Chapter 27e - The group of Fruits (Phala)

125-126. Now begins the section on fruits (Phala—phalavarga):—

The qualities of the Grape

The grape, quickly cures thirst, burning, fever, dyspnea, hemothermia, pectoral lesions, wasting disorders of Vata and Pitta, misperistalsis, cacophonia, chronic alcoholism, bitter taste in the mouth and cough. It is roborant, aphrodisiac, sweet unctuous and cooling

The qualities of the Date

127. The date is sweet, roborant, aphrodisiac, heavy and cooling. It is beneficial in wasting, trauma burning, and disorders of Vata and Pitta.

The qualities of the Common fig, Sweet Falsah and Mohwah

128. Common fig is nourishing, roborant, heavy,, delayed in digestion and cooling. Sweet falsah and mohwah are recommended in disorders of Vata and Pitta.

The qualities of indian hog-plum

129. Indian hog plum is sweet, roborant, strengthening, nourishing, heavy, slightly unctuous, increases Kapha, is cooling, aphrodisiac and delayed in digestion.

The qualities of the ripe fruit of the palmyra and of the coconut

130. The ripe fruits of palmyra and cocoanut are roborant, unctuous, cooling, strengthening and sweet.

The qualities of the showy Dillenia fruit

131. The showy dillenia fruit is sweet, acid, astringent in taste, delayed in digestion, heavy and cooling. It increases Pitta and Kapha and is astringent and a mouth-cleanser.

The qualities of the sour kind of falsah and grape, small jujube etc.

132. The Sour falsah, grape, small jujube, the peach, wild jujube and small jack are provocative of Pitta and Kapha.

The qualities of the Peach

133. Fully ripe peach is not very hot; it is heavy; sweetish, palatable, roborant, quickly digested and not very unwholesome.

The qualities of the Paravata

134. Of the two variaties of Paravata [pārāvata] fruits, one is sweet and cooling, and the other is sour and hot. It must be known to be heavy and curative of anorexia and of excess of digestive fire.

The qualities of white teak and Mulberry

135. The fruit of white teak is said to be slightly different in quality from showy dillenia. Similarly, sour mulberry differs in quality slightly from falsah.

The qualities of the Pear and the Wood anole

136. The pear fruit is astringent and sweet in taste increases Vata is heavy and cooling. The raw woodapple is harmful to the voice, counteracts poison, is astringent and increases Vata.

137. The ripe fruit, being sweet, sour, astringent and fragrant, is relishgiving, curative of discordance, acts as an antitode to poison and is astringent and heavy.

The qualities of the Bael

138. The ripe bael fruit is difficult of digestion, causative of humoral morbidity and foul flatus. The immature bael fruit is unctuous, hot, acute, digestive stimulant and curative of Kapha and Vata.

The qualities of the Mango

139. The baby mango causes hemothermia and unripe mango increases Pitta; while the fully ripe mango subdues Vata and increases flesh, semen and strength.

The qualities of the Jambul

140. The jambul fruit is generally astringent and sweet in taste, heavy delayed in digestion and cooling. It is curative of Kapha and Pitta astringent and greatly inceases Vata.

The qualities of the Jujube

141. The small jujube is sweet, unctuous laxative and curative of Vata and Pitta. The dried small jujube is curative of Kapha and Vata and is not contraindicated in Pitta.

The qualities of the Apple, Gingo fruit etc.

141-143½. The apple fruit is astringent, sweet in taste, cooling and astringent in action. The gingo fruit, caper, scarlet-fruited gourd, Todan and fruits of common Indian linden are sweet, slightly astringent in taste, cooling and curative of Pitta and Kapha. The fully ripe Indian jack fruit, banana and fruits of Indian ape flower tree are sweet, slightly astringent, unctuous, cooling and heavy.

The qualities of the star gooseberry

144-144½. The star gooseberry fruit being astringent, limpid and fragrant is appetizer, savoury, cordial and increases Vata.

The qualities of the cadamba, etc.

