuously' means without break; 'kapha inside' means internal kapha; 'dry' means without phlegm. Some read 'hṛcchaṅkhamūrdhodarapārśvaśūlam' with the same meaning.
One afflicted with burning in the chest, fever and dry mouth, with a bitter mouth and thirst, who vomits yellow and pungent matter through pitta, coughs, pale and burning.
The commentary gives the signs of pittaja kāsa. 'Bitter mouth' is as if from eating neem; the paleness is pitta-caused, hence yellowish; 'burning' means with burning sensation.
A person with a mouth coated (with phlegm), sinking, troubled with headache, with body full of kapha, distaste for food, heaviness and sinking, coughs thick kapha through kapha.
The commentary gives the signs of kaphaja kāsa. 'Coated' means smeared with kapha; sīdan is falling. Headache, though vāta-born, occurs in kapha cough because vāta is present there too. 'Body full of kapha' means heavy body.
Key terms
kaphaja kāsa (kaphakāsa)
Cough arising from kapha.
sāndrakapha
Thick phlegm.
Adhikarana 9 (11) · Śloka 11
vakṣō'timātraṁ vihataṁ tu yasya vyāyāmabhārādhyayanābhighātaiḥ |
viśliṣṭavakṣāḥ sa naraḥ saraktaṁ ṣṭhīvatyabhīkṣṇaṁ kṣatajaṁ tamāhuḥ ||11||
One whose chest has been greatly damaged by exertion, carrying weights, study or blows, with a loosened chest, who repeatedly spits blood-stained (matter): they call it kṣataja (cough from injury).
The commentary describes uraḥkṣata-kāsa. Vakṣas is the space between the breasts, or the region between jatru, chest and sides per others. The difference from chest injury itself: in chest injury the person spits blood-tinged phlegm from the start; in kṣataja cough he coughs dry first and then spits with blood, as Caraka says: 'vāyu seizing the chest-wound of a dry person causes a cough; he coughs dry first, then spits blood'. In chest injury, body pain and other signs appear first; in kṣataja cough they appear only when incurable.
That kāsa-sufferer gets pain in the body, fever, burning, delusion and loss of vital strength; drying up, weak, with wasted flesh, he spits out blood with pus. With all the signs, very hard to treat: those who know treatment call it kṣayaja.
The commentary gives the signs of kṣayaja kāsa. 'Spits' also applies to blood with pus. 'With all signs' means with the signs of all the doṣas. Kṣayaja means from depletion of semen here, since kṣaya-kāsa and total dhātu-depletion arise from it. Although kṣaya and kṣayaja kāsa seem not to differ, in kṣaya the signs are of single doṣa, while in kṣayaja kāsa they are of all three doṣas, as another tantra says: 'in kṣaya the signs of cough and so on are made by a single doṣa; the same when caused by the cough is with all doṣas, say the wise'.
Key terms
kṣayaja kāsa (kṣayajakāsa)
Cough from depletion, with wasting.
sarvadoṣaliṅga (sasarvaliṅga)
With signs of all doṣas.
Adhikarana 11 (13) · Śloka 13
vr̥ddhatvamāsādya bhavēttu yō vai yāpyaṁ tamāhurbhiṣajastu kāsam ||13||
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वृद्धत्वमासाद्य भवेत्तु यो वै याप्यं तमाहुर्भिषजस्तु कासम् ||१३||
Meaning of the śloka
The kāsa that arises in one who has reached old age, physicians call yāpya (palliable).
Śṛṅgī, vacā, kaṭphala, kattṛṇa, mustā, dhānya, abhayā, bhārgī, devadāru and dry ginger, taken with lukewarm water and hiṅgu, quickly remove even a cough that has long been fixed in the mouth.
The commentary says this gives the general treatment of kāsa. Śṛṅgī is karkaṭaśṛṅgī; abda is mustā; amarāhva is devadāru. 'Fixed in the mouth' means of long standing. The treatment is placed first to show that cough must be treated promptly. This kaṭphalādi formula is without honey and parpaṭaka.
A lick with equal parts of triphalā, vyoṣa, viḍaṅga, śṛṅgī, rāsnā, vacā, padmaka and devadāru, anointed with honey, sugar and ghṛta, destroys quickly even an aggravated cough.
