Adhyaya 174

Verse 1

नाम त्रिसप्तन्युत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः धन्वतरिरुवाच / घृततैलादि वक्ष्यामि शृणु सुश्रुत रोगनुत् / शङ्खपुष्पी वचा सोमा ब्राह्मी ब्रह्मसुवर्चला

“The chapter named the one-hundred-and-seventy-fourth.” Dhanvantari said: “I shall describe preparations of ghee (ghṛta), oil, and the like; listen, O Suśruta, remover of diseases. (The herbs are:) śaṅkhapuṣpī, vacā, somā, brāhmī, and brahma-suvarcalā.”}]}

Verse 2

अभया च गुडूची च अटरूपकवागुजी / एतैरक्षसमैर्भागैर्घृतप्रस्थं विपाचयेत्

With abhayā, guḍūcī, aṭarūpaka, and vāgujī—each in equal measure (one akṣa)—one should cook one prastha of ghṛta (ghee), preparing a medicated ghṛta.

Verse 3

कण्टकार्या रसप्रस्थक्षीरप्रस्थममन्वितम् / एतद्ब्राह्मीघृतं नाम श्रुतिमेधाकरं परम्

With one prastha of kaṇṭakārī juice and one prastha of milk cooked together, this is called Brāhmī-ghṛta; it is supremely beneficial for strengthening śruti (learning) and medhā (intellect).

Verse 4

त्रिफलाचित्रकबलानिर्गुण्डी निम्बवासकाः / पुनर्नवा गुडूची च बृहती च शतावरी

Triphala, citraka, balā, nirguṇḍī, nimba, and vāsaka; also punarnavā, guḍūcī, bṛhatī, and śatāvarī—these are the herbs to be used.

Verse 5

एतैर्घृतं यथालाभं सर्वरोगविमर्दनम् / बलाशतकषाये तु तैलस्यार्धाढकं पचेत् / कल्कैर्मधूकमञ्जिष्ठाचन्दनोत्पलपद्मकैः

With these herbs, prepare ghṛta according to what is available; it becomes a crusher of all diseases. And in a decoction of the ‘balā-śata’ group, one should cook half an āḍhaka of oil, using kalkas (pastes) of madhūka, mañjiṣṭhā, candana, utpala, and padmaka.

Verse 6

सूक्ष्मैलापिप्पलीकुष्ठत्वगेलागुरुकेसरैः / गन्धाश्वजीवनीयैश्च क्षीराढकसमाश्रितम्

Prepared with fine cardamom, pippalī (long pepper), kuṣṭha (costus), tvak (cinnamon bark), cardamom, fragrant aguru, and kesara (saffron)—together with aromatic and vitality-promoting herbs—this is to be combined with one āḍhaka of milk.

Verse 7

एतन्मृद्वग्निना पक्वं स्थापयेद्राजते शुभे / सर्ववातविकारांस्तु सर्वधात्वन्तराश्रयान्

After cooking it over a gentle fire, one should store it in a clean, auspicious vessel of silver; it pacifies all disorders of vāta, even those lodged within the various bodily dhātus (tissues).

Verse 8

तैलमेतत्प्रशमयेद्वल्याक्यं राजवल्लभम् / शतावरीरसप्रस्थं क्षीरप्रस्थं तथैव च

This oil calms the ailment called valyākya and is cherished by kings; it should be prepared with one prastha of śatāvarī juice and likewise one prastha of milk.

Verse 9

शतपुष्पं देवदारु मांसी शैलेयकं बला / चन्दनं तगरं कुष्टं मनः शिला ज्योतिष्मती

Śatapushpa, devadāru, māṃsī, śaileyaka, balā; sandalwood (candana), tagara, kuṣṭha, manaḥśilā (realgar), and jyotiṣmatī—these are the ingredients for the formulation being taught.

Verse 10

एतैः कर्षसमैः कल्कैः घृतप्रस्थं विपाचयेत् / कुव्जवामनपङ्गूनां बधिरव्यङ्गकुष्ठिनाम्

With these pastes (kalkās), each in the measure of one karṣa, one prastha of ghee (ghṛta) should be cooked into a medicated ghee. It is intended for the hunchbacked, dwarfed, lame, deaf, disfigured, and those afflicted with kuṣṭha (skin disease).

Verse 11

वायुना भग्नगात्राणां ये च सीदन्ति मैथुने / जराजर्जरगात्राणां चाध्मानमुख शोषिणाम्

It is also for those whose limbs are weakened, as though ‘broken’, by disorders of vāyu; for those who fail during sexual union; for bodies worn down by old age; and for those afflicted with bloating and dryness of the mouth, with wasting.

