Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 7
Chapter 279 — सिद्धौषधानि (Siddhauṣadhāni, “Perfected Medicines”) — Colophon/Closure
भुक्तं पक्वाशयादन्नं द्विधा याति च सुश्रुत अंशेनैकेन किट्टद्वं रसताञ्चापरेण च
bhuktaṃ pakvāśayādannaṃ dvidhā yāti ca suśruta aṃśenaikena kiṭṭadvaṃ rasatāñcāpareṇa ca
يا سوشروتا، إنّ الطعام المأكول إذا بلغ «باكفاشايا» (مستودع الهضم/منطقة الأمعاء الغليظة) انقسم قسمين: فقسمٌ يصير فضلاتٍ (كيṭṭa)، وقسمٌ آخر يصير جوهرَ التغذية (رَسَ).
Lord Agni (instructing in an Ayurvedic register; addressing/evoking Suśruta as authority)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Digestive physiology for understanding nutrition vs. waste formation; supports diagnosis of malabsorption, constipation/diarrhea patterns, and planning of diet and cleansing therapies.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Definition","entry_title":"Ahara-vibhaga: Kiṭṭa (waste) and Rasa (nutritive essence) after digestion","lookup_keywords":["pakvāśaya","kiṭṭa","rasa","ahara-pāka","mala-utpatti"],"quick_summary":"After digestion, ingested food is conceptually divided into a waste fraction (kiṭṭa) and a nutritive fraction (rasa). This model underlies later explanations of mala formation and dhātu nourishment."}
Concept: Functional division of outcomes from a single cause (food) into nutritive and excretory results.
Application: Use cause–effect mapping in clinical reasoning: trace weakness to deficient rasa, and toxicity/obstruction to excessive kiṭṭa.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Agni Purana medical-physiology section)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A schematic depiction of digestion: food entering the pakvāśaya and splitting into two streams—one labeled kiṭṭa (waste) and the other rasa (nutritive essence).","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette, stylized human torso in profile with highlighted digestive tract, two flowing bands emerging from pakvāśaya labeled in Devanagari ‘कीट्ट’ and ‘रस’, didactic medical diagram aesthetic","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting with gold work, central seated vaidya teaching a disciple, behind them a symbolic anatomical scroll showing pakvāśaya and two golden streams (kiṭṭa and rasa), rich reds and greens, ornate borders","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework instructional chart, physician pointing with a stylus to a neat anatomical illustration of pakvāśaya dividing into waste and nutritive essence, soft colors and clean labels","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, courtly physician-scholar in a study, open manuscript with a miniature anatomical diagram of digestion splitting into kiṭṭa and rasa, delicate detailing, subdued palette, calligraphic labels"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Ahir Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: pakvāśayād annam = pakvāśayāt + annam; aṃśenaikena = aṃśena + ekena; rasatāñcāpareṇa = rasatām + ca + apareṇa.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Ayurveda khanda: mala-vicāra (following verse 279.8); Agni Purana Ayurveda khanda: dhātu-krama (279.9–279.10)
FAQs
This verse imparts Ayurvedic physiological knowledge: digested food separates into two outcomes—nutritive essence (rasa) that supports the body and waste (kiṭṭa) that is expelled—framing digestion as a systematic transformation.
By presenting a concise, technical model of digestion using classical Ayurvedic terms (pakvāśaya, rasa, kiṭṭa), the Agni Purana demonstrates its encyclopedic scope—preserving medical theory alongside ritual, dharma, and other sciences.
While primarily medical, the teaching supports a dhārmic life by encouraging bodily purity and disciplined nourishment—health and proper digestion are treated as foundational aids for ritual performance, austerity, and sustained spiritual practice.