nānauṣadhisamavāyāttridōṣaghnaḥ , śuklatvāt saumyaḥ; tasya saumyasyāpi satō dahanapacanadāraṇādiśaktiraviruddhā, āgnēyauṣadhiguṇabhūyiṣṭhatvāt kaṭuka uṣṇastīkṣṇaḥ pācanō vilayanaḥ śōdhanō rōpaṇaḥ śōṣaṇaḥ stambhanō lēkhanaḥ kr̥myāmakaphakuṣṭhaviṣamēdasāmupahantā puṁstvasya cātisēvitaḥ ||5||
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नानौषधिसमवायात्त्रिदोषघ्नः , शुक्लत्वात् सौम्यः; तस्य सौम्यस्यापि सतो दहनपचनदारणादिशक्तिरविरुद्धा, आग्नेयौषधिगुणभूयिष्ठत्वात् कटुक उष्णस्तीक्ष्णः पाचनो विलयनः शोधनो रोपणः शोषणः स्तम्भनो लेखनः कृम्यामकफकुष्ठविषमेदसामुपहन्ता पुंस्त्वस्य चातिसेवितः ||५||
Meaning of the śloka
Because it combines several medicinal substances, kshara is described as countering all three doshas. Its white colour is associated with saumya qualities. This is not considered inconsistent with its power to burn, promote paka and split tissue, since properties of agneya medicines predominate. The text describes it as pungent, hot, sharp, promoting paka, dissolving, cleansing, healing, drying, checking discharge and scraping. It is said to counter krimi, ama, kapha, kushtha, poison and medas, but excessive use also impairs male reproductive capacity.
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kṣāraguṇakarmāha- nānauṣadhisamavāyādityādi| samavāyaḥ saṁyōgaḥ; yatō'yaṁ kṣārō'nēkauṣadhisamavāyāttridōṣaghnaḥ, ataḥ pittārśaḥsvapi yaugikatvamasya| śuklatvāt saumya ityasyāgrē kēcidapiśabdaṁ luptanirdiṣṭaṁ varṇayanti, vyākhyānayanti ca- na kēvalamuṣṇaḥ saumyō'pīti, tēnāsya vakṣyamāṇamuṣṇatvamapi na virudhyatē| dahanapacanadāraṇaśaktiraviruddhā himānīvat| pācana iti dvividhō'pi kṣāraḥ; atra vraṇaśōthasya pratisāraṇīyaḥ pācanaḥ, annājīrṇasya pānīyaḥ| vilayanaḥ śōphasya vātakaphabhūyiṣṭasya| śōdhanō duṣṭavraṇasya, rōpaṇaḥ śuddhavraṇasya, atra yōgaśaktiprabhāvāttilayavakalkavat kṣārasya śōdhanarōpaṇatvaṁ na virudhyatē; śōdhana ēvāyaṁ kṣāraḥ, śuddhastu vraṇaḥ svayamēva rōhatītyanyē; na hi śuddhē vraṇē rōpaṇārthaṁ kṣārō'vacāryatē sirādikṣaṇanabhayāt, tasmāt pāramparyēṇa rōpaṇa iti; kēcidasya rōpaṇatvaṁ na paṭhantyēva| śōṣaṇō vraṇaklēdasya| stambhanaḥ śōṇitātipravr̥ttēḥ| upahantr̥śabdaḥ kr̥myādibhiḥ saha pratyēkaṁ sambadhyatē; kr̥mayō bāhyābhyantarāḥ, tēṣāṁ dvividhaḥ kṣāra upahantā; āmaḥ apakvarasaḥ, mēdasaḥ pānīya ēvōpahantā; puṁstvasya śukrasya||5||
Meaning of the commentary
Samavaya here means combination. The combination of several medicines explains the asserted action on all three doshas and hence suitability even in pittaja arshas. Some understand an unexpressed 'also' before the statement about white colour: kshara is not merely hot but also saumya, so the later attribution of heat is not contradictory. The coexistence of saumya character with burning, paka and splitting is compared with ice or snow. Both forms of kshara are called pachana: the externally applied form promotes paka in wound swelling, while the drinkable form acts on undigested food. Dissolving refers to swelling dominated by vata and kapha. Cleansing concerns an unhealthy wound; healing concerns a clean wound. One explanation allows both actions through the power of the preparation, as with sesame-and-barley paste. Others argue that kshara only cleanses and the clean wound then heals on its own; it is not applied to a clean wound for healing because of the danger of damaging vessels and similar structures. Healing is therefore an indirect effect in that interpretation. Some omit the description 'healing' entirely. Drying concerns wound moisture, and checking discharge concerns excessive bleeding. The expression 'countering' applies separately to each item in the following list. Krimi may be external or internal, corresponding to the two forms of kshara. Ama is incompletely processed rasa; only the drinkable form is said to counter medas. Pumstva is explained here as shukra.
Key terms
- saumyaH (saumyaḥ)
- A lunar or gentle character attributed here on the basis of white colour.
- pAcana (pācana)
- Promoting paka of wound swelling or processing undigested food, according to the form used.
- ropaNaH (ropaṇaḥ)
- Healing, which some commentators regard as indirect and others omit.
- puMstvasya (puṃstvasya)
- Male reproductive capacity, glossed here as shukra.