1    kaṭu-vipāka is the term for bitter and spicy food after digestion.

Here are some other definitions related to spices:

Haridrā and pippalī: Spices mentioned in Vedic literature

Marica and hiṅgu: Spices mentioned in Dharmasūtra literature

Gaura: A Sanskrit word for a type of rice

Guna: A spicy dish served as a side dish

The word spicy has multiple meanings, including:

Having a pungent taste

Producing a burning sensation on the taste nerves

Tasty

Pleasing to the sense of taste

Exciting but vulgar or inappropriate

Suggestive of sexual impropriety

2             CHARAKA SAMHITA:  Chapter 23 - The therapeutics of Toxicosis
(visha-cikitsa)

2. Thus declared the worshipful Atreya.

3. Listen O, Agnivesha! attentively, as I describe to you the primogenesis,
the properties, the source, the stages of virulence, the symptoms and the
therapeutics of toxicosis [visha].

(b) Spices:

Amarakośa lists a variety of spices such as vellaja–black-pepper,
jīraka–Cumin, suṣavī–Black cumin, ārdraka–ginger, Chattrā–corriander,
śuṇṭhī–dry ginger, saharavedhi–A safoetida, Kāravī–Hingupatri,
Kāñcanī–turmeric. Kṣīrasvāmin adds valuable remarks wherever necessary
deriving all the synonyms.

Some of them are highlighted here.

Vellaja (II. 9. 35-6; p. 207) –

[Black-pepper:]

Vellaja, marīca, kolaka, kṛṣṇabhūṣaṇa, dharmapattana are words listed by
Amarakośa Kṣīrasvāmin remarks that since they grow on banks of Vella they
are vellaja or he also adds that some opines it to be the Vella tree –

velle vellātaṭe jāyate vellajaṃ vellākhyaḥ śākhītyeke |

He also quotes from Dhanvantari in which are additional terms such
as—śyāma, yananeṣṭa and sitavṛnta–

āha ca—

marīcaṃ valitaṃ śyāmaṃ vellakaṃ kṛṣṇamūṣaṇam |

yavaneṣṭaṃ sitavṛntaṃ kolakaṃ dhārmapattanam |

Jīraka (II. 6. 36; p. 207)–

[Cumin]

Kṣīrasvāmin explains medically that it is a digestive and hence called
jīraka–jīryate'nenānnaṃ jīrakaḥ | He further adds that the wise or learned
use the word as jaraṇa–jarayatīti jaraṇa iti sabhyāḥ | Ajājī is another
synonym of cumin which Kṣīrasvāmin remarks as indicative of its appetising
quality and stimulating digestive fire; he adds that it is in feminine
gender–ājaṃ svabhāvikaṃ mandāgnitvamajati -ājājī | strī |

Suṣavī (II. 9. 37; p. 208)–

[Black Cumin:]

Amarakośa lists suṣavī, kāravī, pṛthvī and kālopakuñcikā. Kṣīrasvāmin says
that suṣavī signifies its nature to instigate the Doṣas–

suṣṭhu suvati prerayati doṣān suṣati |

Upakuñcikā is also black cumin. Kṣīrasvāmin says this variety of cumin
reduces the doṣas[3] –

upakuñcayatyalpīkaroti doṣānupakuñcikā |

āha ca—

upakuñcikopakuñcī ca kālikā copakālikā |

suṣavī kuñcikā kuñcī pṛthvīkā kṛṣṇajīrake |



Suśruta (I. 46. 229) mentions that both varieties of cumin increase pitta
and digestive power but pacify kapha and vāta–

pittāgni vardhanam... jīraka dvayam |

He further states that upakuñcikā also is of similar nature.

Ārdrakam, Śṛṅgaveram (II. 9. 37; p. 208)–

[Ginger:]

Amarakośa mentions these two as synonyms of Ginger. Kṣīrasvāmin explaining
the term śṛṅgaveram etymologically remarks that ginger is considered as an
effective medicine–

śṛṅgopalakṣitaṃ veram dehasya ṣaḍaṅgaveram |

āha ca—

mahauṣadhaṃ śṛṅgaveraṃ kaṭubhadraṃ tathārdrakam ||

All these are synonyms given for ginger in Āyurvedic texts. It is commonly
used in Āyurveda for digestive disorders[4].

Chatrā or Vitunnakam (II. 9. 37; p. 208)–

[Coriander:]

Kṣīrasvāmin explains that vitunnakam is so called as it strikes the
mandāgni and it covers or veils the doṣas–

vitudati mandāgnitvaṃ vitunnakam |

chattrātapatrā chādayati doṣānvā chatrā ||

Suśruta (I. 46. 231) also opines that the dried coriander alleviates the
doṣas.

Kāñcanī (II. 6. 41; p. 208)–

[Turmeric:]

Amarakośa lists pītā, haridrā and varavarṇinī as other synonyms of turmeric.

Kṣīrasvāmin provides the derivation of kāñcanī as siginifying to stimulate
the digestive fire and as denoting its origin in the city of Kāñcī:

kañjayati dīpayatyagniṃ badhnāti doṣānvā kāñcikaṃ kāñcyāṃ puri bhavaṃ vā |

He also adds from Dhanvantari Nighaṇṭu (6. 294)–

āha ca—

kāñcikaṃ kāñjikaṃ vīraṃ kulmāṣābhiṣutaṃ tathā |

āvantisomaṃ dhānyāmlamāranālaṃ mahārasam |

3       Bg. 17.9

कट्‌वम्ललवणात्युष्णतीक्ष्णरूक्षविदाहिन: ।

आहारा राजसस्येष्टा दु:खशोकामयप्रदा: ॥ ९ ॥

kaṭv-amla-lavaṇāty-uṣṇa-

tīkṣṇa-rūkṣa-vidāhinaḥ

āhārā rājasasyeṣṭā

duḥkha-śokāmaya-pradāḥ

Synonyms

kaṭu — bitter; amla — sour; lavaṇa — salty; ati-uṣṇa — very hot; tīkṣṇa —
pungent; rūkṣa — dry; vidāhinaḥ — burning; āhārāḥ — food; rājasasya — to
one in the mode of passion; iṣṭāḥ — palatable; duḥkha — distress; śoka —
misery; āmaya — disease; pradāḥ — causing.

Foods that are too bitter, too sour, salty, hot, pungent, dry and burning
are dear to those in the mode of passion. Such foods cause distress, misery
and disease.

K RAJARAM IRS 171124

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