Chapter 283 - The remedial herbs for all the diseases

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Dhanvantan said:

1. A decoction of siṃhī, śaṭi, two kinds of niśā (turmeric) and vatsaka is commended for all types of infantile dysentery as well as defects due to mother’s milk.

2. One should lick pulverised śṛṅgī, kṛṣṇā and atibalā together with honey. (Otherwise) ativiṣā alone would remove the cough, vomitting and fever of a child.

3-5a. Vacā should be taken by children together with clarified butter, or with milk or with oil. The child should drink yaṣṭikā or śaṅkha flower together with milk. This would improve speech, complexion, longevity, intellect and beauty of the child. Vacā, agniśikhā, vāsā, dried ginger, kṛṣṇā (long pepper), turmeric, yaṣṭi and rock salt should be given to a child in the morning for drinking. It would develop the memory.

5b-6a. A decoction of devadāru, mahāśigru, the three myrobalans and payomuca made into a paste with long pepper and honey would remove all worms.

6b-7. The juice of the three myrobalans, bhṛṅga and viśva soaked in honey, clarified butter, goat’s milk and cow’s urine is beneficial in the diseases of children. The juice of dūrvā (a kind of grass) when inhaled is excellent remedy for bleeding of the nose.

8. (Similarly) filling the ear with the juice of garlic, ginger and śigru (would remedy the bleeding of the ears). Extracts of ginger and nutmeg in oil would remove intestinal colic and also the diseases of the lips.

9. The outer skin of the nutmeg, dry ginger, pepper, long pepper and turmeric would remove the urinary defects. A paste of mustard made into a decoction in milk dissolved in oil would remove toothache.

10. The coriander water, coconut, cow’s urine, betelnut and dry ginger made into a decoction and used for gargling would remedy the defects in the tongue.

11. The juice of nirguṇḍikā with the paste of lāṅgalī prepared in oil when inhaled would destroy gaṇḍamālā and galagaṇḍa.

12. One should rub (the affected part of the skin) with the leaves of arka, pūtikā and snuhī together with cow’s urine. (By this one would destroy) all the defects of the skin.

13. Vākucī and sesamum eaten for one year is a cure for leprosy. Pathyā, bhallātakī and a lump of molasses in oil would also conquer leprosy.

14. One suffering from piles should drink buttermilk together with the powders of yūthikā, vahni, turmeric, the three myrobalans and vyoṣa or should take abhayā with molasses.

15. One suffering from a urinary ailment should take a decoction of the (three) myrobalans, a variety of turmeric and viṣa or the juice of the emblic myrobalan or the paste of turmeric with or without honey should be used.

16. A decoction of vāsā mixed with castor oil would remove acute gout. The drinking (of the juice) of long pepper would cure enlarged spleens.

17- 20. One who has an abdominal disorder should take black pepper that has been soaked well in the milk of snuk or should drink milk mixed with the paste of rucya, dantya, agniviḍaṅga and vyoṣa. The granthika, ugra, mustard, long pepper and viḍaṅga soaked in ghee (and allowed to remain) in buttermilk for a month would remove diarrhoea, piles, jaundice, enlargement of spleen and worms. The decoction of the three myrobalans, amṛtā, vāsā, tiktabhūnimbaja together with honey would remove jaundice with acidity. One who is having acute gout should drink a potion of vāsā together with molasses and honey. Or (one may drink) milk in which varī, grapes, balā and dried ginger have been dissolved.

21. One who is suffering from consumption should lick (the compounded powders of) varī, vidārī, pathyā, the three (kinds of) balās, vāsaka and śvadaṃṣṭra together with honey and clarified butter.

22. The essence of the bark of pathyā, śigru, karañja and arka together with honey and rock salt would cure abscess as well as (help) ripening of the intestines.

23-24. Anointing a wound with trivṛt, jīvatī, dantī, mañjiṣṭhā, the two varieties of turmeric, tārkṣaja and neem leaves is commended for fistula. An ointment of pulverised rugghāta, turmeric, shellac mixed with ghee and honey, and vāsa would be an antiseptic and arrest its spread.

25. Oil boiled with śyāmā, yaṣṭi, turmeric, lodhra, padmaka, utpala, sandal and black pepper, and distilled in milk would heal a wound.

