Listen, O seeker, to the ancient wisdom of healing as revealed in the sacred teachings. The foundation of all substances is their inherent essence, which steadfastly upholds taste, potency, and the post-digestive effect. Even as tastes transform, this underlying substance remains constant, serving as the swift support for all things material. Potency, or the inherent energy of a substance, is recognized as being of three kinds: cold, hot, or salty. The transformation of tastes is twofold in nature, with pungency being especially prominent. In the practice of healing, there are four essential pillars: the physician, the medicine, the patient, and the attendant. When any one of these is out of harmony with the others, success in treatment cannot be attained. Before commencing any therapy, one must thoroughly understand several factors: the region where the patient resides, the current season, the patient’s age, the strength of their digestive fire, their innate constitution, the nature of the medicine, as well as the qualities of the body, mind, physical strength, and the diseases present. Regions with mixed characteristics are called common regions. In matters of age, childhood extends up to sixteen years, middle age up to seventy, and beyond that is considered old age. The three humors—phlegm, bile, and wind—tend to manifest in this order. In advanced age, treatments should avoid the use of alkali, fire, or surgery. For those who are emaciated, nourishing therapies are recommended; for those who are obese, reducing therapies are needed; and for those of medium build, protective measures are best. These are the three recognized body types. Strength should be carefully assessed by observing firmness, capacity for exercise, and contentment. A person of true strength is unwavering, energetic, and courageous. Sometimes, a person may consume food and drink that do not suit their constitution, simply for comfort. If this does not disturb their well-being, it is considered a state of equilibrium. The constitution of a child is shaped by the mother’s diet during pregnancy. If she eats foods that increase phlegm, the child is born with a phlegmatic constitution; if she consumes foods that increase wind or bile, or maintains a balanced diet, the child’s constitution will reflect that. A person of windy nature is thin, dry, with scant hair, a restless mind, a love of talking, and dreams of movement. One with a bilious nature is prematurely gray, fair-skinned, sweats easily, quick to anger, intelligent, and sees radiant things in dreams. The phlegmatic type has a steady mind, a gentle and pleasant voice, smooth hair, and dreams of water or stones. Sometimes, signs of two or three humors are present in one person; such a person is said to have a mixed constitution. However, if one humor is clearly dominant, that is considered the main constitution. The digestive fire, or agni, is of four types: weak, sharp, irregular, and balanced. These arise from the predominance of phlegm, bile, wind, or their equilibrium, respectively. In the balanced type, maintenance is key; in the irregular, wind should be subdued; in the sharp, measures against bile are needed; and in the weak, purification of phlegm is prescribed. Indigestion is the root of all diseases, for it destroys the digestive fire. Its signs are heaviness, sourness, and obstruction, and it manifests in four forms. From indigestion arise ailments such as cholera and heart fatigue; in these cases, vomiting induced with vacā, salt, and water is beneficial. Sourness leads to loss of semen, dizziness, fainting, and thirst; here, drinking cold water and remedies for wind are advised. Fractures, heaviness of the head, and disorders from improper food require that daytime sleep be avoided and fasting be observed. Colic and abdominal tumors, marked by obstruction of urine and stool, should be treated with fomentation and saline water. For heaviness, sourness, and obstruction caused by phlegm, bile, or wind, wise physicians anoint the abdomen with asafoetida, black salt, and long pepper. Daytime sleep is recommended to destroy all indigestion, but unwholesome food causes many diseases and must be avoided. Warm water after meals and honey act as digestives, but milk is generally incompatible with radish, curd, or fish. Among medicinal roots, Bilva, śoṇā, gambhārī, pāṭalā, and gaṇikārikā are called the five great roots; they kindle the digestive fire and destroy phlegm and wind. The five lesser roots—śālaparṇa, pṛśniparṇa, the two kinds of bṛhatī, and gokṣura—remove wind and bile, and are invigorating. Both types of daśasūla are effective in alleviating fever caused by the convergence of diseases, and are recommended for cough, breathlessness, lethargy, and pain in the sides. Oils prepared with these medicines are used for fomentation and ointments to overcome alopecia, with decoction water four times the quantity for both general and foot applications. For medicinal preparations, equal parts of oil and milk are used, with the medicinal paste being one quarter the amount of oil. For enemas and oral administration, the mixture should be equal; for massage, a rougher preparation is used, and for nasal application, a gentler one, always adjusting the preparation as needed. A person whose body and senses are robust and whose natural constitution is established should be regarded as healthy and cared for as one destined for longevity. On the other hand, one who perceives objects with their senses in a distorted manner, or is hostile to physicians, friends, and teachers, or is excessively attached to loved ones or enemies, is in peril. If a person’s ankle, knee, forehead, jaw, or cheek is dislocated or displaced, their life is soon to end. If the left eye is sunken, the tongue dark, the nose deformed, the lips black and displaced, and the mouth black, one should abandon hope for recovery. Then Dhanvantari spoke: “I shall explain the discernment of what is beneficial and harmful, and the rules for anupāna, or after-drinks. Red rice destroys the three doṣas, quenches thirst, and prevents fat accumulation. Mahāśāli rice is highly invigorating, while kalama rice alleviates phlegm and bile, is cooling, heavy, and, like the white ṣaṣṭika rice, pacifies all three doṣas. Śyāmāka is drying, rough, wind-promoting, and alleviates phlegm and bile; the same qualities are found in priyangu, nivāra, and koradūṣa. Barley, when used often and cold, removes phlegm and bile; it is invigorating, cooling, heavy, and sweet. Wheat destroys wind. Mudga is astringent, sweet, light, and removes phlegm and bile. Māṣa is highly strengthening, invigorating, heavy, and alleviates bile and phlegm. Rājamāṣa, though not invigorating, alleviates phlegm and bile, and relieves wind disorders. Kulattha removes breathlessness, hiccups, heart disease, phlegm, abdominal tumors, and wind. Makuṣṭhaka is cooling, binding, and alleviates bleeding disorders, fever, and insanity. Caṇaka is wind-promoting and removes disorders of semen, blood, phlegm, and bile.” Thus, the ancient science of health and healing is revealed, guiding the wise to discern the nature of body, mind, and medicine, and to walk the path of well-being.