Shloka 21

Anupāna and the Doṣa-Effects of Foods, Waters, Dairy, Oils, and Preparations

Devanagari script

केशरं मातुलुङ्गं च दीपनं कफवातनुत् / वातपित्तहरो माषस्त्वक्स्निग्धोष्णानिलापहः

Transliteration

keśaraṃ mātuluṅgaṃ ca dīpanaṃ kaphavātanut / vātapittaharo māṣastvaksnigdhoṣṇānilāpahaḥ

Translation

കേശരവും മാതുലുങ്ഗവും (സിട്രൺ) ദീപനമായി കഫ-വാതം കുറയ്ക്കുന്നു. മാഷം (ഉഴുന്ന്) വാത-പിത്തം ശമിപ്പിക്കുന്നു; ഇത് ത്വക്കിനെ പോഷിപ്പിക്കുന്നതും, സ്നിഗ്ധവും, ഉഷ്ണവും, വികൃത അനിലം (വാതം) അകറ്റുന്നതുമാണ്.

Word by Word

• केशरम्: saffron
• केशरम्: Karma/Padārtha-nirdeśa (Object/item mentioned/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्रव्यवाचक (saffron)

• मातुलुङ्गम्: mātuluṅga (citron)
• मातुलुङ्गम्: Karma/Padārtha-nirdeśa (Object/item mentioned/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातुलुङ्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; द्रव्यवाचक (citron)

• च: and
• च: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयबोधक-अव्यय (conjunction)

• दीपनम्: digestive-stimulating
• दीपनम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दीपन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया (1/2), एकवचन; विशेषण (kindling digestion)

• कफवातनुत्: dispelling kapha and vāta
• कफवातनुत्: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कफ + वात + नुत् (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (dispelling kapha and vāta)

• वातपित्तहरः: removing vāta and pitta
• वातपित्तहरः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वात + पित्त + हर (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; विशेषण (removing vāta and pitta)

• माषः: māṣa (black gram)
• माषः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; द्रव्यवाचक (black gram)

• त्वक्: skin/bark
• त्वक्: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्वक् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासपूर्वपद (skin/bark)

• स्निग्ध: unctuous
• स्निग्ध: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्निग्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (unctuous)

• उष्ण: hot
• उष्ण: Samasa-purvapada (Compound member/समासाङ्ग)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उष्ण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासाङ्ग (hot)

• अनिलापहः: vāta-removing
• अनिलापहः: Karta-samānādhikaraṇa (Predicate adjective/समानााधिकरण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनिल + अपह (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष (removing anila/vāta)

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (in dialogue with Garuda/Vinata-putra)

Medical Ayurveda

Dosha: Vata/Pitta/Kapha

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Support agni and doṣa balance through specific dravyas; nourishment (snigdha-uṣṇa) can be therapeutic when matched to condition.

Vedantic Theme: Yukta-āhāra-vihāra (right diet and conduct) sustaining clarity and steadiness for higher pursuits.

Application: Use keśara and mātuluṅga to kindle appetite/digestion and reduce kapha-vāta; use māṣa judiciously for vāta-pitta conditions needing warmth and unctuousness, considering heaviness for some constitutions.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.169 (agni/digestive and doṣa balancing foods)

Characters & Entities

• Garuda
• Vishnu

FAQs

What does “dīpana” mean in this verse?

Dīpana means stimulating the digestive fire (agni) and improving appetite and digestion—here attributed to saffron and citron.

Why is black gram (māṣa) described with multiple qualities?

The verse summarizes its Ayurvedic profile: it is unctuous and warming, supports the skin, and is said to pacify vāta (and also pitta in this statement).

Practical application of this wisdom today?

When digestion is low, small culinary use of deepana spices/ingredients may help; black gram is traditionally considered warming and nourishing, so it may suit those needing vāta support.