Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Snehapana means oral consumption of medicated fats. It is an important and mandatory purvakarma – preparatory procedure for Panchakarma therapies, mainly Vamana – therapeutic emesis and Virechana – therapeutic purgation.
The purpose of snehapana is to saturate the body with medicated fats given in large doses, in arohana krama – increasing doses, for a time period of three to seven days or logically until the signs of proper oleation i.e. Samyak snigdha lakshanas are obtained.
Once the body gets saturated with Sneha, as known by Samyak snigdha lakshanas, swedana is administered to liquify the doshas and bring them from the saka – tissues to the kostha – gut. Once the doshas come to the gut, they are removed by administering vamana or virechana, depending on which dosha is being dealt with.
So, for shodhana, snehapana becomes an important preparatory procedure which needs to be conducted properly. Everything from deciding the dose of snehapana to obtaining proper signs of oleation should work out precisely for the shodhana to be administered.
Planning the diet for the patient during snehapana is equally important. The physician should know what kind of foods should be given to the patient undergoing snehapana and what needs to be avoided. The person definitely cannot be put on a normal-regular diet during snehapana.
In the next part of the article, we shall see what kinds of diet should be planned for the person who is undergoing snehapana as purvakarma for shodhana.
Dietetic regimen for those undergoing snehapana
भोज्योऽन्नं मात्रया पास्यन् श्वः पिबन् पीतवानपि।
द्रवोष्णमनभिष्यन्दि नातिस्निग्धमसङ्करम्॥२५॥
Ref – Ashtanga Hridaya SutraSthana – Chapter 16, verse 25
Acharya Vagbhata says that proper diet should be planned and given for the patient undergoing snehapana. A dietetic regimen shall be planned for all the three stages of snehapana. They are –
Stage 1 – Shvaha Pasyan – for the person who is about to consume Sneha the next day. This means to tell that the below mentioned diet shall be prescribed right from the day before administering snehapana. Once the snehapana has been planned and the patient is declared eligible for snehapana and the first day of snehapana is fixed, the diet plan shall be done and implemented the day or night before snehapana.
Stage 2 – Piban – for the person who is in the process of consuming Sneha or has consumed Sneha on that day. This is an indication for the diet plan to be implemented on the day of Snehapana also. Since snehapana will be done in arohana krama i.e. daily increasing dose, for 3-7 days, the dietetic regimen mentioned below shall be implemented on all snehapana days.
Stage 3 – Pitavan api – for the person who has completed the course of taking Sneha. This calls for the same diet plan mentioned below to be implemented even after the snehapana has been completed i.e. post-snehapana period and shall be continued till before administration of swedana.
So, the dietetic schedule mentioned below will be the same at all the three stages and shall be implemented strictly before, during and after snehapana.
What kind of diet should be administered before, during and after snehapana?
Drava Ahara – Liquid foods should be given for the persons who are undergoing snehapana. Liquid foods are easy to digest. The person who is undergoing snehapana will not feel hungry, as he regularly feels because the Sneha takes a lot of time to digest. In such conditions, if solid food is given, there will be no sufficient agni to digest that food. The solid food will stagnate and a lot of ama will be formed, which will hamper the treatment process and will also produce severe complications due to indigestion of food.
Ushna Ahara – The food should be hot and fresh. Adding what has been said in the above paragraph, the food shall be liquid, hot and fresh. Cold foods due to their coldness quality and post-digestion effect, would cause sthambana i.e. constipation of foods and medicines. So, cold foods are contraindicated. Likewise, stale, stored and refrigerated foods should be avoided at all three stages of snehapana.
Anabhishyandi Ahara – Abhishyandi foods are those which would produce excessive moisture or liquidity in the body after consumption. These foods will also increase kapha. This will in turn lead to agnimandya which will further lead to indigestion and many complications due to the same. Therefore, anabhishyandi foods should be planned and given during all three stages of snehapana. Anabhishyandi foods have opposite qualities to those of abhishyandi ahara and will neither produce excessive moisture nor will increase kapha.
Na ati snigdham aharam – Foods which are not too unctuous should be given during all three phases of snehapana. So, the diet should be devoid of too much oil or ghee or it should have only very little quantity of oil or ghee. Since the patient is already taking large quantities of Sneha during snehapana, more Sneha in the food would add to the snigdhata – unctuousness in the gut which is not desired. Doing so will produce atisnigdha lakshanas i.e. signs of excessive oleation.
Asankaram aharam – The diet given during all three phases of snehapana should not contain a mixture of many kinds of food materials which are mutually contaminating or incompatible. When different kinds of food substances are mixed and given, the stomach finds it difficult to digest and the combinations may produce untoward effects. Ama and amavisha may also be formed which would produce serious complications during snehapana.
The foods consisting of the above said qualities only should be planned and given during all three phases of snehapana. The food should be served in proper quantity i.e. it should be lesser in quantity, satiating and easily digestible, without causing any complications.
The diet thus planned and given will help snehana to take place properly and prepare the body for shodhana.