Pathyāpathyavidhi

This 24-folio Ayurvedic manuscript, titled *Pathyāpathyānidhiḥ* (Treasury of Wholesome and Unwholesome [Regimens]), preserved in the Poona University Collection at the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, constitutes a specialized therapeutic compendium delineating dietary and lifestyle prescriptions (*pathyāpathya*) for diverse ailments. The text sample reveals a systematic exposition beginning with invocatory verses to Gaṇeśa and the creator deity, followed by detailed protocols for fever management (*jvara*), including specific contraindications for acute (*taruṇa*) and chronic (*pūrāṇa*) fevers, and extending to therapeutic indications for conditions such as non-bleeding wounds (*kṣata*) and consumption (*kṣaya*). Notable features include the integration of pharmacological materia medica—such as *kulattha* (horse gram), *yavāgū* (barley gruel), and medicated oils—with behavioral regimens, alongside recognition of psychosomatic etiologies requiring spiritual interventions including Vedic recitation (*japa*), ritual offerings (*homa*), and propitiatory measures (*śāntyayana*). The text's organizational structure, employing numbered verses and topical sections (*iti jvare pathyāpathyavidhiḥ*), reflects the classical Ayurvedic genre of *nighaṇṭu* or *saṃgraha* literature, emphasizing the foundational principle that proper regimen (*pathyā*) alone may cure disease even without medication, whereas improper regimen renders even hundreds of medicines ineffective.