One with kāsa may lick pathyā, sugar, āmalaka, parched rice, māgadhī and dry ginger, powdered, with ghṛta and honey; or kṛṣṇā with rock salt, with warm water.
The commentary says pathyā and the others, powdered, are licked with honey and ghṛta. Some take the list up to parched rice as one yoga and 'or powdered māgadhī with dry ginger' as another. Kṛṣṇā is pippalī; 'drink' is supplied with warm water by agreement with a similar tantra: 'he may drink pippalī with rock salt with warm water, a cough-destroyer'.
Key terms
pathyā
Harītakī.
lājā
Parched rice.
Adhikarana 15 (17-18) · Śloka 18
khādēdguḍaṁ nāgarapippalībhyāṁ drākṣāṁ ca sarpirmadhunā'valihyāt |
drākṣāṁ sitāṁ māgadhikāṁ ca tulyāṁ saśr̥ṅgavēraṁ madhukaṁ tugāṁ ca ||17||
lihyādghr̥takṣaudrayutāṁ samāṁśāṁ sitōpalāṁ vā maricāṁśayuktām |
dhātrīkaṇāviśvasitōpalāśca sañcūrṇya maṇḍēna pibēcca dadhnaḥ ||18||
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खादेद्गुडं नागरपिप्पलीभ्यां द्राक्षां च सर्पिर्मधुनाऽवलिह्यात् |
द्राक्षां सितां मागधिकां च तुल्यां सशृङ्गवेरं मधुकं तुगां च ||१७||
लिह्याद्घृतक्षौद्रयुतां समांशां सितोपलां वा मरिचांशयुक्ताम् |
धात्रीकणाविश्वसितोपलाश्च सञ्चूर्ण्य मण्डेन पिबेच्च दध्नः ||१८||
Meaning of the śloka
He may eat jaggery with dry ginger and pippalī; or grapes licked with ghṛta and honey. Grapes, sugar and māgadhikā in equal parts, or with ginger, madhuka and tugā, licked with ghṛta and honey in equal portions; or sugar candy with a portion of pepper; or powder of āmalaka, kaṇā, dry ginger and sugar candy drunk with curd whey.
The commentary says two-and-more yogas are stated. Jaggery with dry ginger and pippalī is eaten; grapes, sugar and māgadhikā in equal parts are eaten; then 'with ginger, madhuka and tugā' with ghṛta and honey in equal portions is a second yoga; sugar candy with pepper is a third. Tugā is vaṃśalocanā, or an earthy substance like it per others. Dhātrī is āmalaka fruit, kaṇā is pippalī, viśva is dry ginger, sitopalā is sugar; curd whey is mastu.
हरेणुकां मागधिकां च तुल्यां दध्ना पिबेत् कासगदाभिभूतः |
उभे हरिद्रे सुरदारुशुण्ठीं गायत्रिसारं च पिबेत् समांशम् ||१९||
बस्तस्य मूत्रेण सुखाम्बुना वा दन्तीं द्रवन्तीं च सतिल्वकाख्याम् |
भृष्टानि सर्पींष्यथ बादराणि खादेत् पलाशानि ससैन्धवानि ||२०||
Meaning of the śloka
One overcome by cough may drink hareṇukā and māgadhikā in equal parts with curd; or both haridrās, suradāru, dry ginger and gāyatrī heartwood in equal portions, with goat's urine or lukewarm water. Dantī, dravantī and tilvaka may also be given; fried ghṛta and badara leaves with rock salt may be eaten.
The commentary says gāyatrīsāra is khadira heartwood. The first yoga runs from 'both haridrās' to 'goat's urine'; the second is with lukewarm water. Dravantī is a dantī variety with leaves like cīrita; 'with tilvaka' means with paṭṭikā lodhra. The last item is the leaves of badarī fried in ghṛta.
The commentary says kola measure is a karṣa, though hiṅgu is normally beneficial in small amounts; half a karṣa is used, because a larger amount is sometimes beneficial in a particular disease. Sauvīraka is kāñjika; sour juice is citron juice. Some read 'with sauvīraka and citron' and take it as hiṅgu drunk with citron.
क्षौद्रेण लिह्यान्मरिचानि वाऽपि भार्गीवचाहिङ्गुकृता च वर्तिः ||२१||
धूमे प्रशस्ता घृतसम्प्रयुक्ता वेणुत्वगेलालवणैः कृता वा |२२|
Meaning of the śloka
He may lick pepper with honey; and a wick made with bhārgī, vacā and hiṅgu, with ghṛta, is beneficial for smoke; or one made with bamboo bark, elā and salts.
