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5. YAŠASTILAKA AS A SOCIO-POLITICAL RECORD
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heavy, cold and sweet dishes (3.351). On hot days one should take Sali rice, Moog soup containing ghee, lotus stalks, fresh shoots and bulbs, fried barley flour, sherbets, curds mixed with sugar and spices, coconut milk, and water or milk with plenty of sugar (3.352). In the rainy season the food should be dry light, oily and warm; and preparations of old Śāli rice, wheat and barley should be taken (3.353). In the autumn the diet should consist of ghee, moog, Sāli rice, powdered wheat, preparations of milk, patolas grapes, Amalaki fruits, sugar, and sweet bulbs and leaves (3.354). A number of vegetables including slices of fresh ginger is praised in 3.356', and the properties of ghee, curds, butter and milk are described in verses 3.360-63. We are also told that the constant eating of over-sweet dishes leads to indigestion, too much of salty food causes weakening of vision, extremely sour and pungent dishes lead to physical decay, and any unhygienic food causes loss of strength as soon as it is taken (3.364). Certain remedies are suggested for indigestion (3.366), and emphasis is laid on the proper use of water. Water is called both amsta and vişa; properly used, it is amrta, nectar, and used without proper care, it is pisa, poison (3.368). Transparent water without any taste and smell, and swept by wind and sunshine, is beneficial by nature; in all other cases water should be boiled before drinking Water exposed to the rays of the sun and the moon should not be used longer than a day and a night; water boiled in daytime should not be taken at night, and water boiled at night should not be taken in daytime (3. 370-1).
Examination of food and detection of poison is dealt with in a number of verses; and the subject has, of course, an important bearing on the safety of the king, and is exhaustively dealt with in Kautilya's Arthasāstra I. XXI. Speaking of poison, the court physician mentions certain phenomena indicating its presence in food. He observes that, at the sight of poison, crows and cuckoos cry in an unwonted fashion, mungooses and peacocks are overjoyed, the Kraunca bird sleeps, the cock crows in a harsh tone, the parrot vomits, and the monkey evacuates bowels; while the eyes of the Cakora bird lose colour, and the goose limps. Besides, flies do not settle on food containing poison (3. 338-9). Addressing the king, Sajjana further remarks that fire crackles in contact with food mixed with poison, as it does when a quantity of salt is thrown into it (3. 340).
1 घृतं मुद्दा शालिः समिथविकृतिःक्षीरविषयः पटोलं मृदीकाः फलमिह च पाण्याः समुचितम् । सिता शीतच्छाया मधुरसवशं
कन्दकुपलं शरत्काले सेन्यं रजनिवदने चन्द्रकिरणाः ।।. १ वालं वृन्ताकं कोहलं कारवेलं चिल्ली जीवन्ती वास्तुलस्तण्डलीयः । सघः संभृष्टाः पर्पटाविर्भटान्ताः किं स्वलोकैम्वेद
1154 II. 15
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