Sushruta Samhita Uttaratantra Chapter 63 Rasabheda Vikalpa Adhyāya (Categories of Tastes)

AIAPGET POINTS

1.   Acharya Sushruta enumerates 63 categories of Rasas in Chapter 63 of Sushruta Uttara.
2.   2 Rasa Combinations are 15 in number.
3.   In total, 20 types of 3 Rasa Combinations are formed.
4.   In total, 15 types of 4 Rasa Combinations are formed.
5.   5 Rasa combinations are 6 in number.

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The 63rd chapter of Uttaratantra of Sushruta Samhita is named as Rasabheda Vikalpa Adhyāya. This chapter deals with Categories of Tastes. 

अथातो रसभेदविकल्पमध्यायं व्याख्यास्यामः ||१||
यथोवाच भगवान् धन्वन्तरिः ||२||

We will now expound the chapter on Rasabheda vikalpa- categories of tastes; as revealed by the venerable Dhafivañtari.

दोषाणां पञ्चदशधा प्रसरोऽभिहितस्तु यः |
त्रिषष्ट्या रसाभेदानां तत्प्रयोजनमुच्यते ||३||
अविदग्धा विदग्धाश्च भिद्यन्ते ते त्रिषष्टिधा |
रसभेदत्रिषष्टिं तु वीक्ष्य वीक्ष्यावचारयेत् ||४||

In the Sutra Sthana section, chapter 21, it was already stated that the doshas spread throughout the body in fifteen different ways. In this context, sixty three categories of tastes shall be described for the purpose of treatment of those doshas (which are spreading in different ways).

Tastes are six in numbers. Each individual taste and in different combinations with other tastes become sixty three in number. Only after carefully considering the sixty three combinations of tastes in the herbs (medicines), the physician should bring them into use.

एकैकेनानुगमनं भागशो यदुदीरितम् |
दोषाणां, तत्र मतिमान् त्रिषष्टिं तु प्रयोजयेत् ||५||

An intelligent physician should adopt these tastes skilfully as below mentioned –

–        each one (taste) separately in case of aggravation of doshas in parts, each dosha separate, and

–        the sixty three combinations of tastes in case of aggravation of doshas in combinations of two or three

Categories of two tastes

यथाक्रमप्रवृत्तानां द्विकेषु मधुरो रसः |
पञ्चानुक्रमते योगानम्लश्चतुर एव तु ||६||
त्रींश्चानुगच्छति रसो लवणः कटुको द्वयम् |
तिक्तः कषायमन्वेति ते द्विका दश पञ्च च ||७||
तद्यथा- मधुराम्लः(१), मधुरलवणः(२), मधुरकटुकः(३), मधुरतिक्तः(४), मधुरकषायः(५), एतेपञ्चानुक्रान्ता मधुरेण; अम्ललवणः(१), अम्लकटुकः(२), अम्लतिक्तः(३), अम्लकषायः(४), एते चत्वारोऽनुक्रान्ता अम्लेन; लवणकटुकः(१), लवणतिक्तः(२), लवणकषायः(३), एते त्रयोऽनुक्रान्ता लवणेन; कटुतिक्तः(१), कटुकषायः(२), द्वावेतावनुक्रान्तौ कटुकेन; तिक्तकषायः(१) एक एवानुक्रान्तस्तिक्तेन; एवमेते पञ्चदश द्विकसंयोगा व्याख्याताः ||८||

Classification-

Proceeding further,

–       madhura rasa (sweet taste) together with another one makes five categories;

–       amla rasa (sour taste) together with another one makes four categories;

–       lavaṇa (salt) together with another one makes three categories;

–       katu rasa (pungent taste) together with another one makes two categories;

–       tikta rasa (bitter taste) and kaşāya (astringent taste) together with another one makes two categories;

Fifteen categories are formed thus.

They are as follows-

Below mentioned are the five combinations of madhura rasa – sweet taste –

1. Madhura + amla
2. Madhura + lavana 
3. Madhura + Katu           
4. Madhura + Tikta
5. Madhura + Kashaya

Below mentioned are the four combinations of amla rasa – sour taste –

1. Amla + Lavaṇa
2. Amla + Katu
3. Amla + Tikta
4. Amla + Kashaya

Below mentioned are the three combinations of lavana rasa – salt taste –

1. Lavaṇa + Katu
2. Lavana + Tikta
3. Lavana + Kashaya

Below mentioned are the two combinations of katu rasa – pungent taste –

1. Katu +Tikta
2. Katu + Kashaya

Below mentioned is one combination of tikta rasa – bitter taste –

1. Tikta + Kaṣāya

This one is the combination of tikta.