Verse 12

त्वग्गताश्चापि ये वाता शिरास्नायुगताश्च ये / सर्वांस्तान्नाशयत्याशु तैलं रोगकुलान्तकम्

Whether the vāta disorders have lodged in the skin, or have entered the vessels and the tendons/ligaments, this oil swiftly destroys them all—an ender of whole families of diseases.

Verse 13

नारायणमिदं तैलं विष्णुनोक्तं रुगर्दनम् / पृथक्तैलं घृतं कुर्यात्समस्तैरौषधैः पृथक्

This is the Nārāyaṇa Oil, taught by Viṣṇu, a crusher of pain. One should prepare oil and ghee separately—each made separately with the full set of medicines.

Verse 14

शतावर्या गुडूच्या वा चित्रकै गोचनान्वितैः / निर्गुण्ड्या वा प्रसारः स्यात्कण्टकार्या रसादिभिः

The preparation may be further processed using śatāvarī or guḍūcī, together with citraka and gocanā; or it may be made with nirgundī; likewise with kaṇṭakārī, using its expressed juices and the like.

Verse 15

वर्षाभूवालया वापि वासकन फलत्रिकैः / ब्राहया चैग्ण्डकेनापि भृङ्गराजेन कुष्टिना

One may also prepare the remedy with varṣābhū, bhūvālayā, vāsaka, and the three fruits (Triphala); likewise with brāhmī, eṇḍaka, bhṛṅgarāja, and kuṣṭha—these are prescribed medicinal combinations.

Verse 16

मुसल्या दशमूलेन खदिरेण वटादिभिः / वटिका मोदको वापि चूर्ण स्यात्सर्वरोगनुत्

With musalā, daśamūla, khadira, and vata and similar plants, one may prepare pills, boluses/electuaries (modaka), or a powder—such a preparation is said to dispel all diseases.

Verse 17

घृतेन मधुना वापि अद्भिः खण्डगुडादिभिः / लवणैः कटुकैर्युक्तं यथालाभं च गेगनुत्

It may be administered with ghee or honey, or with water, together with sugar, jaggery, and the like; combined with salts and pungent substances, and used as available—thus it becomes disease-dispelling.

Verse 18

चित्रकार्कत्रिवृद्वापि यवानीहयमारकम् / सुधां च बालां गणिकां सप्तपर्णसुवर्चिकाम्

One should take chitraka, arka, trivrit, vāpi, yavānī, hayamāraka, along with sudhā, bālā, gaṇikā, and also saptaparṇa and suvarcikā.

Verse 19

ज्योतिष्मतीञ्च संभृत्य तैलं धीरो विपाचयेत् / एतन्निष्यन्दनं तैलं भृशं दद्याद्भगन्दरे

Having gathered jyotiṣmatī as well, the wise physician should cook (prepare) the oil. This filtered/expressed medicated oil should be applied liberally in cases of bhagandara (fistula).

Verse 20

शोधनं गेपणं चैव सर्ववर्णकरं परम् / चित्रकाद्यं महातैलं सर्वरोगप्रभञ्जनम्

It is cleansing and healing, and supremely restores healthy complexion. This great medicated oil beginning with chitraka destroys all diseases.

Verse 21

अजमोदं ससिन्दूरं हरितालं निशाद्वयम् / क्षारद्वयं फेनयुतमार्द्रक सर (शवः लोद्भवम्

Ajmoda (ajwain/parsley), along with sindūra (red lead), haritāla (yellow orpiment), the two ‘niśā’ drugs, the two alkaline salts (kṣāra), a foam-bearing substance, and the essence of fresh ginger—together with the additional ingredient noted as ‘śava-lodbhava’—are to be taken as the formulation.

Verse 22

इन्द्रवारुण्यपामार्गकदलैः स्यन्दनैः समम् / एभिः सर्षपजं तैलमजामूत्रैश्चयोजितम्

Together with the expressed juices (syandana) of indravāruṇī, pāmārga, and banana leaves, prepare mustard oil and combine it also with goat’s urine.

Verse 23

मृद्वग्निना पचेदेत्गव्यक्षीरेण संयुतम् / अजमोदादिकं तैलं गण्डमालां व्यपोहति

Cook this on a gentle fire, combined with cow’s milk. This ajamoda-based medicated oil removes gaṇḍamālā (glandular swellings of the neck).

Verse 24

विदग्धस्तु पचेत्पक्वं चैव विशोधयेत् / रोपणं मृदुभावं च तैलेनानेन कारयेत्

In cases of a burn, one should first apply the appropriate heating/cooking measure and then cleanse the affected part. Healing and softening should then be effected by applying this oil.