Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 9
Chapter 280 — रसादिलक्षणम् / सर्वरोगहराण्यौषधानि
Characteristics of Taste and Related Factors; Medicines that Remove All Diseases
क्वाथयेत् षोडशगुणं विवेद्द्रव्याच्चतुर्गुणम् यवक्षौद्रमिति ख कल्पनैषा कषायस्य यत्र नोक्तो विधिर्भवेत्
kvāthayet ṣoḍaśaguṇaṃ viveddravyāccaturguṇam yavakṣaudramiti kha kalpanaiṣā kaṣāyasya yatra nokto vidhirbhavet
On fera bouillir la substance médicinale avec seize fois sa mesure d’eau, puis on réduira jusqu’à n’en laisser qu’un quart du liquide initial. On peut ajouter yava (orge) et kṣaudra (miel) : telle est la méthode normative de préparation du kaṣāya (décoction) là où aucun procédé particulier n’est indiqué.
Lord Agni (teaching to sage Vasiṣṭha, the typical Agni Purāṇa dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Philosophy","practical_application":"Standard operating procedure for preparing kvātha/kaṣāya when a specific recipe is not given: water ratio, reduction endpoint, and optional adjuvants (yava, kṣaudra).","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"Procedure","entry_title":"Kaṣāya-kalpanā: 16-to-1 water ratio and 1/4 reduction (with yava-kṣaudra)","lookup_keywords":["kaṣāya-kalpanā","kvātha","ṣoḍaśaguṇa-jala","pādāvaśeṣa (1/4 reduction)","yava-kṣaudra anupāna"],"quick_summary":"Boil the drug with sixteen parts water and reduce to one-fourth; add barley and honey as suitable. This serves as the default decoction method when no special rule is specified."}
Concept: General rule (utsarga) applies where special rule (apavāda) is absent—codifying default method in an encyclopedic śāstra.
Application: When a text or physician’s note omits specifics, apply the default ratio/reduction to avoid under/over-concentration.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Bhaiṣajya-kalpanā / Kaṣāya-kalpanā)
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"An Ayurvedic physician supervises a cauldron where herbs boil in a large volume of water, reduced to a quarter; barley grains and a honey pot are kept aside for addition after cooking.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala temple mural style, warm earthy palette; a vaidya in traditional attire beside a bronze vessel on a hearth, herbs tied in bundles, water level marked to show 16 parts reducing to 1/4; barley sheaves and a honey pot labeled kṣaudra; clean, iconic composition.","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting style with gold work; central vaidya figure blessing the preparation; ornate brass cauldron, stylized flames; gold-highlighted honey pot and barley; decorative borders, rich reds and greens.","mysore_prompt":"Mysore painting style, fine linework; instructional tableau showing measuring cups for 16 parts water, quarter-reduction mark on vessel, straining cloth; barley and honey as optional add-ins; calm didactic mood.","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, detailed apothecary kitchen; attendants measuring water, stirring decoction, reducing to a quarter; labeled jars for yava and kṣaudra; architectural interior with patterned floor and precise naturalistic vessels."}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Bhairav","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: विवेद्द्रव्याच्चतुर्गुणम् → विवेत् द्रव्यात् च चतुर्गुणम्; कल्पनैषा → कल्पना एषा; नोक्तो → न उक्तः; विधिर्भवेत् → विधिः भवेत्.
Related Themes: Agni Purana 280 (Bhaiṣajya-kalpanā sections on kvātha/kaṣāya and sneha-pāka)
FAQs
It teaches the default Ayurvedic kaṣāya (decoction) preparation ratio: boil the drug with sixteen times water and reduce to one-quarter, with optional addition of barley and honey when no special recipe is given.
It preserves practical Ayurvedic pharmacy standards (bhaishajya-kalpanā)—a technical, procedural rule—showing the Agni Purana’s coverage beyond mythology into applied medical science.
By promoting correct preparation of remedies that preserve health and reduce suffering, the instruction supports dharma through compassionate, disciplined care—an indirect purificatory merit aligned with sustaining life (āyuḥ) for righteous living.