Hear now the teachings of Dhanvantari, as he spoke to the wise Suśruta, illuminating the path of healing with reverence and clarity. Dhanvantari began by describing the effects of certain substances when taken alone. He explained that such substances can block the body’s channels, causing the limbs to become soft and itchy. They may lead to abdominal swelling, discoloration of the skin, disorders of the blood, disturbances of wind and bile, impotence, and diseases that affect the senses. He then enumerated a group of potent herbs: long pepper, horse-radish root, devadāru, kuṣṭha, garlic, valgujī fruit, mustā, guggulu, and lāṅgalī. These, he said, possess a pungent taste. The pungent taste kindles the digestive fire, purifies, and destroys skin diseases, itching, and phlegm. It removes obesity, laziness, and worms, and opposes the accumulation of semen and fat. However, he warned that excessive use of pungent substances can bring about dizziness, burning sensations, and other discomforts. Next, he listed kṛtamāla, kīrāṇi, turmeric, barley, sweet thorn, vetra, bṛhatī, and śaṅkhinī, followed by another group: guḍūcī, dravantī, trivṛt, maṇḍūkaparṇī, kāravella, brinjal, karavīra, and vāsaka, and yet another: rohiṇī, conch powder, karkoṭa, jayantikā, jātī, vāruṇaka, nimbu, jyotiṣmatī, and punarnavā. These are associated with the bitter taste, which is cutting, cleansing, and kindling. The bitter taste purifies, relieves fever and thirst, and conquers fainting, throat pain, and similar ailments. Yet, if taken to excess, it dries up the feces and urine, causes stiffness of the jaw, convulsions, pain, headache, and wounds. He continued with another group: triphala, sallakī, jambu, āmrātaka, vacā, tinduka, vakula, śāla, pālaṅkī, mudga, and cillaka. These are known for their astringent taste, which absorbs, heals, binds, and dries moisture. Consumed in excess and alone, the astringent taste causes pain in the heart, dryness of the mouth, fever, abdominal distension, and various forms of stiffness. Dhanvantari then described a further set of herbs—turmeric, kuṣṭha, rock salt, meṣaśṛṅgi, both kinds of balā, kacchurā, sallakī, pāṭhā, punarnavā, and śatāvarī—along with agnimantha, brahmadaṇḍī, śvadaṃṣṭra, eraṇḍa, barley, kola, kulattha, karṣāśī, and the daśamūla group. Each of these, whether used separately or together, removes disorders of wind and also many disorders of bile. He also spoke of śatāvarī, vidārī, bālaka, śīra, sandalwood, dūrvā, vaṭa, pippalī, badarī, and sallakī, as well as banana, lotus, red lotus, udumbara, paṭola, and the group that removes phlegm: turmeric, jaggery, and kuṣṭha. He then described the most excellent unctuous substances: śatapuṣpī, jātī, vyoṣa, aragvadha, lāṅgalī, clarified butter, oil, animal fat, and marrow. Among these, ghee is especially recommended for those who seek intelligence, memory, sharp intellect, and a strong digestive fire. For those suffering from excess bile, only ghee should be given; for those troubled by wind, ghee mixed with salt is best. For those with excess phlegm, ghee combined with vyoṣa and alkaline substances should be administered. This is also effective in cases of glandular disorders, blocked channels, worms, phlegm, fat, and wind disorders. Oil, Dhanvantari taught, is to be given for lightness and firmness, especially to those with hard bowels, or who have been depleted by wind, sun, water, burdens, women, or excessive exercise. In cases of dryness, suffering, wasting, excessive digestive fire, or wind obstructing the channels, treatment follows cauterization of the veins and is prescribed for the womb or head pain. For the best type of patient, the dose of unctuous decoction or medicine is one pala; for the moderate type, three akṣas; for the lowest, half a pala. Warm water should be given with ghee, but separately with oil. In unctuous treatment for bile and thirst, a man should drink warm water. Those with proper unctuousness, downward movement of wind, strong digestive fire, and good complexion are considered suitable for this treatment. For those with dryness, unctuousness should be applied; for those already unctuous, dryness should be induced. For fomentation in wind and phlegm disorders, śyāmāka, kodrava, doṣa, natakra, piṇyāka, and sakubhi are used. But one should never foment those who are excessively obese, dry, weak, or faint. Dhanvantari then proclaimed, “Now I will describe the preparation of ghee, oil, and similar remedies. Listen, O Suśruta, destroyer of disease.” He listed the herbs: śaṅkhapuṣpī, vacā, somā, brāhmī, and brahmasuvarcalā, along with abhayā, guḍūcī, aṭarūpa, and kavāgujī. Using equal parts of these, one should cook a prastha of ghee. When this is prepared with kaṇṭakāri juice and an equal measure of milk, it is called brāhmī ghee, supreme for enhancing hearing and intellect. He continued: triphalā, citraka, balā, nirgundī, nimbavāsaka, punarnavā, guḍūcī, bṛhatī, and śatāvarī are to be used in preparing ghee as available, which destroys all diseases. In a decoction of a hundred balā roots, half an āḍhaka of oil is cooked, with pastes of madhūka, mañjiṣṭhā, candana, utpala, and padmaka. To this, add fine powders of ilā, pippalī, kuṣṭha, tvak, elā, aguru, and kesara, with other fragrant and life-giving herbs, all combined with an āḍhaka of milk. This mixture, gently cooked over a fire and kept in a pure silver vessel, alleviates all wind disorders and those affecting all bodily tissues. This oil, Dhanvantari said, pacifies all wind disorders and is dear to kings. With a prastha of śatāvarī juice and an equal measure of milk, and with śatapuṣpa, devadāru, māṃsī, śaileyaka, balā, candana, tagara, kuṣṭha, manaḥśilā, and jyotiṣmatī—all equal in weight to karṣa—one should cook a prastha of ghee. This is especially beneficial for those who are hunchbacked, dwarfed, lame, deaf, disabled, or afflicted with leprosy, as well as those whose limbs are broken by wind, weakened in intercourse, aged and frail, bloated, or suffering from dry mouths. This oil, which destroys all diseases, quickly eliminates all winds lodged in the skin, veins, and tendons. It is known as the oil of Nārāyaṇa, spoken by Viṣṇu, and is a great dispeller of disease. One should separately prepare oil and ghee with all these medicines, each individually. The application may be made with śatāvarī, guḍūcī, citraka, and gocanā, or with nirguṇḍī, or with kaṇṭakārī and its juices, or with varṣābhū, ālaya, vāsaka, and the three fruits, as well as brāhī, igṇḍaka, bhṛṅgarāja, and kuṣṭa. With musalī, daśamūla, khadira, and banyan and similar herbs, a tablet or sweet ball, or powder, serves as a remedy for all diseases. Finally, Dhanvantari taught that these preparations may be mixed with ghee, honey, water, sugar, and similar substances. When combined with pungent salts as available, they act as powerful remedies. Thus, Dhanvantari imparted the knowledge of tastes, substances, and their combinations, guiding the wise in the art of healing and the destruction of disease.