Rasa (six tastes)

Built from passages of the source by the curated extraction. Pending human review.

Search the library for it Discussed in 4 sessions

Names and synonyms

Sanskrit: षड्रसरसषट्क
Hindi: रसषड्रसछह रसस्वाद
English: Rasasix tastesrasataste
Romanized: shadrasarasa

What the text says

Each statement reports the source, with its chapter, page and verse. Traditional descriptions are not presented as proven medical facts.

Classification4

Taking the six tastes singly and in combinations of two, three, four, five and all six gives sixty-three varieties: 6 single tastes, 15 pairs, 20 of three, 15 of four, 6 of five and 1 of all six, which the commentary spells out one by one.
Chapter 20 · p. 452 · v. 28Hindi commentaryTraditional description
Pacifying drugs are said to be those with a distinct taste: sweet, sour and salty pacify vata; sweet, bitter and astringent pacify pitta; pungent, bitter and astringent pacify kapha.
Appendix: Hitahita · p. 614Sanskrit verseTraditional description
A garbled verse, marked with a query in this edition, says the sweet and other tastes arise in order from the elements, two of them predominating in each.
Appendix: Hitahita · p. 618Sanskrit verseTraditional description
Only substances with a particular taste are said to be of use for pacifying: sweet, sour and salty tastes remove vata; sweet, bitter and astringent remove pitta; pungent, bitter and astringent remove kapha.
Appendix: Hitahita · p. 630Hindi commentaryTraditional description

Treatment principle1

A physician of pure qualities who knows the kinds of dosha and of taste and the preliminary, main and after procedures should learn the taste combinations well and apply them according to the doshas to treat disease.
Chapter 20 · p. 452 · v. 28Hindi commentaryTraditional description

Diet1

The verse lists the habitual use of a single taste among the causes that bring on the doshas, to be avoided.
Chapter 3 · p. 35 · v. 46Sanskrit verseTraditional description

Physiology1

The commentary states that each element gives rise to one taste, which is why the taste of water follows its predominant element.
Chapter 5 · p. 62 · v. 2Hindi commentaryTraditional description

Discussed in topics7

Avoiding what harms healthस्वास्थ्य बाधक कारणों का परिहार How tastes become manifestरसों की व्यक्तता कैसे होती है Promise to describe the actions of medicines and related topicsऔषधकर्म आदि के वर्णन की प्रतिज्ञा Section on after-drinks: introductionअनुपानाधिकार: अनुपान विचार The author's expression of humilityलघुता प्रदर्शन The sixty-three combinations of tastesरसों के त्रेसठ भेद Treatment of pure and mixed vataशुद्ध और मिश्रित वात की चिकित्सा

Sessions4

Compendium of the science and rules of methodशास्त्रसंग्रहतंत्रयुक्ति Description of the body and daily regimenसूत्रव्यावर्णन Rules of food and drinkअन्नपानविधि Wholesome and unwholesome thingsहिताहिताध्याय

Questions2

How do the six tastes give sixty-three varieties?छह रसों से त्रेसठ भेद कैसे बनते हैं?On what grounds does the translation say that meat is not a medicine?भावानुवाद किन आधारों पर कहता है कि मांस औषध नहीं है?

Where else is this mentioned?

Named 7 times on 7 pages. These are automatic name matches, so a few may refer to something else with the same name.

Questions and answers

How do the six tastes give sixty-three varieties?

6 single tastes, 15 pairs, 20 combinations of three, 15 of four, 6 of five and 1 of all six make 63.

Detailed answer and sources

On what grounds does the translation say that meat is not a medicine?

It is not taken up in the sections on collecting medicinal substances, is neither purifying nor pacifying, has no taste of its own, and has no time or measure of use laid down for it.