Shloka 18

Jvara-Chikitsa: Doṣa-wise Fever Management, Medicated Waters, and Escalation Therapies

Devanagari script

पादयोस्तु ललाटे वा दहेल्लौहशलाकया / तिक्ता पाठा पर्पटाश्च विशाला त्रिफला त्रिवृत् / सक्षीरो भेदनः क्वाथः सर्वज्वरविशोधनः

Transliteration

pādayostu lalāṭe vā dahellauhaśalākayā / tiktā pāṭhā parpaṭāśca viśālā triphalā trivṛt / sakṣīro bhedanaḥ kvāthaḥ sarvajvaraviśodhanaḥ

Translation

പാദതലങ്ങളിലോ ലലാടത്തിലോ ചൂടാക്കിയ ലോഹശലാക കൊണ്ട് വൈദ്യാർത്ഥ ദഹനം ചെയ്യാം. തിക്താ, പാഠാ, പർപ്പട, വിശാലാ, ത്രിഫല, ത്രിവൃത് എന്നിവ ചേർത്ത ക്വാഥം പാലോടെ സേവിച്ചാൽ വിരേചകമായി എല്ലാ ജ്വരങ്ങളെയും ശോധനം ചെയ്യുന്നു।

Word by Word

• पादयोः: of the feet
• पादयोः: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6th/षष्ठी), द्विवचन; Genitive dual

• तु: indeed/and (emphasis)
• तु: Discourse particle (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle), विरोध/विशेषार्थक; emphatic/contrastive

• ललाटे: on the forehead
• ललाटे: Adhikarana (Location/अधिकरण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ललाट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी (7th/सप्तमी), एकवचन; Locative singular

• वा: or
• वा: Discourse particle (विकल्प)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)
• Form: विकल्पार्थक अव्यय (disjunctive particle)

• दहेत्: should cauterize/burn
• दहेत्: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative/आज्ञार्थ), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन; ‘let (one) burn/cauterize’

• लौहशलाकया: with an iron probe/rod
• लौहशलाकया: Karana (Instrument/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौह-शलाका (प्रातिपदिक; लौह + शलाका)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), एकवचन; Instrumental singular; ‘made of iron’

• तिक्ता: Tiktā (a bitter herb)
• तिक्ता: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिक्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/प्रथमा), एकवचन; Nominative singular (drug name)

• पाठा: Pāṭhā (herb)
• पाठा: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाठा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (drug name)

• पर्पटाः: Parpaṭa herbs
• पर्पटाः: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्पटा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; Nominative plural (drug name)

• च: and
• च: Connector (समुच्चय)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चयार्थक अव्यय (conjunction)

• विशाला: Viśālā (herb)
• विशाला: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाला (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (drug name)

• त्रिफला: Triphala
• त्रिफला: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रि-फला (प्रातिपदिक; त्रि + फला)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘three-fruits’ formulation

• त्रिवृत्: Trivṛt (turpeth)
• त्रिवृत्: Vishaya/Padartha (Item listed)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवृत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular (drug name)

• सक्षीरः: with milk
• सक्षीरः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स-क्षीर (प्रातिपदिक; स + क्षीर)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘with milk’

• भेदनः: purgative
• भेदनः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भेदन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘purgative/breaking’

• क्वाथः: decoction
• क्वाथः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्वाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular

• सर्वज्वरविशोधनः: that clears all fevers
• सर्वज्वरविशोधनः: Visheshana (Qualifier of क्वाथः/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व-ज्वर-विशोधन (प्रातिपदिक; सर्व + ज्वर + विशोधन)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; Nominative singular; ‘purifying/clearing all fevers’

Speaker

Lord Vishnu (Śrī Bhagavān) instructing Garuda

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Śarīra-śuddhi (bodily purification) as a support for right living; disciplined treatment to remove jvara (fever) and restore balance.

Vedantic Theme: Instrumentality of the body (śarīra-sādhana) for pursuing puruṣārthas; purification as a preparatory aid (sādhana) rather than the final end.

Application: Use of cauterization at specified points and a bitter-herb decoction with milk as purgation for fever-management under competent guidance.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: adbhuta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.176.1-4 (adjacent medical recipes for hair/skin conditions)

FAQs

What is the importance of fever-purifying decoctions in the Garuda Purana?

This verse presents a specific kwātha (decoction) formula and a supporting therapy (cauterization) aimed at cleansing the system and reducing fevers, reflecting the Purana’s practical Ayurvedic guidance.

How does this verse explain purification in a medical context?

Purification here is bodily: the trivṛt-based decoction taken with milk is described as bhedana (purgative), and thus a viśodhana (cleansing) that helps remove fever-causing impurities.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

It highlights a classical approach: bitter herbs and regulated cleansing as part of fever management—best understood today as historical Ayurvedic guidance and applied only with qualified clinical supervision.