Categories of three tastes

त्रिकान् वक्ष्यामः-
आदौ प्रयुज्यमानस्तु मधुरो दश गच्छति |
षडम्लो लवणस्तस्मादर्धमेकं तथा कटुः ||९||

Now, the categories of three tastes shall now be described –

First of all,

–        madhura rasa – sweet taste, in combination with other two tastes forms ten categories;

–        amla rasa – sour taste, in combination with other two tastes, forms six categories,

–        lavana rasa – salt taste, in combination with other two tastes, forms half of it (in other words three) and

–        katu rasa – pungent taste, in combination with other two tastes, forms only one category

If Amla Rasa is counted as the first Rasa, how many 3 RASA combinations / types would it form in combination with other Rasas?

1. 15
2.   05
3. 06
4.   10

Ans – d. 10. Ref – Su.Ut.63/9-10

तद्यथा- मधुराम्ललवणः(१), मधुराम्लकटुकः(२), मधुराम्लतिक्तः(३), मधुराम्लकषायः(४), मधुरलवणकटुकः(५), मधुरलवणतिक्ताः(६), मधुरलवणकषायः(७), मधुरकटुकतिक्तः(८), मधुरकटुकषायः(९), मधुरतिक्तकषायः(१०), एवमेषां दशानां त्रिकसंयोगानामादौ मधुरः प्रयुज्यते; अम्ललवणकटुकः(१), अम्ललवणतिक्तः(२), अम्ललवणकषायः(३), अम्लकटुतिक्तः(४), अम्लकटुकषायः(५), अम्लतिक्तकषायः(६), एवमेषां षण्णामादावम्लः प्रयुज्यते; लवणकटुतिक्तः(१), लवणकटुकषायः(२), लवणतिक्तकषायः(३), एवमेषां त्रयाणामादौ लवणः प्रयुज्यते; कटुतिक्तकषायः(१), एवमेकस्यादौ कटुकः प्रयुज्यते; एवमेते त्रिकसंयोगा विंशतिर्व्याख्याताः ||१०||

They are as follows –

Below mentioned ten categories are formed from combination of three tastes, commencing from madhura rasa – sweet taste

1.   Madhura   +Amla+ Lavana
2.   Madhura  + Amla+ Katu
3.   Madhura  + Amla+ Tikta
4.   Madhura  + Amla+ Kasaya
5.   Madhura  + Lavana+ Katu
6.   Madhura  + LAvana + Tikta
7.   Madhura  + Lavana+ Kasaya
8.   Madhura  + Katu+Tikta
9.   Madhura  + Katu+Kasaya
10. Madhura  + Tikta+ Kasaya

Below mentioned six categories are formed from combination of three tastes, commencing from amla rasa – sour taste,

1. Amla + Lavana+ Katu
2. Amla + Lavana+ Tikta
3. Amla +Lavana+ Kasaya
4. Amla +Katu+Tikta
5. Amla +Katu+Kasaya
6. Amla +Tikta+ Kasaya

Below mentioned three categories are formed from combination of three tastes, commencing from lavana rasa – salt taste,

1. Lavana + Katu+ Tikta
2. Lavana+ Katu+ Kasaya
3. Lavana+ Tikta+ Kasaya

Below mentioned one category is formed from combination of three tastes, commencing from katu rasa – sour taste,

1. Katu+ Tikta+ Kasaya

Thus, all these put together form twenty categories of combinations of three rasas.

Categories of four tastes

चतुष्कान् वक्ष्यामः |
चतुष्करससंयोगान्मधुरो दश गच्छति |
चतुरोऽम्लोऽनुगच्छेच्च लवणस्त्वेकमेव तु ||११||

Now, combinations of four tastes shall be described.

–        combination of four tastes commencing with madhura rasa- ten categories,

–        combination of four tastes commencing with amla rasa – four categories,

–        combination of four tastes commencing with lavana rasa – one category

These are as follows-

Categories of four tastes

मधुराम्ललवणकटुकः(१), मधुराम्ललवणतिक्तः(२), मधुराम्ललवणकषायः(३), मधुराम्लकटुकतिक्तः(४), मधुराम्लकटुकषायः(५), मधुराम्लतिक्तकषायः(६), मधुरलवणकटुकतिक्तः(७), मधुरलवणकटुकषायः(८), मधुरलवणतिक्तकषायः(९), मधुरकटुतिक्तकषायः(१०), एवमेषां दशानामादौ मधुरः प्रयुज्यते; अम्ललवणकटुतिक्तः(१), अम्ललवणकटुकषायः(२), अम्ललवणतिक्तकषायः(३), अम्लकटुतिक्तकषायः(४), एवमेषां चतुर्णामादावम्लः; लवणकटुतिक्तकषायः(१), एवमेकस्यादौ लवणः; एवमेते चतुष्करससंयोगाः पञ्चदश कीर्तिताः ||१२||