26. Burnt ashes of the leaves of black holy basil and cotton, nutmeg, rock-salt and turmeric made into a paste and boiled in oil in a copper vessel would be a good remedy for ulcers.

27. Kumbhīsāra mixed with milk should be heated in fire and applied on the wound. It could also be cured by sprinkling with the chops of coconut and ghee.

28. Dried ginger, ajamoda, rock-salt and bark of tamarind in equal proportions together with mustard in the same proportion should be drunk with butter-milk or hot water. It would cure dysentery.

29. In the case of dysentery that is longstanding and accompanied by constipation, discharge of blood and pain, one should be made to drink water boiled with vatsaka, ativiṣā, dried ginger, bilva and musta.

30. One suffering from any type of colic should drink warm water saturated with rock-salt burnt in charcoal. Alternatively (one may take a mixture of) rock-salt, asafoetida, long pepper and mustard in the same way.

31. Kaṭurohiṇī, long pepper, ātaṅka and powdered fried paddy made into a paste with honey that is filtered through a cloth and held in the mouth would remove thirst.

32- 33. A decoction of pāṭhā, dārvī (a variety of turmeric), skin of nutmeg, grapes and the three kinds of myrobalans together with honey if gargled would remedy sore-mouth. A decoction of long pepper, ativiṣa, tiktendra, dāru, pāṭhā and payomuc boiled with (cow’s) urine (taken with) honey would remove all throat affections.

34. Drinking of a decoction of pathyā, gokṣura, dusparṣa, rājavṛkṣa and śilābhit together with honey would remedy painful discharge of urine.

35. A decoction of bamboo bark and varuṇa would remove stone in the bladder. One who is suffering from elephantiasis should take the decoction of śākhoṭaka together with honey and milk.

36. Oil made with blackgram and the milk extracted from the bark of arka (as well as) rock-salt mixed with honey would be remedy for the diseases of leg. Clarified butter similarly (would cure) jālakukkuṭaja.^[1]

37. Powder of dried ginger, natron and asafoetida mixed with the juice of dried ginger boiled with ghee would remove sickness and this decoction is known to be efficacious in improving digestion.

38. One who is having enlargement of spleen should drink buttermilk together with juices that aid digestion such as natrum, agni and asafoetida, or with viḍa and dīpyaka.

39. A decoction of emblic myrobalan, snake-gourd and greengram together with clarified butter would cure dry spreading itch. Dry ginger, dāru and navā made into a decoction with milk together with the urine of a cow also (would remove swelling).

40. Decoction of dry ginger, pepper, long pepper, kṣāra and the three myrobalans would remove swelling. (Similar effect is had by using) treacle, śigru and trivṛt together with pulverised rock-salt.

41. A decoction of trivṛt and the three myrobalans together with treacle would act as a purgative. A decoction of vacā and three kinds of myrobalan with milk would be an emetic.

42-44. One hundred palas (a measure of weight) each of the three myrobalans soaked in the essence of bhṛṅgaja mixed with ten parts of viḍaṅga and iron filings and twenty-five palas of śatāvarī, guḍūcī and agni should be licked with honey, clarified butter and sesamum oil. (One would be) free from aging and greying of hair. He would live a hundred years free from all diseases. The three myrobalans with honey and sugar is capable of destroying all diseases.

45-46a. Taking mustard together with honey, ghee, pepper, the three myrobalans, pathyā, citraka, dry ginger, guḍūcī, muśalīraja and treacle would remove disease and make (one live) for three hundred years.

46b-48a. The japā flower (dried) and made into a powder and then into a ball should be put in water. The oil of the paste with water would be like ghee. By the incense (of the above) one that is old would see things as variegated. One would see as before by the incense of mākṣika.

48b-49. If camphor, oil (extracted) from leech and frog and root of pāṭali are ground well and anointed on the two feet, one could walk on the fire after arranging and raising of the grass (?) and provide entertainment to the spectators.

50-51. (The scope of medicine) is stated to fall under six heads such as poison, (influence of) stars, ailments (in general), violent deaths, minor (ailments) and love potents. It leads to two kinds of accomplishments. Sacred formulas meditation, medicine, conversation, mudrā (postures of the hand) and sacrificial worships are the means therein. The four goals (of life) have been narrated. One who reads (the same) would reach heaven.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

A disease of the leg.