The commentary says a wick, sixteen finger-breadths long, is placed in the eye-hole (of the smoking pipe) and the smoke drawn, given with ghṛta. Veṇutvak is bamboo bark; the salts are rock salt.
Wicks made of mustā, iṅgudī bark, madhuka, māṃsī, manaḥśilā and ālā (haritāla), ground in goat's urine, should be used, and with milk as after-drink; the smoke should be drunk (inhaled) by one with vāta-kapha cough.
The commentary gives further smoke ingredients. Iṅgudī-tvak is iṅgudī bark; āla is haritāla (orpiment); chagalāmbu is goat urine. Milk is the after-drink; the smoke is taken by the method stated before. Although the earlier yogas are not assigned to particular doṣas, the physician should use them according to the rasa and other properties of the drugs.
The commentary says ambu is vālaka; purāhvayā is śallakī, or guggulu per others. 'May be drunk' is supplied. Some read a different set: 'milk or ghṛta with honey cooked with mañjiṣṭhā, dry ginger, water and gostanī'.
He may eat mudga well cooked with nidigdhikā, nāgara and pippalīs, with honey.
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nidigdhikētyādi| susiddhān supakvān mudgān nidigdhikādibhiścūrṇitābhiḥ sārdhaṁ madhunā ca khādēditi| tathā ca,- “kṣudrāmr̥tānāgarapippalībhiḥ khādēcca mudgānatha sādhusiddhān” iti| kēcit ‘nidigdhikāmūlasamāṁśasiddhān’ iti paṭhanti, tatra kaṇṭakārīmūlatulyabhāgēna saha svinnānityarthaḥ| aparē ‘kaṭukōpagāḍhān’ iti paṭhitvā trikaṭupragāḍhāniti vyākhyānayanti||24||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary says well-cooked mudga are eaten with the powders of nidigdhikā and the rest and with honey, as another tantra says. Some read 'cooked with equal parts of nidigdhikā root', explaining that the mudga are steamed with kaṇṭakārī root in equal amount; others read 'rich in pungents' and take it as trikaṭu-rich.
An utkārikā (thick cake) cooked in ghṛta with dry ginger and with truṭi, kola roots and leaves may be eaten; and a thin, well-cooled peyā (gruel) made with these, mixed with honey.
The commentary says utkārikā is lapsikā; 'rich in nāgara' means with much dry ginger; 'may be eaten' is supplied. Some read 'vaṭakolapatraiḥ' for 'truṭikolapatraiḥ'. The gruel is made with the same drugs; tanvī means with few grains and much liquid.
The commentary gives, by extension, the treatment of vātaja kāsa. 'Ṣaḍaṅga' is the six-pala ghṛta, as it is called by a second name; the amount is to be cooked at six palas. The vidārigandhādi ghṛta is cooked with the group's decoction and paste; 'juice' means decoction.
Purgation with sneha is stated here for vātaja kāsa, and also āsthāpana and anuvāsana. He should drink (inhale) sneha-based smoke attentively, and drink plain lukewarm ghṛta. Gruels, meat-juice preparations, milks and licks with ghṛta are beneficial likewise.
The commentary says that in vātaja kāsa, though basti is forbidden in kāsa, āsthāpana is used because it opposes the doṣa. The smoke is by the earlier method; sneha-smoke is made from beeswax, sarja resin, fat and similar. 'Attentively' means carefully; ghṛta should be unprocessed and slightly warm. Gruels are cooked in meat juices; milks are cooked with vāta-relieving drugs; the licks are those stated earlier.
For kaphaja kāsa: emesis, purgation, head-purging, smokes and gargles; hot, pungent licks destroy kapha and cause drying, especially. Kaṭutrika is also called wholesome; ghṛta cooked in kṛmighna juice, or in nirguṇḍī leaf juice, destroys kaphaja cough. A ghṛta cooked with pāṭhā, viḍa, vyoṣa, viḍaṅga, saindhava, trikaṇṭaka, rāsnā, citraka, balā, śṛṅgī, vacā, mustā, devadāru, durālabhā, bhārgī, abhayā and śaṭī, well cooked with double juice of nidigdhikā, destroys all five kinds of cough, even aggravated, with breathlessness, weak agni and voice change.
