The Compendium of Caraka 1.27

English (machine translation) 1.27

Language: English

1.27.1

Now we shall expound the chapter on rules of food and drink.

The skilled declare food and drink that possesses desirable colour, smell, taste, and touch, and is prepared according to rule, to be the life of living beings designated as creatures, because its result is directly perceptible. For the maintenance of the internal fire has this as its fuel; it invigorates the mind; it brings about the proper arrangement of body tissues, strength, complexion, and clarity of the sense organs when consumed in the manner stated; [and] the opposite leads to harm.

1.27.4

Therefore, O Agniveśa, for the sake of understanding the wholesome and the unwholesome, we shall instruct in the rules of food and drink in their entirety.

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In that regard, by its very nature, water moistens, salt liquefies, alkali digests, honey unites, ghee unctuates, milk invigorates, meat nourishes, meat juice gladdens, surā wine weakens, śīdhu wine depletes, grape-ferment kindles [the digestive fire], molasses-syrup accumulates, yoghurt produces swelling, the vegetable of oil-cake causes depression, black gram soup produces abundant internal waste, alkali destroys vision and semen, sour is generally pitta-increasing except for pomegranate and āmalakī, sweet is generally kapha-increasing except for honey and aged śāli rice, ṣaṣṭika rice, barley, and wheat, bitter is generally vāta-increasing and non-aphrodisiac except for vāyasi, amṛtā, and paṭola leaves, and pungent is generally vāta-increasing and non-aphrodisiac except for pippalī and ginger.

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Hereafter, we shall explain dietary substances in summary by groups:

1.27.6

The groups consisting of awned grains, pod grains, meats, vegetables, fruits, / fresh greens, wines, waters, milks, and sugarcane products,

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and two further groups of prepared foods and dietary adjuncts / we shall describe by their tastes, potencies, post-digestive effects, and specific potencies.

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Now, the group of awned grains:— red śāli, mahāśāli, kalama, śakunāhṛta, / tūrṇaka, dīrghaśūka, gaura, pāṇḍuka, lāṅgula,

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sugandhaka, lohavāla, sārivākhya, pramodaka, / pataṅga, tapanīya, and whatever other auspicious śāli rices there are.

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They are cold, sweet in taste and in post-digestive effect, slightly vāta-increasing, / binding and reducing stool, unctuous, nourishing, and promoting semen and urine.

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Among them, red śāli is the best, allaying thirst and removing the three impurities; / mahāśāli is next to it, kalama is next to that, and after that the others.

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Yavaka, hāyana, pāṃsuvāpya, naiṣadhaka, and others: / [these] rices imitate the śāli rices in good and bad qualities.

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Ṣaṣṭika rice is cold, unctuous, light, sweet, subduing the three doṣas, and stabilizing; / the white is superior, and next to it is the black-and-white.

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Varaka, uddālaka, cīna, śārada, ujjvala, dardura, / gandhana, and kuruvinda differ little from ṣaṣṭika in qualities.

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Vrīhi rice is sweet, sour in post-digestive effect, pitta-increasing, and heavy; / it generates abundant urine, feces, and heat; but the pāṭala variety indeed aggravates the three doṣas.

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Śyāmāka, along with koradūṣa, is astringent-sweet, light, / vāta-increasing, kapha-pitta-destroying, cold, astringent, and desiccant.

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Hastiśyāmāka, nīvāra, toyaparṇī, gavedhukā, / praśāntikā, ambhaḥśyāmāka, lauhitya, aṇu, priyaṅgu,

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mukunda, jhinti, garmūtī, varuka, and varaka, / śibira, utkaṭa, and jūrṇāhva are similar to śyāmāka in qualities.

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Barley is drying, cold, light, sweet, producing much wind and feces, / stabilizing, slightly astringent, strengthening, and relieving disorders of phlegm.

1.27.20

Bamboo seeds are considered drying, having an astringent after-taste, sweet, destroying kapha and pitta, / destroying fat, worms, and poison, and strengthening.

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Wheat promotes union, destroys vāta, is sweet, cooling, / vitalizing, nourishing, aphrodisiac, unctuous, stabilizing, and heavy.

