Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 4
Vishahṛn Mantrauṣadham (Poison-Removing Mantra and Medicinal Remedy) — Colophon and Transition
सकृष्णाखण्डदुग्धाज्यं पातव्यन्तेन माक्षिकं व्योषं पिच्छं विडालास्थि नकुलाङ्गरुहैः समैः
sakṛṣṇākhaṇḍadugdhājyaṃ pātavyantena mākṣikaṃ vyoṣaṃ picchaṃ viḍālāsthi nakulāṅgaruhaiḥ samaiḥ
Honey should be taken together with a mixture of black sugar, milk, and ghee; and, in equal measure, add vyōṣa (the three pungents—dry ginger, black pepper, and long pepper), feather-down, cat-bone, and the body-hairs of a nakula (mongoose), each in the same proportion.
Lord Agni (in discourse to Vasiṣṭha, as per the usual Agni Purana narration frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Compound antidotal formulation specifying multiple ingredients and equal proportions: honey taken with a base of black sugar, milk, and ghee; plus equal parts of Trikaṭu, feather/down, cat-bone, and mongoose hair—intended for toxic states (contextual continuation of visha-cikitsa).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Formula","entry_title":"Vishahara Saṃyoga with Madhu, Trikaṭu, and Animal-Derived Adjuncts","lookup_keywords":["madhu","trikaṭu/vyōṣa","khaṇḍa","nakula-aṅga-ruha","viṣa yoga"],"quick_summary":"A mixed preparation is described: honey with black sugar, milk, and ghee, combined with equal measures of Trikaṭu and specified animal-derived materials (feather, cat bone, mongoose hair), indicating a traditional vishahara compound with precise proportioning."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Dravya-guṇa and saṃyoga: therapeutic intent achieved through carriers (milk/ghee/honey) plus heating spices and culturally transmitted adjuncts; emphasis on māna (equal measures).
Application: Codify recipes with proportion rules (samaiḥ) so practitioners can reproduce the compound consistently.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Chikitsa / Yogas for remedies)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A physician measures equal portions of Trikaṭu and unusual adjuncts (feather, cat bone, mongoose hair) and mixes them into a sweet base of jaggery, milk, and ghee, then administers honey with the preparation.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, apothecary scene with stone mortar, heaps of dry ginger/pepper/long pepper, brass pot of ghee and milk, small bundles representing feather and hair, physician measuring equal parts with a balance, subdued ritual-clinic mood.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, richly ornamented vessels for milk, ghee, honey with gold work, ingredients arranged symmetrically, physician seated, emphasis on sacred medicinal craft, decorative border.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, clean instructional tableau: equal-measure piles labeled vyōṣa, pichcha, viḍāla-asthi, nakula-ruha; mixing into khaṇḍa-dugdha-ājya base; fine linework and clarity.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed workshop of a hakim/vaidya, precise weighing scales, bowls of honey and ghee, spices rendered botanically, assistants preparing components, elegant interior architecture."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Asavari","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: सकृष्णाखण्डदुग्धाज्यं = स + कृष्णा + खण्ड + दुग्ध + आज्यम् (concatenation/compound). पातव्यन्तेन read as पातव्यम् + अन्तेन (m + a → mya orthography in transmission). विडालास्थि = विडाल + अस्थि. नकुलाङ्गरुहैः = नकुल + अङ्ग + रुहैः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana: viṣa-cikitsā yogas in the same gonasādi-cikitsā run (297–298 range); Agni Purana: earlier Trikaṭu mentions in vishahara formulations (e.g., 296.8)
FAQs
Ayurvedic pharmaceutics: it gives a compound recipe specifying a vehicle (milk–ghee–black sugar with honey) and equal-proportion additives (vyoṣa/Trikaṭu plus animal-derived substances) to be taken orally.
It demonstrates the Purana’s medical compendium style—preserving practical dosage principles (equal parts), named classical drug-groups (vyoṣa/Trikaṭu), and formulation vehicles—alongside its many non-medical disciplines.
Within the Purana’s worldview, preserving health through sanctioned Ayurvedic preparations supports dharma by maintaining bodily fitness for rites, vows, and disciplined living, treating medicine as an auxiliary to righteous conduct.