Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 18
Chapter 279 — सिद्धौषधानि (Siddhauṣadhāni, “Perfected Medicines”) — Colophon/Closure
वृद्धिः समानैर् एतेषां विपरीतैर् विपर्ययः रसाः स्वाद्वम्ललवणाः श्लेष्मला वायुनाशनाः
vṛddhiḥ samānair eteṣāṃ viparītair viparyayaḥ rasāḥ svādvamlalavaṇāḥ śleṣmalā vāyunāśanāḥ
Estos doṣas aumentan por factores de la misma naturaleza y se invierten (se alivian) por los opuestos. Los sabores dulce, agrio y salado promueven kapha y apaciguan vāta.
Lord Agni (instructing the sage Vasiṣṭha)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Dietetic balancing: apply the rule ‘like increases like, opposites reduce’ and select rasas to pacify Vāta or avoid Kapha increase.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Sāmānya-viśeṣa nyāya and rasa effects (madhura-amla-lavaṇa)","lookup_keywords":["sāmānya viśeṣa","rasa doṣa","madhura amla lavaṇa","śleṣmala","vātaśamana"],"quick_summary":"Doṣas are aggravated by similar qualities and alleviated by opposites. Sweet, sour, and salty tastes tend to increase Kapha and pacify Vāta."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Sāmānya-viśeṣa (similarity/opposition) as a universal therapeutic logic.
Application: When a symptom shows a quality (e.g., dryness), choose interventions of the opposite quality (unctuousness) rather than the same.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Rasa–Doṣa–Guṇa: dietetics and humoral balancing)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Secondary Rasa: adbhuta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An Ayurvedic teaching scene showing a balance scale: ‘sāmānya’ on one side increasing doṣas, ‘viparīta’ on the other reducing; three taste bowls labeled sweet/sour/salty pointing to Kapha up and Vāta down.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, physician-sage with palm-leaf manuscript, a symbolic scale labeled sāmānya and viśeṣa, three bowls (madhura, amla, lavaṇa) with arrows: Kapha rising, Vāta calming; traditional floral borders","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore style, ornate gold-work scale motif, taste bowls with embossed labels, Kapha figure gaining weight, Vāta figure soothed; rich jewel tones","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting, clean instructional diagram integrated with a classroom scene, arrows and labels in Devanāgarī, gentle pastel palette","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, kitchen-dispensary setting with jars of salt, jaggery, tamarind; hakim explaining how tastes affect doṣas; fine detailing and calligraphic labels"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Yaman","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: समानैर्→समानैः; विपरीतैर्→विपरीतैः; स्वाद्वम्ललवणाः→स्वादु अम्ल लवणाः
Related Themes: Agni Purana 279.17 (doṣa-guṇa); Agni Purana 279.19–279.20 (rasa effects)
FAQs
Ayurvedic doṣa-management: ‘like increases like’ (samāna) and ‘opposites pacify’ (viparīta); and a specific dietetic rule—sweet, sour, and salty tastes increase kapha while reducing vāta.
It preserves clinical Ayurvedic theory (rasa–doṣa relations and therapeutic logic) inside a Purāṇic framework, showing the text’s coverage beyond theology into practical health science.
By promoting bodily balance through disciplined diet, the verse supports purity and steadiness (a calm, regulated body-mind), which traditional dharma literature treats as conducive to sādhana, restraint, and meritorious living.