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Nāndīmukhī and madhūlī are sweet, unctuous, and cold. / Thus ends this first group, that of awned grains.

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Now, the group of pod grains:— Mudga is astringent-sweet, drying, cold, pungent in post-digestive effect, light, / clear, and destroying phlegm and pitta; it is considered the best among pulses.

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Black gram is exceedingly aphrodisiac, vāta-destroying, unctuous, hot, sweet, heavy, / strengthening, producing much waste, and it quickly imparts virility.

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Cowpea is laxative, appetizing, and subdues kapha, semen, and acid gastritis; / it is sweet, vāta-increasing, drying, astringent, non-slimy, and heavy.

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Horse gram is hot, astringent, sour in post-digestive effect, removing kapha, semen, and wind, / astringent, and beneficial for cough, hiccup, dyspnoea, and piles.

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Makuṣṭhaka is sweet, sweet in post-digestive effect, bowel-binding, drying, and cooling; / it is praised in conditions such as bleeding disorders and fever.

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Chickpeas, lentils, grass peas, along with peas / are light, cold, sweet, slightly astringent, and very drying.

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They are recommended in [conditions of] pitta and kapha, as soups and as topical pastes; / of these, the lentil is bowel-binding, and the pea is exceedingly provocative of wind.

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Sesame is unctuous, hot, sweet, bitter, astringent, and pungent; / it is good for the skin, beneficial to the hair, strength-giving, pacifies wind, and increases kapha and pitta.

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The various kinds of pod grains are sweet, cooling, heavy, / strength-depleting, drying by nature, and should be eaten with unctuous substances by strong persons.

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The flat bean is dry, astringent, and provokes wind in the alimentary tract; / it is neither aphrodisiac nor good for the eyes, and undergoes digestion only after causing obstinate distension.

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Pigeon pea pacifies kapha and pitta and promotes wind; avalguja along with eḍagaja / pacifies kapha and wind; and flat beans aggravate wind and pitta.

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One should declare the fruit of kākāṇḍā and cowhage to be like black gram. / This second class, the group of pod grains, has been declared by the great sage.

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Now the group of meats: The cow, donkey, mule, camel, horse, leopard, lion, bear, monkey, / wolf, tiger, hyena, brown mongoose, cat, and mouse;

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The fox, jackal, falcon, vulture that eats vomit, blue jay, crow, / hawk, bee-eater, bhāsa, vulture, owl, and kuliṅgaka;

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The dhūmikā and osprey—these are the snatching beasts and birds. / The white, dusky, speckled-backed, black, and kākulī deer;

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The hedgehog, musk shrew, frog, monitor lizard, pangolin, rhinoceros, / kadalī deer, mongoose, and porcupine—these are known as burrow-dwellers.

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The sṛmara, yak, one-horned rhinoceros, buffalo, gayal, elephant, / nyaṅku, boar, and likewise the ruru deer—all are marsh-dwelling beasts.

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The tortoise, crab, fish, freshwater dolphin, timiṅgila, / pearl oyster, conch, otter, crocodile, culukī, and alligator and others—

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These are declared water-dwellers. Now the water-frequenting ones will be described: / The swan, krauñca crane, white heron, baka heron, kāraṇḍava duck, plava cormorant,

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The śarāri, osprey, crested duck, pheasant-tailed jacana, / lotus-necked heron, diver bird, kādamba duck, kākatuṇḍaka,

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The eagle, lotus-eyed goose, thunder-calling duck, water hen, / spoonbill, openbill stork, and sandpiper—these move in flocks;

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The rohiṇī, kämakālī, sārasa crane, red-headed duck, / and ruddy shelduck—these and others are water-frequenting birds.

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The spotted deer, śarabha, rāma, śvadaṃṣṭra, mṛgamātṛkā, / hare, wild sheep, kuraṅga antelope, gokarṇa, koṭṭakāraka,

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The cāruṣka, black buck, antelope, sambar, kālapucchaka, / white-footed antelope, and wild hog are to be known as dry-land animals.

