The Compendium of Caraka 8.11

English (machine translation) 8.11

Language: English

8.11.1

Now we shall expound the chapter on “Successful Treatment [of Complications] of Fruit Measures”.

8.11.3

To the venerable son of Atri, rich in generous character, intellect, sacred learning, and comprehension, / sages came disputing regarding the determination of the best fruit [drug] for enemas:

8.11.4

Bhṛgu, Kauśika, Kāpya, Śaunaka, / together with Pulastya, Asita, Gautama, and others, [asking]: / “Which one among fruits and the like is remembered as foremost in applications of decoction enemas?”

8.11.5

Śaunaka said that jīmūtaka was best among fruits, as it removes kapha and pitta; / King Vāmaka said: “Due to its mild potency, it breaks the faeces.”

Gautama regarded kaṭutumbi as superior, and [held] that it stirs up the doṣas in emesis; / but [another] said: “It is non-aphrodisiac because of its lack of coldness, sharpness, pungency, and dryness.”

8.11.7

And he regarded dhāmārgava as supreme for expelling kapha and pitta; / however, Baḍiśa regarded it as vāta-provoking, causing weariness, and depriving of strength.

8.11.8

And he praised kuṭaja as superior, not destroying strength, and removing kapha and pitta; / Kāpya said: “It is excessively slimy, acts upwards, and agitates the wind.”

8.11.9

He said that kṛtavedhana provokes vāta, [though] it forcefully expels kapha and pitta; / Bhadraśaunaka said that this was unsuitable, and also that it was pungent and severely strength-depleting.

8.11.10

Having thus heard their assertions with diverse reasons, the wise / son of Atri praised them, and stated this ultimate decision regarding fruits:

8.11.11

Regarding the defects and qualities of fruits, speech has been spoken correctly by each and all [of you]; / however, nothing is devoid of defect or devoid of quality; hence, the preponderance of qualities is considered.

8.11.12

Here, garāgarī is beneficial for kuṣṭha; ikṣvāku is considered beneficial for one suffering from prameha; / the fruit of kuṭaja is superior in cardiac disorders, and the fruit of koṭha in cases of anemia;

8.11.13

kṛtavedhana is beneficial in abdominal enlargement; madana, however, is unobstructed in all diseases, / being sweet, astringent, and bitter, not unctuous, slightly pungent, hot, and slimy.

8.11.14

It removes kapha and pitta, acts quickly, is free from adverse effects, and normalizes the movement of vāta; / therefore, it especially obtains the name 'fruit' (phala), even though other fruits exist.

8.11.15

When this statement was uttered by the preceptor and honored by the assembly of sages, / then the group of disciples, filled with joy, bowed down and asked:

8.11.16

“The enema has been declared by the preceptor to produce the benefits of all procedures, yet it does not go upward beyond the umbilicus; / the rectum is below the umbilicus; therefore, how does it remove the doṣas from the entire body?”

8.11.17

To that, the preceptor said: “Wind sustains this body. Due to obstruction of passage, / either alone or accompanied by [other] doṣas, stationed in its own receptacle, it undergoes provocation.

8.11.18

The enema, producing purification, normalizes the course of that wind along with pitta, kapha, and feces; / and the host of diseases residing throughout the whole body reaches pacification through its pacification.”

8.11.19

Then, having understood the uninterrupted meaning with his intellect, [the disciple] asked him about procedures curing diseases in elephants, camels, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats; / and he spoke of the enema, and, being prompted again, described its procedure:

8.11.20

“O gentle one, they desire the bladder of a goat or a ram for elephants and camels, and of a buffalo for cattle and horses; / but those who reflect on suitable means state that the bladder of an old ox is for goats and sheep.

8.11.21

The pipe should be one aratni, eighteen fingers, sixteen fingers, / and ten fingers [long] respectively; at the junction of the pipe and the enema bag for elephants, camels, cattle, horses, sheep, and goats, applying a fourth part is stated to be beneficial.

8.11.22

A prastha is indeed the dose of a non-unctuous enema for goats and sheep; for cattle and others, twice or thrice that, according to strength; / likewise, the non-unctuous enema for a camel is two āḍhakas; for an elephant, there is an increase; an unctuous enema is one-eighth [of that].

8.11.23

Kaliṅga, kuṣṭha, madhuka, pippalī, vacā, śatāhvā, madana, rasāñjana, / jaggery with rock salt, and the two pañcamūlas are beneficial in all [these]; but this is the variation:

8.11.24

For an elephant, the additional ingredients are aśvattha, vaṭa, aśvakarṇa, along with khadira, pragraha, śāla, and tāla; / and likewise the two parṇīs, dhava, śigru, pāṭalī, pith of madhūka, together with nikumbha and citraka.

8.11.25

A decoction of palāśa, bhūtīka, surāhva, and rohiṇī is stated to be beneficial as an addition for cattle; / palāśa, dantī, suradāru, kattṛṇa, and dravantī are stated as additions for a horse.

8.11.26

For the donkey and camel, pīlu, karīra, khadira, and leaves of the group consisting of śamyāka, bilva, and others [are added]; / for goats and sheep, triphalā, parūṣaka, kapittha, karkandhu, together with that which arises from bilva and kola.

8.11.27

Then Agniveśa asked about men who are constantly ill, and what is beneficial [for them], and the preceptor said: / ‘Those constantly ill are Vedic scholars, royal servants, courtesans, and tradesmen.

8.11.28

A twice-born man does not attend to the benefit of his body due to Vedic study, vows, daily rites, and the like; / an attendant of a king, due to guarding the king's mind, complying with others, much thinking, and fear;

8.11.29

a prostitute, acting in accordance with men's desires, devoted to service, engaged in cleanliness and ornamentation; / and tradesmen, due to constant sitting and greed in buying and selling with excessive attachment.

8.11.30

For they always suppress manifested natural urges and do not eat at the proper time; / those others who also indulge in evacuation and activities at improper times become constantly ill.

8.11.31

The physician, observing their wind provoked by the suppression of natural urges and producing obstruction and pain in all limbs, / should first administer a well-prepared, unctuous fruit suppository.

8.11.32

Having boiled punarnavā, eraṇḍa, nikumbha, citraka, along with devadāru, trivṛt, nidigdhikā, / and the five large roots in urine combined with whey,

8.11.33

he should then administer an enema mixed with oil, ghee, and the five salts; / after the non-unctuous enema, when [the patient] has eaten with the meat soup of arid animals, he should then give an unctuous enema with nikumbha oil.

8.11.34

One should boil balā, rāsnā, phala, bilva, citraka, the two pañcamūlas, fruit of kṛtamālaka, / barley, and horse gram in an āḍhaka of water; that decoction with pastes of kaliṅgaka and others,

8.11.35

together with sesame oil, ghee, jaggery, and rock salt, is beneficial, promoting strength and complexion in those constantly ill; / likewise, in an unctuous enema, [oil] prepared with madhuka, phala, bilva, or śatāhvā [is beneficial].

8.11.36

Meat soup containing the jīvanīya group is beneficial in an unctuous enema, and without salt in a non-unctuous enema for an infant; / and there is nothing better than a non-unctuous enema for quickly promoting strength of limbs in infants and the elderly.’

Linked texts (1)

Carakasaṃhitā — Agniveśa (Āyurveda) & Caraka, Sanskrit