Below mentioned are the ten categories of four rasas formed from madhura rasa and other three tastes –

1. Madhura + Amla + Lavana + Katu
2. Madhura + Amla + Lavana +Tikta
3. Madhura + Amla + Lavana +Kasaya
4. Madhura +Amla+Katu+ Tikta
5. Madhura + Amla +Katu+ Kasaya
6. Madhura + Amla+ Tikta+ Kasaya
7. Madhura +Lavana+Katu+Tikta
8. Madhura +Lavana+Katu+ Kasaya
9. Madhura +Lavana+Tikta+Kasaya
10.                   Madhura +Katu+Tikta+Kasaya

Below mentioned are the four categories of four rasas formed from amla rasa and other three tastes –

1. Amla +Lavana+ Katu+ Tikta
2. Amla+ Lavana+ KAtu+ Kasaya
3. Amla+ LAvana+  Tikta+ KAsaya
4. Amla+ Katu+ Tikta+ Kasaya

Below mentioned is one category of four rasas formed from lavana rasa and other three tastes –

1.   Lavana + katu+ tikta+Kasaya

Thus all together, fifteen categories of combinations of four tastes are formed.

Combination of five tastes

पञ्चकान् वक्ष्यामः |
पञ्चकान् पञ्च मधुर एकमम्लस्तु गच्छति ||१३||

Now, combinations of five tastes shall be described. They are as follows –

–        madhura rasa – sweet taste would form five categories with four other tastes,

–        amla rasa – sour taste would form one category with four other tastes

मधुराम्ललवणकटुतिक्तः(१), मधुराम्ललवणकटुकषायः(२), मधुराम्ललवणतिक्तकषायः(३), मधुराम्लकटुतिक्तकषायः(४), मधुरलवणकटुतिक्तकषायः(५), एवमेषां पञ्चानामादौ मधुरः प्रयुज्यते; अम्ललवणकटुतिक्तकषायः(१), एवमेकस्यादावम्लः; एवमेते षट् पञ्चकसंयोगा व्याख्याताः ||१४||

Below mentioned are the five categories formed from five tastes with madhura rasa and other four rasas –

1. Madhura + amla + lavana + katu + tikta
2. Madhura+ amla+ LAvana+ KAtu+ Kasaya
3. Madhura+ Amla+ Lavana+ KAtu+ Kasaya
4. Madhura+ Amla+ LAvana+ Katu+ Kasaya
5. Madhura+ lavana+ Katu+Tikta+ Kasaya

Below mentioned is one category formed from five tastes with amla rasa and other four rasas –

1. Amla+ lavana +katu+Tikta+ Kasaya

Combination of six tastes

षट्कमेकं वक्ष्यामः; एकस्तु षट्कसंयोगः- मधुराम्ललवणकटुतिक्तकषायः; एष एक एव षट्संयोगः ||१५||

All of these six put together are the categories of combinations of five tastes.

Now, the combination of six tastes shall be described.

There is only one category formed by the combination of all six tastes, such as –

1. Madhura + amla + lavana + katu + tikta + Kaşāya

एकैकश्च षड्रसा भवन्ति- मधुरः(१), अम्लः(२), लवणः(३), कटुकः(४), तिक्तः(५), कषायः(६), इति ||१६||

Each taste considered separately, forms six categories, such as –

–        Madhura – sweet

–        Amla – sour,

–        Lavana – salt,

–        Katu – pungent,

–        Tikta – bitter and

–        Kasaya – astringent

भवन्ति चात्र-
एषा त्रिषष्टिर्व्याख्याता रसानां रसचिन्तकैः |
दोषभेदत्रिषष्ट्यां तु प्रयोक्तव्या विचक्षणैः ||१७||

Thus, the sixty three categories of combinations of tastes have been described. These sixty three tastes should be administered in accordance with the categories of combinations of doshas as described in chapter 66.

इति श्री सुश्रुतसंहितायामुत्तरतन्त्रे तन्त्रभूषणाध्यायेषु रसभेदविकल्पाध्यायो नाम (प्रथमः, आदितः) त्रिषष्टितमोऽध्यायः।।६३।।

Thus ends the sixty-third chapter by name Rasabheda Vikalpa in Uttara Sthana of Suśruta Samhita.