Cakradatta (Cikitsasangraha) 6: Adhikāra 6

Protection should be provided for balanced [fire]; suppression of vāta in irregular [fire]; / counteraction of pitta in sharp [fire]; and purification of kapha in sluggish [fire]. 1

Trikatu, ajamodā, rock salt, and the two cumin seeds
in equal parts by weight, and an eighth part of asafetida:
this powder, eaten with clarified butter in the first morsel of food,
kindles the abdominal digestive fire and destroys diseases of vāta. // 2

Powder of barley-ash and dry ginger in equal parts,
licked with clarified butter at daybreak,
creates hunger; or dry ginger alone,
drunk with warm water, does so immediately. // 3

One should drink warm scum of boiled rice mixed with asafetida and black salt;
by this, an irregular [digestive fire] becomes balanced, and a dull digestive fire is kindled. // 4

Awakening hunger, cleansing the bladder,
bestowing vital breath, increasing blood,
dispelling fever, conquering kapha and pitta,
and overcoming vāta—eightfold indeed are the qualities of scum of boiled rice. // 5

One should drink the bark of the udumbara combined with breast milk,
or one should drink milk-rice cooked with both of these to pacify an excessively sharp digestive fire. // 6

Whatever medicament is heavy, fattening, and produces kapha—
all that is wholesome for an excessively sharp digestive fire, as is sleeping by day after eating. // 7

Even when food is undigested, one should repeatedly provide food for him,
so that, finding an opportunity when devoid of fuel, it does not destroy him. // 8

One should drink the six pungent drugs with a decoction of dry ginger, harītakī, and guḍūcī,
scented with cinnamon and bay leaves, when kapha causes dullness of the digestive fire. // 9

Pañcakola together with black pepper is proclaimed as the six pungent drugs.
Harītakī, eaten continuously with dry ginger or with jaggery,
or combined with rock salt, appetises the digestive fire. // 10

A person whose digestive fire is lost who drinks a powder of rock salt, harītakī, long pepper, and plumbago
with hot water—
even excellent newly harvested grain eaten along with meat and clarified butter
turns to ashes in an instant. // 11

One should make pills with rock salt, asafetida, triphalā, yamānī,
and trikaṭu, with an equal part of jaggery;
eating them, a man is satisfied
and even one with a dull digestive fire can eat copiously. // 12

Men who consume viḍaṅga, bhallātaka, citraka, and amṛtā
together with dry ginger, an equal amount of jaggery, and clarified butter,
[and] who have a sluggish digestive fire,
become possessed of a digestive fire equal to submarine fire. // 13

One should constantly eat dry ginger with jaggery, or long pepper,
harītakī as the third, or pomegranate,
in conditions of undigested matter, indigestion, anorectal diseases,
and constipation. // 14

Before meals, ginger with rock salt is wholesome, pleasing to the heart, and appetising.
With wood apple, bilva, cāṅgerī, black pepper, cumin, and citraka, // 15

a sweet confection is prepared that removes kapha and vāta, is bowel-binding, appetising, and digestive.
Long pepper, dry ginger, devadāru, citraka, // 16

cavikā, bilva pulp, ajamodā, harītakī,
dry ginger, yamānī, coriander, black pepper, // 17

cumin, and asafetida: the physician should prepare sour fermented gruel [with these].
This sour fermented gruel, named Śārdūlaka, imparts strength to the digestive fire. // 18

Fried in mustard oil, it removes ten diseases:
cough, dyspnoea, diarrhoea, anaemia with jaundice, // 19

undigested matter, pain of abdominal lump, painful vāta abdominal lump,
haemorrhoids, and oedema, when eaten and drunk according to wholesomeness. // 20

The preparation of this sour fermented gruel is also done according to the method of milk decoction.
There should be one part of asafetida, and two parts of vacā; // 21

three parts of long pepper, four parts of dry ginger,
five parts of yamānikā, and six parts of harītakī; // 22

seven parts of citraka, and eight parts of kuṣṭha.
This vāta-destroying powder, as soon as drunk with the clear layer of wine, // 23

or drunk with curd, whey, surā wine, or lukewarm water,
[cures] upward movement of vāta, indigestion, splenomegaly, abdominal disease, // 24

one whose limbs are wasting away, or one who has ingested poison;
it relieves haemorrhoids, is appetising, destroys kapha, removes abdominal lumps, // 25

and swiftly destroys cough and dyspnoea, and likewise destroys wasting.
This powder, named Agnimukha, is never thwarted anywhere. // 26

One half part of purified mercury and equal parts of viḍaṅga, black pepper, and mica-ash
are ground with rice water to make pills the size of a guñjā berry. // 27

One [pill] should be taken with rice water as the vehicle to rekindle the digestive fire;
and in this regimen, a meal of rice with water is prescribed as wholesome. // 28

The two alkalis, citraka, pāṭhā, karañja, the salts,
cardamom, cinnamon leaf, bhārgī, viḍaṅga, asafetida, pauṣkara, // 29