The commentary explains: pracchardana is emesis; kāyavireka is purgation; śirovireka is a kind of nasya with pippalī and similar. Smokes are those that purge. Hot licks are made of pungent drugs. Vishoṣaṇa is light, dry and scanty food, or various fasting; a quoted line divides fasting into four: cleansing, thirst, wind and heat, digestion measures, fasting, and exercise. Kṛmighna juice is fresh viḍaṅga juice; if unavailable, water kept overnight with viḍaṅga powder; others mean kṛmighna drugs like surasā. Nirguṇḍī leaf juice is that of nīla sindhuvāra (śephālikā). Trikaṇṭaka is gokṣura; hutabhuj is citraka; ambhodhara is mustā. 'It destroys five kinds of cough' is praise, so it is understood to destroy kaphaja cough, given the context, though vāta and pitta kāsa are also treated in this passage.
Key terms
pracchardana
Emesis.
kavalagraha
Gargle.
viśoṣaṇa
Drying measures, light and scanty food.
Adhikarana 27 (32-33) · Śloka 33
vidārigandhōtpalasārivādīn niṣkvāthya vargaṁ madhuraṁ ca kr̥tsnam ||32||
ghr̥taṁ pacēdikṣurasāmbudugdhaiḥ kākōlivargē ca saśarkaraṁ tat |
prātaḥ pibēt pittakr̥tē ca kāsē ratiprasūtē kṣatajē ca kāsē ||33||
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विदारिगन्धोत्पलसारिवादीन् निष्क्वाथ्य वर्गं मधुरं च कृत्स्नम् ||३२||
घृतं पचेदिक्षुरसाम्बुदुग्धैः काकोलिवर्गे च सशर्करं तत् |
प्रातः पिबेत् पित्तकृते च कासे रतिप्रसूते क्षतजे च कासे ||३३||
Meaning of the śloka
Having made decoctions of vidārigandhā, utpala, sārivā and the like, and the entire sweet group, one should cook ghṛta with sugarcane juice, water and milk, and with the kākolī group, with sugar; drunk in the morning in pitta cough, in cough from over-indulgence, and in kṣataja cough.
The commentary gives treatment of pittaja, kṣayaja and kṣataja cough. 'Vidārigandhādi, utpalādi and sārivādi' groups are each decocted; the sweet group is kākolī and the rest; the liquids are equal to the sneha, quoting a rule that where five or more liquids are used in a sneha preparation, they are equal to the sneha or fourfold. The kākolī group is made into a paste; sugar is added. It is drunk in the morning (forenoon).
Powder of kharjūra, bhārgī, māgadhā, priyāla, madhūlikā, elā and āmalaka in equal parts, rich in sugar, honey and ghṛta, when used, destroys three (kinds of) cough.
The commentary says priyāla is cāra; madhūlikā is markaṭaka; equal parts. The three kāsas are the pitta, chest-injury and depletion types. The powder is used as a lick with sugar, honey and ghṛta. The pitta-cough treatment is given together with those of chest injury and depletion to show that their treatment is alike.
Raktā, haridrā, añjana, vahni, pāṭhā, mūrvā and upakulyā in equal parts, licked with honey in kṣataja and kṣayaja cough; and ghṛta cooked in sugarcane juice may be drunk.
The commentary says raktā is mañjiṣṭhā; añjana is sauvīrāñjana, by agreement with a similar tantra; vahni is ajamodā; mūrvā is corasnāyu; upakulyā is pippalī. The equal-part powder is licked with honey in chest-injury and depletion cough, and by 'ca' in pittaja cough too; or ghṛta cooked in sugarcane juice is drunk.
The commentary gives another remedy for those cough types: āmalaka powder cooked with ghṛta in milk is drunk by one on wholesome diet. Some read 'hitāya' for 'hitāśī', explaining it as for pacifying the cough.
Powders of wheat and barley, and the kākolī group made very fine, should be drunk in the three coughs with milk, or with honey and ghṛta, by those with cough.
The commentary says wheat and other powders and the kākolī group are drunk with milk mixed with honey and ghṛta by those with pitta, chest-injury and depletion cough. Some assign the three powders in order to the three coughs with three different liquids.