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The quail, bustard-quail, quail species, along with the francolin, / the chukar, upacakra, pheasant-crow, red-wattled lapwing—

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These are the scatter-feeding birds beginning with the quail. Now those beginning with the partridge will be described: / The vartaka partridge, vartikā quail, peacock, black partridge, junglefowl,

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The kaṅka, śārapada, indrābha, gonarda, mountain partridge, / krakara, avakara, and vāraḍa—these are scatter-feeding birds.

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The woodpecker, fork-tailed shrike, lapwing, pheasants-eye, / kairāta, cuckoo, water cock, gopāputra, priyātmaja,

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The laṭṭā, laṭṭūṣaka, babhru, vaṭahā, ḍiṇḍimānaka, / jaṭī, kettle-drummer bird, pākkāra, red-backed kuliṅgaka,

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The wild pigeon, parrot, hornbill, spotted crake, weaver bird, / common myna, sparrow, house sparrow, scarlet minivet,

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The blue rock pigeon, and green pigeon—these are declared peck-feeding birds. / They are called snatchers because they snatch and eat.

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They are called burrow-dwellers because they live in holes, marsh-dwelling because they reside in marshes, / water-dwelling because they live in water, and water-frequenting because they move on water.

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Dry-land animals are said to be land-born because they roam dry land; / they are scatter-feeders because they scatter [food], and peck-feeders because they peck.

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This is celebrated as the eightfold source of meat: / the snatchers, burrow-dwellers, marsh-dwellers, water-dwellers, water-frequenters,

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Are heavy, hot, unctuous, and sweet; they increase strength and bodily plumpness; / they are aphrodisiac, supreme in pacifying wind, and greatly increase kapha and pitta.

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They are beneficial for those who exercise constantly and for men whose digestive fires are blazing; / the physician should especially administer the meat of snatchers to those who eat meat,

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For those afflicted with chronic piles, defective absorption, and phthisis. / The scatter-feeding group beginning with quail, the peck-feeders, and the dry-land animals

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Are light, cold, sweet, slightly astringent, and wholesome for men / in toxic fevers where pitta is predominant, wind is moderate, and kapha follows.

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The scatter-feeders beginning with partridges differ only slightly in properties from the snatchers. / Goat meat is not excessively cold, heavy, or unctuous, and does not aggravate the doṣas;

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Due to its similarity to the tissues of the body, it is non-obstructive and nourishing. / Mutton, because of being sweet and cold, is heavy and nourishing.

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Since the habitat of goats and sheep is undetermined due to their varied pastures, / among the meats described generally, each with its own qualities,

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A particular distinction will be taught for some on account of the distinction of their properties: / For vision, hearing, intellect, digestive fire, youthfulness, complexion, voice, and lifespan,

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Peacock is most beneficial, strength-giving, pacifies wind, and increases flesh and semen. / Swans are heavy, hot, unctuous, and sweet, giving voice, complexion, and strength,

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Nourishing, increasing semen, and are said to destroy wind. / Unctuous, hot, aphrodisiac, nourishing, awakening the voice,

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Strength-giving, supreme in pacifying wind, and promoting perspiration are domestic fowl. / Heavy, hot, and sweet, but not excessively so because of roaming both arid and marshy regions,

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The black partridge quickly overcomes the three doṣas when wind is aggravated. / In disorders of pitta and kapha accompanied by blood,

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And where wind is mild, grey partridges are praised for their coldness, sweetness, and lightness. / Quails are astringent-sweet, light, and stimulate the digestive fire;

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They soothe toxic states and are pungent in post-digestive effect. / Monitor lizard is sweet in post-digestive effect, and astringent and pungent in taste;

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It pacifies wind and pitta, is nourishing, and increases strength. / The pangolin is sweet and sour, and considered pungent in post-digestive effect;

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It pacifies wind, pitta, and kapha, and cures cough and dyspnoea. / Astringent, non-slimy, cooling, and destroying bleeding disorders,

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And sweet in post-digestive effect are domestic pigeons; / somewhat lighter than these are wild pigeons.