śaṭhī, tree turmeric, trivṛt, mustā, vacā, and indrayava,
āmalakī, cumin, tamarind fruit, śreyasī, black cumin, // 30

amlavetasa, sour tamarind, yamānī, devadāru,
abhayā, ativiṣā, śyāmā, havuṣā, and āragvadha in equal parts; // 31

the alkalis of sesame, muṣkara, drumstick, kokilākṣa, and palāśa,
and iron rust heated and quenched in cow's urine: // 32

one should take all of these in equal parts and make a fine powder.
One should triturate it with the juice of citron for three days, // 33

for three days with vinegar, and with fresh ginger juice.
This powder, generating an intense digestive fire, having the lustre of a kindled flame, // 34

when used according to the proper rules, soon destroys diseases:
indigestion, abdominal lumps, splenomegaly, anorectal growths, // 35

abdominal diseases, inguinal hernia, prostatic enlargement, and gout;
it drives away violent diseases and kindles a lost digestive fire. // 36

Placing rice together with all side dishes in a fine vessel,
one should add a dose of this powder measuring the footprint of a cat; // 37

in the time it takes to milk a cow, all of it becomes liquefied and warm.
Long pepper, long pepper root, coriander, black cumin, // 38

rock salt, black salt, bay leaf, tālīsa, and nāgakeśara—
two pala portions of each of these, and five of sauvarcala salt; // 39

one pala each of black pepper, cumin, and dry ginger;
cinnamon and cardamom in half parts, and two kuḍavas of sea salt; // 40

a kuḍava of pomegranate, and two palas of amlavetasa.
This is reduced to a fine powder, richly fragrant and like ambrosia; // 41

it is the salt named Bhāskara, fashioned by the Sun god
for the benefit of the world, dispelling diseases of vāta and kapha. // 42

It destroys vāta abdominal lump and whatever colic is caused by vāta,
when administered with buttermilk, whey, surā wine, sidhu wine, vinegar, or sour fermented gruel. // 43

With the meat of arid-land animals and with various soups,
when eaten by one with weak digestive fire, his fire swiftly becomes powerful. // 44

Haemorrhoids, malabsorption syndrome, skin diseases, fistula-in-ano,
heart disease, and various disorders of undigested matter situated in the belly, // 45

splenic enlargement, urinary calculi, dyspnoea, cough, abdominal diseases, worms,
and especially diseases such as gravel and diverse others, // 46

as well as various forms of anaemia, it destroys just as a thunderbolt [destroys mountains].
11. Pippalī, pippalī root, citraka, hastipippalī,
hiṅgu, cavyā, ajamodā, the five salts,
the two alkalis, and hapuṣā—one should add these, measured at half a pala each. // 47–48

Curd, fermented sour gruel, and sour fermented liquor, equal to the measure of the unctuous substance,
one prastha of fresh ginger juice, and one prastha of clarified butter should be cooked together. // 49

This, named Agnighṛta, is commended for those with weak digestive fire.
It is an excellent destroyer of haemorrhoids and similarly removes abdominal lumps and abdominal disease. // 50

It also destroys nodular swellings, tumours, scrofula, cough, kapha, adipose tissue, and vāta,
malabsorption syndrome, oedema, along with fistula-in-ano. // 51

And whatever diseases reside in the bladder, and whatever reside in the abdomen,
it destroys them all swiftly, like the risen sun dispels darkness. // 52

12. Clarified butter [prepared] with one-pala amounts of the pañcakola herbs, four times as much whey,
and with alkali, when cooked, eliminates weak digestive fire and kaphaja abdominal lumps. // 53

13. One should boil half a thousand bhallātaka fruits in a droṇa of water;
and when reduced to one eighth, one should take down the decoction. // 54

Taking a prastha of clarified butter, one should add these formulations:
tryūṣaṇa, pippalī root, citraka, hastipippalī, // 55

hiṅgu, cavyā, ajamodā, the five salts,
the two alkalis, and hapuṣā—one should add these, measured at half a pala each. // 56

Curd, fermented sour gruel, and sour fermented liquor, equal to the measure of the unctuous substance,
fresh ginger juice, and likewise drumstick juice. // 57

Combining all of that together, one should cook it slowly over a gentle fire.
This, named Agnighṛta, is commended for those with weak digestive fire. // 58

It is an excellent destroyer of haemorrhoids, promotes the downward movement of entrapped vāta,
and in abdominal lumps arising from kapha and vāta, in elephantiasis, and in ascites, // 59

oedema, anaemia, cough, malabsorption syndrome, and dyspnoea—
it destroys these swiftly, like the risen sun dispels darkness. // 60

14. The two pañcamūlas, the three myrobalans, arka root, śatāvarī,
dantī, citraka, āsphītā, rāsnā, pāṭhā, sudhā, śaṭhī— // 61

having burned separate portions of ten palas each, one should gather the ash;
one should strain that ash twenty-one times with a droṇa of water. // 62

One should cook that fluid over a fire until reduced to a fourth;
then, having added a tulā of jaggery, one should cook it over a gentle fire. // 63

Knowing the jaggery to be properly cooked, one should add these powders:
one should introduce vṛścikālī, the two kākolīs, and barley-alkali. // 64