145-145½. Cadamba, dill, tooth brush tree, screw pine, thorny staff tree and Indian plum are indeed dispellers of discordance and curatives of the effects of poison-

The qualities of the fruit of Zachum oil plant, etc.

146-147. The fruit of zachum oil plant is bitter-sweet in taste, unctuous, hot and curative of Kapha and Vata. The false mangosteen fruit is curative of Kapha and Pitta, astringent, sweet and light. The emblic myrobalan is regarded as possessing all the tastes except the salt.

The qualities of the Beleric myrobalan

148. The beleric myrobalan is dry, sweet, astringent, acid and an excellent curative of Kapha and Pitta and dispells the disorders of body-fluid, bloody flesh and fat.

The qualities of the Pomegranate

149-150½. The pomegranate is curative of cacophonia, hyper-secretion of mucus and disorders of Pitta. It is sweet, astringent and acid in taste, is curative of Vata, astringent, digestive

stimulant, unctuous, hot, cordial and not antagonistic to Kapha and Pitta. The promegranate which is dry and acid is provocative of Pitta and Vata. The sweet one is curative of Pitta. So the best pomegranate is the first described.

The qualities of Kokum-butter, Tamarind and Amlavetasa

152-152. The kokum-butter fruit is astringent, dry and hot and is good for Vata and Kapha disorders. The ripe tamarind fruit is slightly different in quality. The Amlavetasa also possesses the same qualities and is laxative.

The Qualities of Pomelo

153 154. The filament of the pomelo flower is indicated' in intestinal colic, anorexia, constipation, weak digestive fire, chronic alcoholism, hiccup, dyspnea, cough, vomiting, disorders of stools aud in all diseases born of Vata and Kapha. The filament fruit of the pomelo is light but the rest of the parts are heavy.

The qualifies of Lont Zedoary

155. The long zedory fruit without the rind is palatable, digestive-stimulant, cordicl, fragrant and is curative, of Kapha and Vata and beneficial in in dyspnea, hiccup and piles

The qualities of common Orange

156. The common orange fruit is sweet, slightly sour, cordial, promotive of the relish for food, difficult to digest, curative of Vata aud heavy.

The Qualities of Almond, Abhishuka Walnut, Edible pine, Lakucha and Uramana

157-158. The almond [vātāma], Abhishuka [abhiṣūka/abhiṣuka?], walnut [akṣoṭa], edible pine, lakucha and Urumana, are heavy, hot, unctuous, sweet, strengthening, curative of Vata, roborant, aphrodisiac and increase Kapha and Pitta. Buchanan’s mango should be considered similar in action to the above except in the qualities of being hot.

The Qualities of the Assysian plum and Alangy

159. The Assyrian plum increases Kapha, is sweet, cooling and heavy. The Alangy increases Kapha, is heavy, delayed in the intestines, and curative of excessive heat.

The Qualities of Samee fruit and The Fruit of Indian Beech

160. The Samee [śamī] fruit is heavy, hot, sweet, dry and depilatory; and the fruit of Indian beech is delayed in the intestines and is not antagonistic to Vata and Kapha.

The Qualities of Indian Hog plum, Lemon, Bengal currant and common Orange

161. The Indian hog plum, lemon, Bengal currant and common orange are acid and cause hemothermia.

The Qualities of Brinjal fruit and Physalis berry fruit

162. The brinjal is currative of Vata, digestive-stimulant, pungent and bitter. The physalis berry fruit should be considered as promotive of Vata and curative of Kapha and Pitta.

The Qualities of the Akshiki fruit, etc.

163-164. The Akshiki fruit [ākṣikī-phala] is curative of Pitta and Kapha, sour in taste and increases Vata. The fruits of the holy fig, gular fig, yellow barked fig and banyan are sweet, sour after digestion, curative of Pitta and Kapha, astringent, sweet and sour in taste, promotive of Vata and heavy-

The Qualities of Marking nut

165. The marking nut is caustic like fire; but the pulp of the fruit is sweet and cooling. Thus is described the fifth section about fruits (Phala—phalavarga) generally in use.