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They are cooling, bowel-binding, and produce little urine. / Parrot meat is astringent and sour, and dry and cooling in post-digestive effect;

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It is beneficial for phthisis, cough, and wasting, is bowel-binding, light, and digestive fire-kindling. / Sparrows are sweet, unctuous, and increase strength and semen;

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They soothe toxic states and pacify wind. / Astringent, non-slimy, drying, cooling, pungent in post-digestive effect, light,

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And tasty is the hare, and praised in toxic states where wind is least prominent. / Sweet, sweet in post-digestive effect, pacifying all three doṣas, auspicious,

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Light, stool- and urine-binding, and cooling is the black buck declared to be; / unctuous, nourishing, aphrodisiac, dispelling fatigue, and removing wind.

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Pork is strength-giving, appetizing, diaphoric, and heavy. / Beef is beneficial in isolated wind disorders, chronic rhinitis, irregular fever,

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dry cough, fatigue, excessive digestive fire, and wasting of flesh. / Buffalo meat is unctuous, hot, sweet, aphrodisiac, heavy, and saturating;

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it also produces firmness, bulk, enthusiasm, and sleep. / Heavy, hot, sweet, strength-giving, nourishing, and wind-dispelling,

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fish are unctuous, aphrodisiac, and declared to provoke many doṣas. / Because of feeding on moss and tender sprouts and avoiding sleep,

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the rohita fish is digestive-stimulant, light to digest, and extremely strengthening. / Enhancing complexion, removing wind, aphrodisiac, beneficial for the eyes, increasing strength,

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producing intellect and memory, wholesome, and dispelling consumption—thus the tortoise is declared. / Meat of the rhinoceros is considered abhiṣyanda [causing excessive outflow], strength-giving, and sweet;

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it is unctuous, nourishing, complexion-enhancing, dispelling fatigue, and removing wind. / The eggs of the dhārtarāṣṭra goose, the cakora, the pheasant, the peacock,

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and of sparrows are wholesome / in cases of depleted semen, coughs, heart diseases, and chest wounds.

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They are sweet, non-burning, and instantly strength-giving. / For nourishing the body, no other food excels meat.

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Thus is declared this third group, that of meats. / Now the group of greens:—Pāṭhā, śuṣā, śaṭī greens, vāstuka, and suniṣaṇṇaka

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one should know to be bowel-binding and pacifying all three doṣas; vāstuka, however, breaks up the feces. / Pacifying all three doṣas, aphrodisiac, and rejuvenating is kākamācī;

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it is neither excessively hot nor cold in potency, purgative, and destroys skin diseases. / The greens of rājakṣavaka pacify all three doṣas and are light,

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astringent, and praised especially for those afflicted with chronic bowel disorders and hemorrhoids. / Kālaśāka is pungent, digestive-stimulant, and overcomes slow poisons and swelling;

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light, hot, wind-provoking, and dry is kālāya greens declared to be. / Digestive-stimulant, hot in potency, and bowel-binding in kapha and wind,

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sour cāṅgerī is praised, and it is beneficial in chronic bowel disorders and hemorrhoids. / Sweet, sweet in post-digestive effect, laxative, increasing phlegm,

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aphrodisiac, unctuous, cooling, and dispelling intoxication is upodikā. / Dry, dispelling intoxication and poison, and praised for those suffering from bleeding disorders,

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sweet, sweet in post-digestive effect, and cool is taṇḍulīyaka. / Maṇḍūkaparṇī, cane-sprouts, kucelā, vanatiktaka,

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karkoṭaka, avalguja, paṭola, śakulādanī, / flowers of vṛṣa, śārṅgeṣṭā, kembūka, with kaṭhillaka,

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nāḍī, kalāya, gojihvā, vārtāka, tilaparṇikā, / kaulaka, kārkaśa, the greens of neem, and what is pārpaṭaka—

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these remove kapha and pitta, are bitter, cooling, and undergo pungent post-digestive effect. / All greens of pulse plants, phañjī, cillī, kutumbaka,

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and all tubers along with leaves, kuṭiñjara, / flowers of sunn-hemp and śālmali, karbudāra, suvarcalā,

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niṣpāva, kovidāra, pattura, cuccuparṇikā, / kumārajīva, loṭṭāka, pālaṅkyā, and also māriṣa,

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kalamba, nālikā, sūrya, kusumbha, vṛkadhūmaka, / lakṣmaṇā, prapunnāḍa, nalinīkā, kuṭheraka,

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loṇikā, barley greens, kuṣmāṇḍaka, avalguja, / yātuka, śālakalyāṇī, triparṇī, and pīluparṇikā—

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these greens are heavy and dry, and digest mostly by causing obstruction; / they are sweet, cold in potency, and laxative to the stool.

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Steamed, with their juice pressed out, and rich in unctuous substances, they are praised. / The flower of sunn-hemp, kovidāra, karbudāra, and śālmali

1.27.105

is bowel-binding and especially praised in bleeding disorders. / Tender sprouts of banyan, udumbara, aśvattha, plakṣa, lotus, and the like,

1.27.106

are astringent, binding, cooling, and beneficial for those with diarrhea from pitta. / Vatsādanī destroys wind; gaṇḍīra and citraka destroy kapha;

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śreyasī and bilvaparṇī [destroy kapha]; bilva leaf dispels wind. / Bhaṇḍī, greens of śatāvarī, balā, and jīvantikā,

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as well as parvaṇī and parvapuṣpī, are considered to remove wind and pitta. / Light, stool-purging, and bitter are [the greens] of lāṅgalakī and urubūka;

1.27.109

and the greens of tilavetasa and the greens of pañcāṅgula / are wind-provoking, pungent, bitter, sour, and promote downward evacuation.

1.27.110

Dry, sour, and hot is safflower [greens], destroying kapha and increasing pitta. / Cucumber and melon are sweet, heavy, obstructing, and cooling;

1.27.111

pleasing to the mouth, dry, and diuretic is cucumber especially; / and fully ripe melon dispels burning, thirst, fatigue, and distress.

1.27.112

Bottle gourds purge the stool and are dry, cooling, and heavy. / Cirbhaṭa and melon are similar, and both are beneficial for breaking up the feces.

1.27.113

Ripe white pumpkin with alkaline quality is sweet, sour, light, / promotes the discharge of urine and feces, and destroys all doṣas.

1.27.114

Kelūṭa, kadamba, nadīmāṣaka, and ainduka / are non-slimy, heavy, cool, and considered mildly abhiṣyanda [causing excessive outflow].

1.27.115

Water lilies are astringent and relieve bleeding disorders; / likewise the young shoot of the palmyra palm relieves pain from chest wounds.

1.27.116

Dates and palmyra kernel dispel bleeding disorders and wasting. / Tarūṭa, lotus stem, lotus root-stock, krauñcādana, kaśeruka,

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śṛṅgāṭaka, and aṅkaloḍya are heavy, obstructing, and cooling. / Stalks of the white water lily and blue water lily, along with flowers and fruit, are declared

1.27.118

cooling, sweet, astringent, and provoking kapha and wind. / Astringent, slightly obstructing, and removing bleeding disorders is considered

1.27.119

the lotus seed; it is sweet in taste and post-digestive effect. / Strengthening, cooling, heavy, unctuous, saturating, and nourishing,

1.27.120

removing wind and pitta, sweet, and highly aphrodisiac is muñcātaka. / Enlivening, nourishing, aphrodisiac, beneficial for the throat, praised in rejuvenating therapy,

1.27.121

the tuber of vidārī is strengthening, diuretic, sweet, and cooling. / The tuber of the tamarind is considered beneficial in chronic bowel disorders and hemorrhoids, light,

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not excessively hot, dispelling kapha and wind, bowel-binding, and praised in alcoholism. / Mustard greens provoke all three doṣas and bind stool and urine; / likewise is red stalk, especially dry and sour. / Piṇḍāluka should be known to be similar, and pleasant to the mouth because of its tuberous nature. / Excluding poisonous toadstools, many other kinds of mushrooms

Linked texts (1)

Carakasaṃhitā — Agniveśa (Āyurveda) & Caraka, Sanskrit