Ashtangasamgraha 40.13

40.13

One should cover the wound with leaves of guḍūcī or with upodakā, / and provide all treatment for it as for a pitta-born spreading ulcer.

Through its dryness [it aggravates] vāta; / through its clarity it spreads with unobstructed impulse; / through its subtlety and pervasiveness it enters into the doṣas, bodily tissues, waste products, and all parts of the body; / through its rapid action it kills quickly; / through its expansive property it bewilders the mind by cleaving the vital spots; / through its lightness it is difficult to eliminate; through its indistinct taste it provokes phlegm and accompanies all tastes of food. / For this very reason it is said that one must diligently protect foods from poison. / Because it does not undergo digestion, it does not age. / Therefore, when consumed, it inevitably kills. / And even when pacified by the power of mantras and medicines, upon encountering an exciting factor it flares up again. / And on this point it is said: