Shloka 18

Jvara-Chikitsa: Doṣa-wise Fever Management, Medicated Waters, and Escalation Therapies

Devanagari script

पादयोस्तु ललाटे वा दहेल्लौहशलाकया / तिक्ता पाठा पर्पटाश्च विशाला त्रिफला त्रिवृत् / सक्षीरो भेदनः क्वाथः सर्वज्वरविशोधनः

Transliteration

pādayostu lalāṭe vā dahellauhaśalākayā / tiktā pāṭhā parpaṭāśca viśālā triphalā trivṛt / sakṣīro bhedanaḥ kvāthaḥ sarvajvaraviśodhanaḥ

Translation

One may cauterize, for therapy, either the soles of the feet or the forehead with a heated iron rod. A decoction of bitter herbs—tiktā, pāṭhā, parpaṭa, viśālā, triphalā, and trivṛt—taken with milk acts as a purgative and purifies the body from all kinds of fevers.

Word by Word

• पादयोः: of the feet
• पादयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; Genitive dual

• तु: indeed/and (emphasis)
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक; emphatic/contrastive

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• दहेत्: should cauterize/burn
• दहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘let (one) burn/cauterize’

• लौहशलाकया: with an iron probe/rod
• लौहशलाकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौह-शलाका (प्रातिपदिक; लौह + शलाका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; ‘made of iron’

• तिक्ता: Tiktā (a bitter herb)
• तिक्ता: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिक्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular (drug name)

• पाठा: Pāṭhā (herb)
• पाठा: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (drug name)

• पर्पटाः: Parpaṭa herbs
• पर्पटाः: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्पटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (drug name)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विशाला: Viśālā (herb)
• विशाला: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (drug name)

• त्रिफला: Triphala
• त्रिफला: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-फला (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + फला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘three-fruits’ formulation

• त्रिवृत्: Trivṛt (turpeth)
• त्रिवृत्: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (drug name)

• सक्षीरः: with milk
• सक्षीरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक; स + क्षीर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘with milk’

• भेदनः: purgative
• भेदनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भेदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘purgative/breaking’

• क्वाथः: decoction
• क्वाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्वाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• सर्वज्वरविशोधनः: that clears all fevers
• सर्वज्वरविशोधनः: Visheshana (Qualifier of क्वाथः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-ज्वर-विशोधन (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + ज्वर + विशोधन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘purifying/clearing all fevers’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Śrī Bhagavān) instructing Garuda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śarīra-śuddhi (bodily purification) as a support for right living; disciplined treatment to remove jvara (fever) and restore balance.

Vedantic Theme: Instrumentality of the body (śarīra-sādhana) for pursuing puruṣārthas; purification as a preparatory aid (sādhana) rather than the final end.

Application: Use of cauterization at specified points and a bitter-herb decoction with milk as purgation for fever-management under competent guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.176.1-4 (adjacent medical recipes for hair/skin conditions)

FAQs

What is the importance of fever-purifying decoctions in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents a specific kwātha (decoction) formula and a supporting therapy (cauterization) aimed at cleansing the system and reducing fevers, reflecting the Purana’s practical Ayurvedic guidance.

How does this verse explain purification in a medical context?

Purification here is bodily: the trivṛt-based decoction taken with milk is described as bhedana (purgative), and thus a viśodhana (cleansing) that helps remove fever-causing impurities.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It highlights a classical approach: bitter herbs and regulated cleansing as part of fever management—best understood today as historical Ayurvedic guidance and applied only with qualified clinical supervision.