Agni Purana — Ayurveda, Shloka 53

मृतसञ्जीवनीकरसिद्धयोगः (Mṛtasañjīvanī-kara Siddha-yogaḥ) — Perfected Formulations for Revivification and Disease-Conquest

Devanagari script

गण्डमालापहं तैलमभ्यङ्गात् गलगण्डनुत् शटीकुनागबलयक्वाथः क्षीररसे युतम्

Transliteration

gaṇḍamālāpahaṃ tailamabhyaṅgāt galagaṇḍanut śaṭīkunāgabalayakvāthaḥ kṣīrarase yutam

Translation

L’huile qui dissipe la gandamālā (écrouelles, enflures glandulaires) doit être appliquée par massage ; elle apaise la galagaṇḍa (goitre). On utilisera une décoction de śaṭī, kunāga et bala, mêlée à l’essence de lait (milk-essence), comme préparation ou adjuvant.

Word by Word

• gaṇḍamālā-apaham: removing scrofula/lymph-node swellings
• gaṇḍamālā-apaham: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of tailam
• Type: Adjective
• Root: gaṇḍamālā (प्रातिपदिक) + apaha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘गण्डमालां अपहन्ति’

• tailam: oil
• tailam: Karma (कर्म) / medicine
• Type: Noun
• Root: taila (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• abhyaṅgāt: by (oil-)massage
• abhyaṅgāt: Hetu/Apādāna (हेतु/अपादान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: abhyaṅga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative (5th/पञ्चमी), Singular; ‘from/by means of massage’ (ablative of cause/source)

• galagaṇḍa-nut: alleviating goitre
• galagaṇḍa-nut: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) of tailam
• Type: Adjective
• Root: galagaṇḍa (प्रातिपदिक) + nut (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा) Singular (agreeing with tailam by sense); उपपद-तत्पुरुषः ‘गलगण्डं नुदति’

• śaṭī-kunāga-bala-ya-kvāthaḥ: decoction of śaṭī, kunāga, bala, and ya
• śaṭī-kunāga-bala-ya-kvāthaḥ: Karta (कर्ता) / medicine item
• Type: Noun
• Root: śaṭī (प्रातिपदिक) + kunāga (प्रातिपदिक) + bala (प्रातिपदिक) + ya (प्रातिपदिक) + kvātha (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular; तत्पुरुषः (समाहार/निर्देश) ‘शटी-कुनाग-बला-य-औषधानां क्वाथः’

• kṣīra-rase: in milk-juice (milk extract)
• kṣīra-rase: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: kṣīra (प्रातिपदिक) + rasa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative (7th/सप्तमी), Singular; तत्पुरुषः ‘क्षीरस्य रसः’ (= milk-juice/whey)

• yutam: combined/mixed
• yutam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण) (of kvāthaḥ/tailam by context)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: yuj (धातु) → yuta (कृदन्त, क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular; past passive participle (क्त)

Speaker

Lord Agni (in discourse to the sage Vasiṣṭha, as per the Agni Purana’s usual narration frame)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: Samanya

Secondary Rasa: Karuna

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: gaṇḍamālāpahaṃ = gaṇḍamālā-apaham; tailamabhyaṅgāt = tailam abhyaṅgāt.

Characters & Entities

• Agni Purana
• Ayurveda
• gaṇḍamālā
• galagaṇḍa
• abhyanga
• śaṭī
• bala
• kṣīra

FAQs

What technical or ritual knowledge (Vidya) is imparted in this verse?

Ayurvedic therapeutics: it prescribes medicated oil application via abhyanga (massage) for gaṇḍamālā (scrofula) and galagaṇḍa (goitre), and indicates a specific herbal decoction (śaṭī–kunāga–bala) to be combined with milk-extract.

How does this verse contribute to the 'Encyclopedic' nature of the Agni Purana?

It shows the Agni Purana functioning as a compendium beyond mythology—preserving practical Ayurvedic pharmacy (kvātha preparation, anupāna/vehicle like milk, and external therapy through oil massage) alongside other sciences.

What is the spiritual or karmic significance of this specific instruction?

While primarily medical, such Purāṇic prescriptions are traditionally treated as dharmic welfare-knowledge (hitopadeśa): preserving health supports one’s capacity for daily duties, ritual practice, and disciplined living.