Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 3
Chapter 282 — नानारोगहराण्यौषधानि
Medicines that Remove Various Diseases
बालैः सेव्या वचा साज्या सदुग्धा वाथ तैलयुक् यष्टिकां शङ्खपुष्पीं वा बालः क्षीरान्वितां पिवेत्
bālaiḥ sevyā vacā sājyā sadugdhā vātha tailayuk yaṣṭikāṃ śaṅkhapuṣpīṃ vā bālaḥ kṣīrānvitāṃ pivet
For children, vacā (sweet flag) should be given—mixed with ghee, together with good milk, or combined with oil. Alternatively, the child may drink yaṣṭikā (licorice) or śaṅkhapuṣpī, taken along with milk.
Lord Agni (in instruction to Sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s encyclopedic dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Pediatric administration of medhya/kanthya herbs (vacā, yaṣṭikā, śaṅkhapuṣpī) with suitable anupāna (milk, ghee, oil) to support child development and resilience.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Bāla-sevya vacā/yaṣṭikā/śaṅkhapuṣpī with milk, ghee, or oil","lookup_keywords":["bāla-cikitsā","vacā","yaṣṭikā","śaṅkhapuṣpī","kṣīra-anupāna"],"quick_summary":"For children, administer vacā with ghee and good milk (or with oil); alternatively give yaṣṭikā or śaṅkhapuṣpī with milk as a child-friendly vehicle."}
Concept: Appropriate anupāna (vehicle) and mild formulations are central to pediatric care.
Application: Choose soft, nourishing carriers (milk/ghee/oil) to make potent herbs tolerable and safe for children.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Kaumāra-bhṛtya / Bāla-cikitsā: pediatric care and remedies)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An Ayurvedic caregiver prepares a small dose of vacā mixed with ghee and warm milk; nearby are licorice and śaṅkhapuṣpī, with a child seated calmly ready to drink milk-based medicine.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, flat earthy palette, an Ayurvedic vaidya-mother figure holding a small bronze bowl of milk-ghee medicine, bundles of vacā rhizome, yaṣṭikā sticks, śaṅkhapuṣpī flowers, child seated on a low wooden stool, interior of a traditional house, serene expressions.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, rich colors and gold work, central mother/vaidya offering a small golden cup of medicated milk to a child, stylized herbs (vacā, licorice, śaṅkhapuṣpī) arranged like auspicious offerings, ornate borders, warm devotional domestic setting.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, delicate linework, instructional tableau: labeled herb bundles, a small mortar, ghee pot, milk vessel, child receiving medicine; calm pastel background, emphasis on clarity of objects.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed domestic dispensary scene: physician preparing medicated milk with ghee, attendants holding herbs, child drinking from a small cup, fine textiles, precise botanical rendering of vacā and śaṅkhapuṣpī."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairavi","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: वाथ = वा + अथ. तैलयुक् = तैल-युक्ता (स्त्री. प्रथमा) इत्यर्थे ‘युक्’ रूपं पदान्ते. क्षीरान्विताम् = क्षीर-अन्विताम्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 282 (Kaumāra-bhṛtya/Bāla-cikitsā context)
FAQs
Ayurvedic pediatric practice (Kaumāra-bhṛtya): administering specific herbs—vacā, yaṣṭikā, and śaṅkhapuṣpī—prepared with ghee, milk, or oil as child-appropriate vehicles (anupāna).
It illustrates the Purana’s practical Ayurveda content by prescribing concrete herbal preparations and delivery media for children, showing that the text compiles applied medical guidance alongside theology, ritual, and other sciences.
By promoting the protection and health of children through dharmically sanctioned remedies, the instruction supports household well-being (gṛhastha-dharma) and the merit of preserving life and strengthening the body for righteous living.