In ancient times, the sages compiled a treasury of wisdom for the healing and care of the body, prescribing remedies for every manner of ailment. For those afflicted with skin diseases, they advised the drinking of water infused with khadira, and the use of the juices of matulunga, jati, dried roots, and rock salt. The diet for such persons should consist of gruels made from lentils and mung beans, and meals of well-cooked rice, accompanied by the beneficial greens of neem and parpata, and the juices of wild animals. To further combat skin disorders, a potent mixture was made by pounding together vidanga, black pepper, musta, kustha, lodhra, suvarcika, manashila, and valerian with urine, for this was known to destroy such afflictions. Those suffering from urinary disorders were prescribed cakes and preparations of kustha, kulmasha, barley, and similar foods, with barley, mung beans, horse gram, and well-cooked rice being considered especially suitable. A diet rich in bitter and dry vegetables and greens was recommended, along with the oils of sesame, mustard, vibhitaka, and inguda. For those weakened by consumption, the sages advised mung beans with barley and wheat, grains that had been stored for a year, and the juice of wild animals as the best nourishment. Horse gram, black gram, rasna, dried roots, and wild meats—sometimes prepared with flowers or grains and seasoned with curd and pomegranate—were all deemed beneficial. For those suffering from breathlessness and cough, food prepared with the juice of citron, honey, grapes, long pepper, barley, wheat, and rice was recommended. Gruels, soups, and decoctions prepared with the ten roots, bala, rasna, and horse gram offered relief for breathlessness and hiccups. Digested rice, wheat, and barley taken with the juice of dried roots, horse gram, wild roots, and usira provided further support. When swelling was present, the wise prescribed pathya with gur and ginger, as well as buttermilk and citraka, both being remedies for diseases of the digestive tract. Old barley, wheat, rice, the juice of wild meats, mudga, amalaki, dates, grapes, and badara were all recommended as wholesome foods. For those troubled by wind disorders, honey, ghee, milk, sugar, neem, parpata, buttermilk, and arishta were always beneficial. In cases of heart disease, purgation was advised, with long pepper for hiccups, and buttermilk, valāla, and sindhu cooled with cold water to be used. Pearls and black salt were known to aid in cases of intoxication, while drinking lac with honey and milk brought relief from vomiting. Tuberculosis was countered with a diet of nourishing meat broths, which protected the digestive fire, and with meals of red rice, nivara, and kalama. Barley preparations, meat, vegetables, black salt, and shati were considered wholesome, and for hemorrhoids, gruel or buttermilk with water was prescribed. Musta, lopa with citraka and turmeric, barley preparations, rice, and vāstuka with black salt were all recommended for strengthening the body. For difficulty in urination, barley and wheat with tin, mixed with milk, sugarcane juice, and ghee, were beneficial, and gruel and sura were suitable for drinking. Remedies for vomiting included puffed rice, śaktu, honey, roasted meat, parushaka, brinjal, kulāva, shikhin, and various drinks. To quench thirst, rice cooked with plenty of water or milk, or simply with hot water, was effective, and a tablet of musta and gur could be held in the mouth. Barley preparations, cakes, dried roots, and vegetables such as patola and vetra shoots were used to remove stiffness. The wise prescribed mudga, arhar, and masura, along with sesame, wild meat juices, rock salt, ghee, grapes, dry ginger, amalaki, and kola for nourishment. Soups of old wheat, barley, and rice were beneficial, and for those with erysipelas, a sweet made of sesame, honey, grapes, and pomegranate was recommended. Light foods included red sugarcane, wheat, barley, and mung beans, as well as kakamari, the tip of vetra, vastuka, and suvarcalā. For disorders of wind and blood, water mixed with honey was advised, while clarified butter prepared with durva grass was beneficial in incurable diseases. Oil made with bhringaraja juice or with amla juice was desirable as a nasal medicine for all ailments, especially those arising from scalp parasites. Cold water, food, and drink, as well as the consumption of sesame seeds, were said to induce sluggishness and satisfaction in twice-born persons. Gargling with sesame oil greatly increased this sluggishness, while viranga powder and cow urine were effective for destroying all intestinal worms. A paste of amla fruit and clarified butter was the best application for the head, and for head diseases, oily and warm food was also recommended. For ear pain, oil or the urine of a camel was used as an excellent filling, and pearls of all kinds were also suitable. Mountain clay, sandalwood, lac, and jasmine buds, when made into a paste, removed seminal wounds. To cure all eye diseases, vyosha mixed with triphala, tucchaka, and water was used, as was rasanjana. Clarified butter roasted and ground on stone, mixed with lodhra, sour rice water, and rock salt, was beneficial for washing and curing all eye ailments. A paste of mountain clay and sandalwood was recommended for the eyes, and triphala was always to be used for prevention of eye diseases. At night, those desiring long life should use honey and clarified butter, and shatavari juice prepared with milk and ghee was considered invigorating. Kalambika and mash beans, when prepared with milk and ghee, were also invigorating, and triphala combined with licorice was known to promote longevity. Licorice and other juices imparted strength and removed gray hair, and clarified butter prepared with vacha destroyed defects caused by spirits. Poetry, it was said, brought intelligence and accomplished all purposes, while ointment prepared with valā and kalkakaṣāya was beneficial for massage. Oil prepared with rasna and sahachara was recommended for disorders caused by wind, and any food that did not cause obstruction was praised for healing wounds. Thus, the sages provided a path of nourishment and remedy, guiding all who sought health and balance in body and spirit.