The commentary says jaggery-water is prepared by the cold-infusion method, then lightly boiled and cooled, and drunk with honey. The alternative 'or' refers to the previous yoga. 'With pepper as relish' means eating pepper with it.
Kalyāṇaka guḍa: three prasthas of clean āmalaka juice, with half a tulā of jaggery; powders of granthika, cavya, jīraka, vyoṣa, ibhakṛṣṇā, ahapuṣā (ajamodā), viḍaṅga, saindhava, triphalā, yavānī, pāṭhā, agni and dhānya, in picu measure; eight palas of trivṛt powder and eight of oil; cooked properly, and this is eaten in akṣa-fruit measure, at will in conduct, with the three fragrant drugs. By this all grahaṇī disorders with breathlessness, cough, voice change and swellings subside; it increases the manhood of one whose fire and potency are weakened, and destroys the barrenness of women. This guḍa is known as kalyāṇaka.
The commentary gives the kalyāṇaka guḍa. 'Clean' means clear; a half tulā is fifty palas. Granthika is pippalīmūla; vyoṣa is trikaṭu; ibhakṛṣṇā is gajapippalī; sindhu is saindhava; agni is citraka. Picu measure is a karṣa (others say a pala, rejected by agreement with similar tantras). The eight palas of trivṛt powder are lightly fried in a little oil so as to increase its purgative quality, as remembered in the elders' tradition. 'Properly' means with a mild, medium or strong cooking as suits the patient's bowel. 'Kalyāṇaka' means the auspicious one.
Key terms
kalyāṇaka guḍa
A named jaggery-based medicinal confection.
picu
A unit of measure (a karṣa).
trivṛt
Operculina, a purgative root.
Adhikarana 34 (42-46) · Śloka 46
dvipañcamūlēbhakaṇātmaguptābhārgīśaṭīpuṣkaramūlaviśvān |
pāṭhāmr̥tāgranthikaśaṅkhapuṣpīrāsnāgnyapāmārgabalāyavāsān ||42||
dvipālikān nyasya yavāḍhakaṁ ca harītakīnāṁ ca śataṁ gurūṇām |
drōṇē jalasyāḍhakasaṁyutē ca kvāthē kr̥tē pūtacaturthabhāgē ||43||
pacēttulāṁ śuddhaguḍasya dattvā pr̥thak ca tailāt kuḍavaṁ ghr̥tācca |
cūrṇaṁ ca tāvanmagadhōdbhavāyā dēyaṁ ca tasminmadhu siddhaśītē ||44||
rasāyanāt karṣamatō vilihyāddvē cābhayē nityamathāśu hanyāt |
tadrājayakṣmagrahaṇīpradōṣaśōphāgnimāndyasvarabhēdakāsān ||45||
pāṇḍvāmayaśvāsaśirōvikārān hr̥drōgahikkāviṣamajvarāṁśca |
mēdhābalōtsāhamatipradaṁ ca cakāra caitadbhagavānagastyaḥ ||46||
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द्विपञ्चमूलेभकणात्मगुप्ताभार्गीशटीपुष्करमूलविश्वान् |
पाठामृताग्रन्थिकशङ्खपुष्पीरास्नाग्न्यपामार्गबलायवासान् ||४२||
द्विपालिकान् न्यस्य यवाढकं च हरीतकीनां च शतं गुरूणाम् |
द्रोणे जलस्याढकसंयुते च क्वाथे कृते पूतचतुर्थभागे ||४३||
पचेत्तुलां शुद्धगुडस्य दत्त्वा पृथक् च तैलात् कुडवं घृताच्च |
चूर्णं च तावन्मगधोद्भवाया देयं च तस्मिन्मधु सिद्धशीते ||४४||
रसायनात् कर्षमतो विलिह्याद्द्वे चाभये नित्यमथाशु हन्यात् |
तद्राजयक्ष्मग्रहणीप्रदोषशोफाग्निमान्द्यस्वरभेदकासान् ||४५||
पाण्ड्वामयश्वासशिरोविकारान् हृद्रोगहिक्काविषमज्वरांश्च |
मेधाबलोत्साहमतिप्रदं च चकार चैतद्भगवानगस्त्यः ||४६||
Meaning of the śloka
Agastya's rasāyana: the two pañcamūlas (daśamūla), ibhakaṇā, ātmaguptā, bhārgī, śaṭī, puṣkaramūla, viśva, pāṭhā, amṛtā, granthika, śaṅkhapuṣpī, rāsnā, agni, apāmārga, balā and yavāsa, two palas each; a yavāḍhaka and a hundred large harītakīs; in a droṇa of water with an āḍhaka; when the decoction is reduced to a quarter and strained, a tulā of clean jaggery, an oil kuḍava and a ghṛta kuḍava separately, and pippalī powder are added, and honey to the cooled, cooked mixture. A karṣa of this rasāyana is licked daily, with two harītakīs; it quickly destroys rājayakṣmā, grahaṇī disorder, swelling, weak agni, voice change, cough, pāṇḍu, breathlessness, head disorders, heart disease, hiccup and irregular fevers, and gives intelligence, strength and vigour. Lord Agastya made this.
