ನಾನೌಷಧಿಸಮವಾಯಾತ್ತ್ರಿದೋಷಘ್ನಃ , ಶುಕ್ಲತ್ವಾತ್ ಸೌಮ್ಯಃ; ತಸ್ಯ ಸೌಮ್ಯಸ್ಯಾಪಿ ಸತೋ ದಹನಪಚನದಾರಣಾದಿಶಕ್ತಿರವಿರುದ್ಧಾ, ಆಗ್ನೇಯೌಷಧಿಗುಣಭೂಯಿಷ್ಠತ್ವಾತ್ ಕಟುಕ ಉಷ್ಣಸ್ತೀಕ್ಷ್ಣಃ ಪಾಚನೋ ವಿಲಯನಃ ಶೋಧನೋ ರೋಪಣಃ ಶೋಷಣಃ ಸ್ತಮ್ಭನೋ ಲೇಖನಃ ಕೃಮ್ಯಾಮಕಫಕುಷ್ಠವಿಷಮೇದಸಾಮುಪಹನ್ತಾ ಪುಂಸ್ತ್ವಸ್ಯ ಚಾತಿಸೇವಿತಃ ||೫||
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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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ಕ್ಷಾರಗುಣಕರ್ಮಾಹ- ನಾನೌಷಧಿಸಮವಾಯಾದಿತ್ಯಾದಿ| ಸಮವಾಯಃ ಸಂಯೋಗಃ; ಯತೋಽಯಂ ಕ್ಷಾರೋಽನೇಕೌಷಧಿಸಮವಾಯಾತ್ತ್ರಿದೋಷಘ್ನಃ, ಅತಃ ಪಿತ್ತಾರ್ಶಃಸ್ವಪಿ ಯೌಗಿಕತ್ವಮಸ್ಯ| ಶುಕ್ಲತ್ವಾತ್ ಸೌಮ್ಯ ಇತ್ಯಸ್ಯಾಗ್ರೇ ಕೇಚಿದಪಿಶಬ್ದಂ ಲುಪ್ತನಿರ್ದಿಷ್ಟಂ ವರ್ಣಯನ್ತಿ, ವ್ಯಾಖ್ಯಾನಯನ್ತಿ ಚ- ನ ಕೇವಲಮುಷ್ಣಃ ಸೌಮ್ಯೋಽಪೀತಿ, ತೇನಾಸ್ಯ ವಕ್ಷ್ಯಮಾಣಮುಷ್ಣತ್ವಮಪಿ ನ ವಿರುಧ್ಯತೇ| ದಹನಪಚನದಾರಣಶಕ್ತಿರವಿರುದ್ಧಾ ಹಿಮಾನೀವತ್| ಪಾಚನ ಇತಿ ದ್ವಿವಿಧೋಽಪಿ ಕ್ಷಾರಃ; ಅತ್ರ ವ್ರಣಶೋಥಸ್ಯ ಪ್ರತಿಸಾರಣೀಯಃ ಪಾಚನಃ, ಅನ್ನಾಜೀರ್ಣಸ್ಯ ಪಾನೀಯಃ| ವಿಲಯನಃ ಶೋಫಸ್ಯ ವಾತಕಫಭೂಯಿಷ್ಟಸ್ಯ| ಶೋಧನೋ ದುಷ್ಟವ್ರಣಸ್ಯ, ರೋಪಣಃ ಶುದ್ಧವ್ರಣಸ್ಯ, ಅತ್ರ ಯೋಗಶಕ್ತಿಪ್ರಭಾವಾತ್ತಿಲಯವಕಲ್ಕವತ್ ಕ್ಷಾರಸ್ಯ ಶೋಧನರೋಪಣತ್ವಂ ನ ವಿರುಧ್ಯತೇ; ಶೋಧನ ಏವಾಯಂ ಕ್ಷಾರಃ, ಶುದ್ಧಸ್ತು ವ್ರಣಃ ಸ್ವಯಮೇವ ರೋಹತೀತ್ಯನ್ಯೇ; ನ ಹಿ ಶುದ್ಧೇ ವ್ರಣೇ ರೋಪಣಾರ್ಥಂ ಕ್ಷಾರೋಽವಚಾರ್ಯತೇ ಸಿರಾದಿಕ್ಷಣನಭಯಾತ್, ತಸ್ಮಾತ್ ಪಾರಮ್ಪರ್ಯೇಣ ರೋಪಣ ಇತಿ; ಕೇಚಿದಸ್ಯ ರೋಪಣತ್ವಂ ನ ಪಠನ್ತ್ಯೇವ| ಶೋಷಣೋ ವ್ರಣಕ್ಲೇದಸ್ಯ| ಸ್ತಮ್ಭನಃ ಶೋಣಿತಾತಿಪ್ರವೃತ್ತೇಃ| ಉಪಹನ್ತೃಶಬ್ದಃ ಕೃಮ್ಯಾದಿಭಿಃ ಸಹ ಪ್ರತ್ಯೇಕಂ ಸಮ್ಬಧ್ಯತೇ; ಕೃಮಯೋ ಬಾಹ್ಯಾಭ್ಯನ್ತರಾಃ, ತೇಷಾಂ ದ್ವಿವಿಧಃ ಕ್ಷಾರ ಉಪಹನ್ತಾ; ಆಮಃ ಅಪಕ್ವರಸಃ, ಮೇದಸಃ ಪಾನೀಯ ಏವೋಪಹನ್ತಾ; ಪುಂಸ್ತ್ವಸ್ಯ ಶುಕ್ರಸ್ಯ||೫||
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.