These are five equal parts of five palas each;
harītakī, the three pungents, sarjikā alkali, citraka, vacā, // 65

and of hiṅgu and amlavetasa, one should add two palas each.
Having made pills the size of an akṣa seed, one should consume them according to one's strength. // 66

This digests undigested food, and once digested, it enkindles [the fire];
whatever food is eaten is digested, and it removes pallor. // 67

Splenic disease, haemorrhoids, and oedema, kaphaja cough, anorexia,
in those with weak digestive fire or irregular digestive fire when kapha is situated in the throat and chest, // 68

and skin diseases, obstinate urinary disorders, and abdominal lumps it swiftly subdues.
This indeed is the renowned Kṣāraguḍa; one should administer it to one afflicted with disease. // 69

15. The citrakaharītakī that is prescribed in diseases of the nose,
[made] without āmalakī juice, is declared in this context as citraguḍa, which imparts digestive fire.
Emesis with vacā and salt water is commended in disorders of undigested matter. // 70

For a man's food that has become acidly digested quickly attains complete digestion
by means of cold water;
for it neutralises the pitta through its coldness,
and owing to its moistening nature, it carries [the food] downwards. // 71

He whose food causes burning immediately upon being eaten,
and whose chest, alimentary tract, and throat burn,
by licking harītakī combined with grapes, white sugar, and honey,
shall indeed attain comfort. // 72

Harītakī prepared with grain-chaff water,
combined with pippalī, rock salt, and hiṅgu,
having completely overcome indigestion accompanied by smoky sour belching,
instantly produces hunger as well. // 73

In viṣṭabdha indigestion sudation is wholesome, and salt water should be drunk;
in indigestion of the remaining chyle, daytime sleep, fasting, and avoidance of vāta [are wholesome]. // 74

Those fatigued from exercise, women, walking, and riding,
those with diarrhoea, those with colic and dyspnoea, those overcome by thirst,
those afflicted by hiccups and vāta,
the emaciated, those with diminished kapha, children, those incapacitated by intoxication,
the aged, those suffering from indigestion of chyle,
and those kept awake at night and those who have fasted,
one should freely allow to sleep during the day. // 75

16. Having anointed the belly with hiṅgu, the three pungents, and rock salt,
the wise physician should have [the patient] take a daytime sleep, which destroys all kinds of indigestion. // 76

The discerning physician should administer water prepared with coriander and dried ginger;
it pacifies indigestion due to āma, is appetising, and cleanses the bladder. // 77

One should drink sauvarcala salt powder combined with harītakī and pippalī,
with whey or hot water, the physician having discerned the direction of the doṣas. // 78

It swiftly subdues the four kinds of indigestion, weak digestive fire, anorexia,
flatulence, vātaja abdominal lumps, and colic. // 79

A person who is unctuous, strong, and has doubts regarding indigestion at mealtime,
may, without apprehension, eat wholesome food while eating wholesome things,
having first consumed harītakī with dry ginger. // 80

One with weak digestive fire accompanied by a little undigested matter, having eaten
harītakī, jaggery, and dry ginger, should eat food with buttermilk combined with the six pungents. // 81

17. In cholera, having recognised that the person has vomited, purged,
or fasted well, and is properly stricken with hunger,
one should treat him with thin gruel and the like, which are appetising and digestive. // 82

A paste of kuṣṭha and rock salt, combined with vinegar and oil,
applied as a lukewarm massage in cholera, removes cramps and colic. // 84

A decoction of karañja, nimba, apāmārga, guḍūcī, and kutaja
drunk from a vessel destroys severe cholera. // 84

The three pungents, fruit of karañja, turmeric,
and collecting root of citron—
these pills dried in the shade
destroy cholera when applied as an eye salve to the eyes. // 85

A collyrium pill made of madhūka flowers, śikharī seeds, girikarṇikā, and turmeric, / accompanied by trikaṭu, dissolves viṣūcikā. || 86

An unction of tvak, patra, rāsnā, aguru, śigru, and kuṣṭha, / ground with sour gruel together with vacā and śatāhvā, destroys viṣūcikā; / and oil prepared with them has the same effect. || 87

In thirst without nausea, clove water is recommended, / or cold nutmeg water, or a decoction of bhadraghana. || 88

When viṣūcikā is excessively aggravated, cautery of both hands is praised. / In alasaka, however, one should first induce emesis with hot salt water; || 89

then sudation, suppositories, fasting, and a regimen for increasing the digestive fire [should follow]. / If the abdomen is painful and distended, one should apply a plaster of dāru, haimavatī, kuṣṭha, śatāhvā, hiṅgu, and rock salt ground with sour gruel. || 90

Warm barley powder taken with buttermilk / along with alkali destroys pain in the abdominal disease; / or sudation by means of cakes filled with many faces, / or hot fomentation, or warmth from the hands. || 91

Even if in acute pain, a patient with indigestion should not drink colic-curing medicine; / [for] the digestive fire covered by doṣas is not able to digest medicine that destroys the flood of doṣas. || 92