The commentary explains the Agastya avaleha. The two pañcamūlas are daśamūla; ibhakaṇā is gajapippalī; ātmaguptā is kapikacchū; granthika is pippalīmūla; agni is citraka; yavāsa is dhanvayavāsaka. 'Yavāḍhaka' is sixty-four palas; 'large' harītakīs are very big ones; the water is 512 palas. The drugs, two palas each, with the barley and the hundred harītakīs, are boiled with the water until a quarter remains. Then, in the strained decoction, jaggery, the cleaned steamed harītakīs, eight palas each of ghṛta and oil are added and cooked until it forms a thread and does not disperse in water; four palas of pippalī powder and eight palas of honey are added and stored. A half pala of paste is licked from it with two harītakīs. This rasāyana was made by Agastya.
Key terms
agastya rasāyana (agastyāvaleha)
A named rejuvenative confection ascribed to Agastya.
daśamūla (dvipañcamūla)
The ten-root group.
rājayakṣmā
A classical wasting disorder.
Adhikarana 35 (47-48) · Śloka 48
kulīraśuktīcaṭakaiṇalāvānniṣkvāthya vargaṁ madhuraṁ ca kr̥tsnam |
pacēdghr̥taṁ tattu niṣēvyamāṇaṁ hanyāt kṣatōtthaṁ kṣayajaṁ ca kāsam ||47||
śatāvarīnāgabalāvipakvaṁ ghr̥taṁ vidhēyaṁ ca hitāya kāsinām ||48||
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कुलीरशुक्तीचटकैणलावान्निष्क्वाथ्य वर्गं मधुरं च कृत्स्नम् |
पचेद्घृतं तत्तु निषेव्यमाणं हन्यात् क्षतोत्थं क्षयजं च कासम् ||४७||
शतावरीनागबलाविपक्वं घृतं विधेयं च हिताय कासिनाम् ||४८||
Meaning of the śloka
Having decocted kulīra (crab), śukti (oyster), caṭaka (sparrow), eṇa (deer) and lāva (quail), and the entire sweet group, one should cook ghṛta; used, it destroys kṣataja and kṣayaja cough. Ghṛta cooked with śatāvarī and nāgabalā is also to be applied for the benefit of those with cough.
The commentary explains: kulīra is crab; śukti is water-oyster; caṭaka is house sparrow; eṇa is black deer; the sweet group is kākolī and the like. By 'ca', pitta cough is also included. Some read 'niṣkvāthya vargair madhurais tathā 'nyam' and take the birds and kākolī group as decocted with other sweet drugs pasted. Some prefer ghṛta cooked with a paste of śatāvarī and nāgabalā; the commentators reject this by agreement with a similar tantra.
इति सुश्रुतसंहितायामुत्तरतन्त्रान्तर्गते कायचिकित्सातन्त्रे कासप्रतिषेधो नाम (चतुर्दशोऽध्यायः, आदितः) द्विपञ्चाशत्तमोऽध्यायः ||५२||
Meaning of the śloka
Thus ends the fifty-second chapter (the fourteenth from the beginning of this section), named Kāsapratiṣedha, in the Kāyacikitsā-tantra within the Uttaratantra of the Suśruta Saṃhitā.
Thus ends the fifty-second chapter, named Kāsapratiṣedha, in the Kāyacikitsā of the Uttaratantra, in the Suśruta commentary called Nibandhasaṅgraha composed by Śrī Ḍalhaṇa.