Pramāṇa · Search · About · API

A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c42.s32: 2 The Dravyaguṇasaṃgraha

A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c42.s32

Language
English

2 The Dravyaguṇasaṃgraha

v3.c42.s32.1

The Dravyaguṇasaṃgraha 161 is concerned with the medicinal properties of solid and liquid articles of food. On this subject it represents the earliest special treatise that has been preserved.

v3.c42.s32.2

Contents This work, 162 based on treatises of predecessors, 163 consists of 592 verses, 164 divided into thirteen sections (varga): 165 (1) dhānyavarga; after verses on the tastes, vīrya and vipāka, Cakrapāṇi describes the properties of grain, pulse, sesamum, and related articles of diet; (2) māṃsādivarga, on the flesh of a long series of animals and the eggs of some of these; (3) śākavarga, on vegetables; (4) lavaṇādivarga, on types of salt and related substances, spices and condiments; (5) phalavarga, on fruits; (6) pānīyavarga, on various types of water and the watery juice from the coconut, young kramuka, and tāla; rules for the use of cold or warm water in diverse disorders, rules for the use of boiled water; (7) kṣīravarga, on milk and dairy produce; (8) tailavarga, on oils and some other fatty substances; (9) aikṣavādivarga, on products of the sugarcane and types of honey; (10) madyādivarga, on alcoholic drinks and other fermented liquids, on types of urine; (11) kṛtānnavarga, on prepared foods of a liquid and semi-liquid nature; (12) bhakṣyavarga, on prepared foods of a solid nature; (13) āhāravidhi, rules for serving and taking food, description of the digestive processes; anupānavidhi, rules for the use of anupānas, i.e., drinks to be taken during or after meals; guṇakarmāṇi, the effects of the qualities of foods and drinks on the human organism; svasthavṛtti, rules about the maintenance of health.

v3.c42.s32.3

The chief sources of the Dravyaguṇa are the Carakasaṃhitā and Suśrutasaṃhitā. 166 Cakrapāṇi probably used other works as well and may have composed some stanzas

v3.c42.s32.4

himself. 167

v3.c42.s32.5

Special features 168 Vīrya is said to be of two, vipāka of three types (dhānya 8-10). 169 The pulse, usually called ādhakī, is described under the name of tuvarī (dhānya 30c). 170 Cakrapāṇi uses the term vātasādhāraṇa (māṃsādi 1.4) for a substance that neither excites nor pacifies vāta. 171 Noteworthy is a long series of fishes in the māṃsādivarga, 172 which indicates that Cakrapāṇi was a resident of Bengal, where much fish is consumed. 173 Vegetables are said to be of six types (śāka 1.2), namely leaves, flowers, fruits, stalks, tubers and mushrooms; this classification was later adopted by Bhāvamiśra. Some vegetables, well known in Bengal and described in Cakrapāṇi's Dravyaguṇa are bhūkaṇḍa (śāka 2.9), 174 grīṣmasundaraka (śāka 1.28), 175 hilamocī (śāka 1.12), 176 kaccī (śāka 2.12), 177 kañcaṭa (śāka 1.23), 178 māṇaka (śāka 2.10), 179 nāḍica (śāka 1.29), 180 and the stalks of alābu (śāka 1.48) and kuṣmāṇḍa (śāka 1.43). Remarkable items among the fruits are anupākin (phalavarga 31) 181 and madhukukkuṭī (phalavarga 25). 182 A type of sugar not mentioned in earlier texts is tamāraja (aikṣavādivarga 12). 183

Linked texts (2)