Adhyaya 176

Verse 1

नाम पञ्चसप्तत्युत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः श्रीभगवानुवाच / सप्तरात्रात्प्रजायन्ते खल्वाटस्य कचाः शुभाः / दग्धहस्तिदन्तलेपात्साजाक्षीररसाञ्जनात्

The Blessed Lord said: This is the one-hundred-and-seventy-sixth chapter. Within seven nights, auspicious hair arises for a bald person by applying, like anjana (sacred collyrium), a paste of burnt elephant tusk mixed with goat’s milk and its juice.

Verse 2

भृङ्गराजरसेनैव चतुर्भागेन साधितम् / केशवृद्धिकरं तैलं गुञ्जाचूर्णान्वितेन च

Oil cooked with one-fourth part of bhṛṅgarāja juice becomes hair-increasing; it should also be used together with guñjā powder.

Verse 3

एलामांसीकुष्ठमुरायुक्तमभ्यङ्गतः शिवम् / गुञ्जाफलं समादेयं लेपनं चन्द्रलुप्तनुत्

An oil-massage prepared with cardamom, māṃsī (spikenard), kuṣṭha (costus), and murā is auspicious and beneficial. Guñjā seeds should be made into a paste for application; this anointment alleviates patchy hair-loss (alopecia).

Verse 4

आम्रास्थिचूर्णलेपाद्वै केशाः सूक्ष्मा भवन्ति च / करञ्जामलकैलाललाक्षालेपो ऽरुणापहः

By applying a paste of mango-seed powder, the hair becomes fine, soft, and smooth. A paste of karañja, āmalaka, cardamom, and lac removes reddish discoloration.

Verse 5

आम्रास्थिमज्जामलकलेपात्केशा भवन्ति वै / बद्धमूला घना दीर्घाः स्नग्धाः स्युर्नोत्पतन्ति च

By applying a paste of the mango-seed kernel’s marrow together with āmalaka, the hair truly becomes firmly rooted, thick, long, and glossy, and it does not fall out.

Verse 6

विडङ्गगन्धपाषाणसाधितं तैलमुत्तमम् / सचतुर्गुणगोमूत्रं मनसः शिलमेव वा

Excellent oil prepared by processing it with viḍaṅga and the fragrant stone (gandha-pāṣāṇa) is recommended; or a preparation combined with cow’s urine in fourfold proportion, or manasa-śilā (realgar) as well.

Verse 7

शिरो ऽभ्यङ्गाच्छिराजन्मयूकालिख्याः क्षयं नयेत् / नवदग्धं शङ्खचूर्णं घृष्टसीसकलेपितम्

By oil-massage of the head, lice and their eggs that arise on the scalp are destroyed. Apply as a paste freshly calcined conch-shell powder, smeared with finely rubbed lead.

Verse 8

कचाः श्लक्ष्णा महाकृष्णा भवन्ति वृषभध्वज / भृङ्गराजं लोहचूर्णं त्रिफला बीजपूरकम्

O Vṛṣabhadhvaja (Śiva), by using bhṛṅgarāja, iron powder, triphalā, and bījapūraka (citron/lemon), the hair becomes smooth and intensely black.

Verse 9

नीली च करवीरं च गुडमेतैः समं शृतम् / पलितानीह कृष्णानि कुर्याल्लेपान्महौषधम्

Blue indigo (nīlī), oleander (karavīra), and jaggery (guḍa) are to be boiled together in equal measure. Applied as a paste, this great remedy is said to turn grey hair black.

Verse 10

आम्रास्थिमज्जा त्रिफला नी (ता) ली च भृङ्ग राजकम् / जीर्णं पक्वं लोहचूर्णं काञ्जिकं कृष्णकेशकृत्

Marrow from the mango-kernel, triphalā, nīlī (or tālī), and bhr̥ṅgarāja—together with well-aged sour kāñjika and properly prepared iron powder—are said to make the hair black.

Verse 11

चक्रमर्दकबीजानि कुष्ठमेरण्डमूलकम् / अत्यम्लकाञ्जिकं पिष्ट्वा लेपान्मस्तकरोगनुत्

Seeds of cakramarda, kuṣṭha, and castor-root—ground with very sour kāñjika and applied as a paste—remove diseases of the head.

Verse 12

सैन्धवं च वचा हिङ्गु कुष्ठं नागेश्वरं तथा / शतपुष्पा देवदारु एभिस्तैलं तु साधितम्

Rock-salt, vācā (sweet-flag), hiṅgu (asafoetida), kuṣṭha (costus), and nāgeśvara, along with śatapuṣpā and devadāru—using these, a medicated oil is to be prepared.

Verse 13

गोपुरीपरसेनैव चतुर्भागेन संयुतम् / तत्कणभरणादुग्रकर्णशूलं क्षयं नयेत्

Mixed with one-fourth part of gopurī and parasenā, and then dropped into the ear until it is filled, it destroys even severe earache.

Verse 14

मेषमूत्रसैन्धवाभ्यां कर्णयोर्भरणाच्छिव / कर्णयोः पूतिनाशः स्यात्कृमिस्त्रावादिकस्य च

O Śiva, by filling the ears with a mixture of ram’s urine and rock-salt, the foul smell in the ears is destroyed, and so too are worm-infestation, discharge, and related ailments.

Verse 15

मालतीपुप्पदलयो रसेन भरणात्तथा / गोजलेनैव पूरेण पूयस्त्रावो विनश्यति

By filling the afflicted part with the juice of Mālatī flower-buds, and likewise by thoroughly flooding it with cow’s urine, the discharge of pus is destroyed.

Verse 16

कष्ठमाषमरीचानि तगरं मधु पिप्पली / अपामार्गो ऽश्वगन्धा च बृहती सितसर्षपाः

Kāṣṭhamāṣa and black pepper, tagara, honey, long pepper; apāmārga and aśvagandhā, bṛhatī, and white mustard—these are the substances prescribed.

Verse 17

यवास्तिलाः सैन्धवं च पादिकोद्वर्तनं शुभम् / लिङ्गबाहुस्तनानां च कर्णयोर्वृद्धिकृद्भवेत् / कटुतैलं भल्लातकं बृहती फलदाडिमम्

Barley, sesame, and rock-salt are auspicious for rubbing and cleansing the feet. Such an application is said to promote the proper growth and well-being of the liṅga, arms, breasts, and the ears. Pungent oil, bhallātaka, bṛhatī, and pomegranate fruit are also prescribed.

Verse 18

वल्कलैः साधितैर्लिप्तं लिङ्गं तेन विवर्धते

When the liṅga is anointed with preparations made from bark-fibres, it thereby increases and flourishes in its sacred potency.