Paper Details

Tṛuṣṇa is derived from tṛuṣ dhatu, meaning desire or craving. In Ayurveda, tṛuṣṇa is described as a symptom and a disease in its own. Tṛuṣṇa means thirst/excessive desire for fluid. Acharya Charak states that, ‘तस्मात्तृष्णा पूर्वं जयेद् बहुभ्योपि रोगेभ्यः’ ( even from many disease, thirst should be conquered first). In Charak Samhita, Truṣṇānigraha Mahākāśhāya (shunti, dhanvayavas, parpataka, musta, kiratikta, chandan, guduchi, hribera, dhanyaka patola) has been mentioned to relieve thirst. These drugs were studied for their applicability in trushna as a symptom in various diseases in Charak Samhita. The Truṣṇānigraha Mahākāśhāya of Charaka holds significant therapeutic value in managing pathological thirst across multiple diseases. Instead of prescribing the Mahākāśhāya in entirety, Acharya skillfully selected individual drugs based on their rasa, guṅa, virya, and vipaka, tailoring treatment to the doṣhic state and samprapti of each disease. Deepana–Pachana drugs (Musta, Shunthi, Dhanyaka, Patola) were effective in āmajanya truṣṇā. Pittashāmaka, sheeta drugs (Chandan, Hribera, Parpata, Dhanvayasa) were indicated in pittaja truṣṇā. Rasayana and tarpaka dravyas (Guduchi, Chandan) were applied in Rasakṣhaya janya truṣṇā. This flexibility in choosing an individual drug from Mahākāśhāya demonstrates Charak’s practical and clinical reasoning. Therefore, the textual study confirms the wide applicability of Truṣṇānigraha Mahākāśhāya in Chikitsasthana and highlights Ayurvedic clinical reasoning in addressing both disease-specific pathology and associated symptoms like truṣṇā.It was also observed that in the era of Drudhabala fewer references of Mahākāśhāya drugs exist, indicating evolution in therapeutic practice, which is an important finding for the history of Ayurveda.

Trushna, Trushnanigraha Mahakashya, Ayurved, Drudhabala