Foods and materials

Ghee is described as strength-increasing (verse: of great potency), cold, aiding digestion (commentary for विपाकि), tasty, removing vata, pitta and kapha, a rasāyana, increasing lustre,…

The text says a newborn lives first on its mother's milk alone, then on mother's milk together with food, before taking food alone.

Eating sesame oil is listed among the causes of pitta aggravation.

The seasonal rules name the drinking water for each season: in spring well or village water, or water heated, clean and cooled; in summer well water; in the rains hot water; in autumn water…

Sugar, named by the commentary among the products of sugarcane, is listed among the causes of kapha aggravation.

Jaggery, named by the commentary among the products of sugarcane, is listed among the causes of kapha aggravation.

The introduction says meat, like wine and honey, is used in no medicinal formula of the Kalyāṇakāraka, because obtaining it involves killing living beings and its renunciation is needed to…

Curd is listed among the causes of kapha aggravation.

Mercury (rasa, parada) is said to be also called rasaraja.

Urine is said to be of eight kinds, from eight animals: cow, goat, buffalo, horse, donkey, camel, elephant and ram.

Shāli rice is described as sweet and cooling and light in digestion, and therefore as removing pitta, increasing kapha and bringing on much urine.

Buttermilk is named as the suitable after-drink when eating boiled rice and the like.

Sugarcane juice and foods made with it are listed among the causes of kapha aggravation.

Warm water is named as the after-drink when eating dishes made with ghee and the like, or when drinking fats (sneha).

Alkali is said always to follow the properties of urine.

Leaves of rāī and of white mustard are listed among leaf vegetables said to remove kapha, to be hot and to be wholesome in vata disorders.

The verse lists sour sauvīra (the commentary: sour kāñjī) and liquor and its products among the causes of pitta aggravation.

The introduction says wine (madya), like meat and honey, is used in no medicinal formula of the Kalyāṇakāraka, because it is born of violence and its renunciation is needed to uphold…

The verse describes sesame as hot, pervaded by astringent, bitter and sweet tastes, binding and appetising, light in digestion, and, applied to wounds, cleansing and healing.

Green gram (mudga) is listed among the foods whose use aggravates vāta.

The kalpa of shilajatu is said to be of many kinds; the author gives it with a few variants.

Rubbing (the killed mercury) with gold is said to give more vigour (virya) and freedom from disease.

Black gram (māṣa) is listed among the foods whose use aggravates vāta.

Horse-gram soup (kulattha-yūṣa) is listed among the causes of pitta aggravation.

Mango leaves are listed among leaf vegetables said to remove kapha, to be hot and to be wholesome in vata disorders.

Three jujubes—the small (kola), the large (badarī) and the bush jujube (karkandhu, झाड़िया बेर)—are listed among very sour fruits said to pacify vata, provoke blood, produce pitta and…

Cow milk is one of the eight kinds of milk, all said to be wholesome for all beings.

Orpiment (haratāla) is listed among the mineral poisons that come from mines.

Banana (verse moca) is listed among fruits said to be heavy to digest, to produce semen and to increase kapha greatly.

Pigeon pea (āḍhakī, arhar) is listed among the foods whose use aggravates vāta.

Realgar (manaḥśilā, called śilā in the verse) is listed among the mineral poisons that come from mines.

Citron (बिजौरा नींबू) is listed among very sour fruits said to pacify vata, provoke blood, produce pitta and kapha, be heavy and unctuous, cause salivation, cleanse impurities and be sharp.

Grapes head a list of fruits said to be heavy to digest, to produce semen and to increase kapha greatly.

Barley, like wheat, is said to resemble sesame but to be cold, strengthening and strongly aphrodisiac; the commentary says that when unripe they are strength-giving and nourishing.

Jāmun fruit is listed among fruits said to bind the stool strongly, to be cold and to be wholesome in pitta and kapha disorders.

In the mica process the text names yellow mica (hemabhraka) together with patalika and patuvajraka.

Almost all pulses (arhar, chickpea, lentil and others) are described as dry, cooling, astringent and sweet, causing retention of stool and increasing vata; being astringent, they are said…

Wood apple (kaith) is listed among very sour fruits said to pacify vata, provoke blood, produce pitta and kapha, be heavy and unctuous, cause salivation, cleanse impurities and be sharp.

Leeches are called jalaukas because water is their home (oka) and jalayuka because water is their life (ayu); they are also called jaluka, words that grammarians derive by the prishodaradi…

The pitta-destroying group is kunduru, neem, clove, liquorice, sahadevi, gangeran, vidari tuber, kakoli, vrishchikali, rasaunt, mahua flowers, vetiver, mango, banana, musta, hribera, lotus,…

The kapha-destroying group is kakajangha, both karanjas (karanja and putikaranja), khadira, palasha, vijayasar, meshashringi, long pepper, cardamom, turmeric, tree turmeric, kutaja bark,…

Lentil (masūra) is listed among the foods whose use aggravates vāta.

The introduction says honey, like wine and meat, is used in no medicinal formula of the Kalyāṇakāraka, because obtaining it involves killing countless living beings and its renunciation is…

The pomegranate tree is named among the five lavaṇī plants growing by the sea, said to remove vata, produce kapha, pitta and blood, cause wasting, digest with difficulty and suit urinary…

Tamarind leaves are listed among leaf vegetables said to remove kapha, to be hot and to be wholesome in vata disorders.