Agni Purana — Veda-vidhana & Vamsha, Shloka 9
अध्याय २७८: सिद्धौषधानि
Siddha Medicines / Perfected Remedies
शक्तुगोधूमलाजाश् च यवशालिमसूरकाः सकुष्ठचणका मुद्गा भक्ष्या गोधूमका हिताः
śaktugodhūmalājāś ca yavaśālimasūrakāḥ sakuṣṭhacaṇakā mudgā bhakṣyā godhūmakā hitāḥ
Saktu (tepung sangrai), gandum, dan lāja (beras mekar), juga jelai, beras śāli, serta lentil merah (masūra); kacang arab (caṇaka) yang disiapkan dengan kuṣṭha dan kacang hijau (mudga)—semuanya layak dimakan. Makanan berbahan gandum bermanfaat.
Lord Agni (in instruction to sage Vasiṣṭha, in the Agni Purana’s didactic dialogue frame)
Vidya Category: {"primary_vidya":"Ayurveda","secondary_vidya":"Samanya","practical_application":"Pathya food list emphasizing light grains and legumes (saktu, godhūma, lāja, yava, śāli, masūra, mudga) and medicated chickpea with kuṣṭha; guidance for convalescence/fever-like states.","sutra_style":true}
Encyclopedic Reference: {"reference_type":"List","entry_title":"Pathya-Ahāra: Saktu–Godhūma–Lāja and Yava–Śāli–Mudga (with Kuṣṭha)","lookup_keywords":["pathya","saktu","godhuma","laja","mudga"],"quick_summary":"Wholesome edibles include parched flour, wheat, puffed rice, barley, rice, and select legumes; wheat-based preparations are noted as beneficial when appropriately prepared."}
Dosha: Tridosha
Concept: Āhāra as foundational therapy: correct food selection sustains agni and prevents relapse.
Application: Household and clinical diet planning aligned with pathya principles.
Khanda Section: Ayurveda (Ahara-vidhi / Pathya-Apathya: dietary guidance)
Primary Rasa: shanta
Visual Art Cues: {"scene_description":"A neat display of recommended foods—parched flour, wheat breads, puffed rice, barley and rice, bowls of lentils and green gram; a small mortar with kuṣṭha for medicating chickpeas.","kerala_mural_prompt":"Kerala mural, still-life arrangement of grains and legumes in traditional vessels, vaidya pointing to pathya list, subdued temple-kitchen setting","tanjore_prompt":"Tanjore painting, gold-embellished brass plates with saktu, lāja, yava, śāli, mudga; kuṣṭha shown as aromatic root; symmetrical devotional still-life","mysore_prompt":"Mysore style, instructional chart-like composition with each food item clearly rendered and separated; physician figure indicating ‘hitāḥ’ (beneficial) wheat-based foods","mughal_miniature_prompt":"Mughal miniature, pantry scene with labeled jars of grains and pulses, attendant grinding kuṣṭha, refined detailing of textures (puffed rice, flour, lentils)"}
Audio Atmosphere: {"recitation_mood":"instructional","suggested_raga":"Hamsadhwani","pace":"medium","voice_tone":"instructional"}
Sandhi Resolution Notes: lājāḥ+ca → लाजाश्च. Multi-item food lists treated as dvandva compounds: शक्तु-गोधूम-लाजाः; यव-शालि-मसूरकाः.
Related Themes: Agni Purana Ayurveda khanda: pathya-apathya enumerations near 278; Agni Purana jvara and śodhana aftercare diet passages
FAQs
Ayurvedic āhāra-vidyā: it lists specific grains and legumes (saktu, wheat, puffed rice, barley, rice, lentils, chickpea, green gram) and notes their suitability as wholesome foods, including the use of kuṣṭha (costus) as a medicinal additive.
Beyond mythology, the Agni Purana preserves practical health knowledge by cataloging dietetics—what foods are considered pathya (beneficial)—thereby functioning as a compendium that includes Ayurveda alongside ritual, polity, and other sciences.
Following pathya (wholesome) diet is traditionally treated as a support for bodily purity and steadiness of mind, which in turn aids dharma-practice, self-control, and the capacity to perform ritual and daily duties without impediment.