का कल्पना पञ्चसु कर्मसूक्ता, क्रमश्च कः, किं च कृताकृतेषु| लिड्गं तथैवातिकृतेषु, सङ्ख्या का, किङ्गुणः, केषु च कश्च बस्तिः||३||
[Queries asked by Agnivesha] Agnivesha, the foremost among the students of Punarvasu Atreya put forward some queries regarding Panchakarma therapies as follows: What are the procedures of Panchakarma therapies? What is the order of their administration? What are the signs of proper, improper and excess administration of these therapies? What is the number of basti (medicated enemas) to be given?
किं वर्जनीयं प्रतिकर्मकाले, कृते कियान् वा परिहारकालः| प्रणीयमानश्च न याति केन, केनैति शीघ्रं, सुचिराच्च बस्तिः||४||
• Which basti is to be given and in whom? • What are the restrictions during the course of treatment? • What should be the interval between the administrations of different therapies? • Why during basti administration it does not enter rectum? • Why administered basti comes out earlier than the scheduled time?
• What is the cause of delay in evacuation of the administered basti? • Why some diseases though curable do not get cured with its proper medication? Thus, in the view of welfare of society, Punarvasu who is the foremost among the physicians and who is knowledgeable in his subject replied as follows.