Ashtangasamgraha 17.29

17.29

Due to a mixture of tastes and other factors, however, there is variation. / As honey, though sweet, alleviates śleṣman because of its pungent post-digestive effect. / Because it is astringent and dry, and because of its cold potency, it produces vāta. / So too barley. / Marsh and aquatic meat, though cold [to the touch], produces pitta because of its hot potency. / Likewise, sesame oil, because of its pungent post-digestive effect—binds stool and urine purely by post-digestive effect. / Sour fermented wash (kāñjika) overcomes kapha because it is dry and hot; but wood apple [overcomes kapha] because of dryness, and pitta because of its cold potency. / Āmalaka [overcomes] pitta because of cold potency and sweet post-digestive effect, and kapha because of dryness and lightness; but it does not [overcome] vāta because of coldness, dryness, and lightness. / Rock salt overcomes pitta because of its sweet post-digestive effect, and overcomes kapha because of lightness. / Dry ginger, though pungent, destroys vāta through unctuousness, heat, and sweet post-digestive effect, as does pippalī. / Garlic too, through unctuousness, heat, and heaviness. / And onion [does the same]. / But that [onion] produces śleṣman through unctuousness and heaviness. / And mature radish [acts likewise] through its sweet post-digestive effect. / Unctuous and bitter substances—vyāghrī, viśalyā, arka, and agaru—produce pitta because of hot potency. / The great group of five roots (mahat pañcamūla), being astringent and bitter, overcomes vāta, but not pitta, because of hot potency. / And horse gram is astringent, and [acts thus] through sour post-digestive effect—this has been stated merely as an illustration. / At the end of seven days, bloodletting from a vein, purgation, and enema therapy [should be performed].