Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 52
Chapter 288 — अश्वचिकित्सा
Aśva-cikitsā) | Horse-Medicine (Śālihotra to Suśruta
दूर्वा पित्तं यवः कासं वुषश् च श्लोष्मसञ्चयम् नाशयत्यर्जुनः श्वासं तथा मानो बलक्षयम्
dūrvā pittaṃ yavaḥ kāsaṃ vuṣaś ca śloṣmasañcayam nāśayatyarjunaḥ śvāsaṃ tathā māno balakṣayam
Dūrvā-Gras lindert Störungen der Pitta (pitta); Gerste lindert Husten; und vuṣa (eine Heilpflanze) beseitigt die Ansammlung von Schleim/Kapha (kapha). Arjuna (der Arjuna-Baum) lindert Asthma und Atemnot; und māna (ein kräftigendes Mittel) wirkt dem Verlust an Stärke entgegen.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Sage Vasiṣṭha, within the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic instruction)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Materia medica (dravya-guṇa) mapping: match specific plants/grains to doṣa and respiratory conditions (cough, phlegm, dyspnea) and debility.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Dravya-guṇa: dūrvā, yava, vuṣa, arjuna, māna—therapeutic indications","lookup_keywords":["dravya-guṇa","dūrvā","yava","arjuna","śvāsa"],"quick_summary":"Dūrvā pacifies pitta; barley helps cough; vuṣa reduces kapha accumulation; arjuna benefits dyspnea/asthma; māna supports strength in debility."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Right knowledge is discriminative: each dravya has a specific karma (action) against particular doṣa/roga patterns.
Application: Choose remedies by matching symptom cluster (kāsa/śvāsa/kapha/pitta/debility) to indicated dravya rather than using one remedy for all.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Agni Purana medicinal remedies / Dravya-guna and therapeutics)
Primary Rasa: Adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: Shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A vaidya displays five remedies—dūrvā grass, barley grains, vuṣa herb, arjuna bark/tree, and a strengthening tonic—while indicating their targets: pitta, cough, phlegm, dyspnea, and weakness.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, a physician seated with herb bundles and a small mortar, labeled by gesture: dūrvā, yava, vuṣa, arjuna bark; a patient with breathlessness and another with cough nearby; flat bold colors and ornate borders.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, central vaidya with gold-highlighted herb trays, arjuna tree behind with gilded leaves, symbolic icons for pitta (flame), kapha (water), cough (chest), gold embellishment on vessels and halo-like aura of healing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional botanical plate feel: neatly arranged specimens (grass, grains, leaves, bark) with the vaidya pointing to each and its indication; fine lines, soft palette, clarity over ornament.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed garden with arjuna tree, physician preparing decoction, attendants holding barley and herb bundles, patients seated, naturalistic plants and textiles, scientific-courtly ambience."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"contemplative","suggested_raga":"Kedar","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: nāśayatyarjunaḥ = nāśayati arjunaḥ; vuṣaś ca = vuṣaḥ ca.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 288 (dravya and roga indications cluster)
FAQs
Ayurvedic therapeutics (dravya-guṇa): it assigns specific remedies—dūrvā for pitta, barley for cough, vuṣa for kapha/phlegm accumulation, arjuna for dyspnea/asthma, and a strengthening remedy (māna) for loss of vitality.
Alongside theology and ritual, the Agni Purana catalogs practical sciences; this verse is a compact medical index mapping common symptoms (kāsa, śvāsa, bala-kṣaya) to materia medica, reflecting its wide-ranging, handbook-like scope.
By preserving health through dharmic, non-harmful remedies, one sustains the body as a support for sādhana, duty, and worship—thus enabling continued practice and meritorious action.