Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 17
अध्याय २७८: सिद्धौषधानि
Siddha Medicines / Perfected Remedies
अपूपकुष्ठकुल्माषयवाद्या मेहिनां हिताः यवान्नविकृतिर्मुद्गा कुलत्था जीर्णशालयः
apūpakuṣṭhakulmāṣayavādyā mehināṃ hitāḥ yavānnavikṛtirmudgā kulatthā jīrṇaśālayaḥ
For those afflicted with meha (prameha), beneficial foods include apūpa (cakes), kuṣṭha, kulmāṣa (parched pulses), and preparations based on barley (yava) and the like. Wholesome too are barley-rice preparations, mung beans (mudga), horse-gram (kulattha), and aged śāli rice.
Lord Agni (traditionally narrating Agni Purana’s encyclopedic instructions to a sage such as Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Dharmashastra","practical_application":"Diet selection for prameha/meha (metabolic-urinary disorders) emphasizing barley-based preparations and legumes considered supportive for regulation and light digestion.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Meha/Prameha Pathya: Yava-Vikṛti, Mudga, Kulattha, Jīrṇa-Śāli and Related Foods","lookup_keywords":["prameha","meha","yava","kulattha","mudga"],"quick_summary":"For meha, barley preparations and select pulses (mudga, kulattha) with aged śāli rice are recommended as wholesome dietary supports."}
Dosha: Kapha
Concept: Roga-anurūpa āhāra (disease-congruent diet) is a principal therapeutic instrument.
Application: Use pathya lists as a daily decision tool: choose grains/legumes that reduce kapha and support stable metabolism.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Dietetic guidance for diseases such as Prameha/Meha)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A dietary instruction scene: bowls of barley preparations, mung beans, horse-gram, and aged rice laid out as recommended foods for prameha.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural style, physician pointing to arranged grains and pulses, stylized barley sheaves, calm instructional composition with flat decorative motifs.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style still-life of pathya foods with gold detailing on bowls, central vaidya figure, rich reds and greens, temple-like framing.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting with labeled ingredients and neat arrangement, didactic layout showing yava-vikṛti, mudga, kulattha, jīrṇa-śāli, fine linework.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature of a physician advising a patient, attendants presenting trays of barley dishes and legumes, detailed textiles and realistic food rendering."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Kalyani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: अपूपकुष्ठकुल्माषयवाद्या → अपूपकुष्ठकुल्माषयवाः + आद्याः; यवान्नविकृतिः → यव + अन्न + विकृतिः (षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष); जीर्णशालयः = जीर्णाः शालयः (कर्मधारय).
Related Themes: Agni Purana 278 (Meha pathya/apathya context)
FAQs
Ayurvedic pathya (dietetic therapy) for meha/prameha is taught—identifying specific grains, pulses, and preparations (notably barley-based foods, mudga, kulattha, and aged śāli rice) regarded as wholesome for the condition.
It shows the Agni Purana functioning beyond mythic narrative by preserving practical medical guidance—listing disease-specific dietary items and materia medica in an Ayurveda-style register within a Purāṇic framework.
By prescribing disciplined, sattva-supporting food appropriate to illness, the verse supports bodily purity and steadiness for dharma and worship—implying that right regimen (pathya) aids both health and the capacity to perform righteous duties.