1. BASED ON YONI

Virecanadravyas are classified into: sthāvara and jaṅgama. Some of the sthāvaravirecakadravyas are:

त्रिवृच्छामादन्तीद्रवन्तीशङ्खिनीसप्तलाजगन्धाजशृङ्गीवचागवाक्षीछगलान्त्रीसुवर्णक्षीरीचित्रककिणिहीह्रस्वपञ्चमूलवृश्चीवपुनर्नवापलङ्कषावास्तुकशाकसालमूलानि।
तिल्वकरम्यककाम्पिल्यकपाटलीत्वच।त्रिफलापीलुप्रियालकुवलबदरकर्कन्धुकाश्मर्यपरूषकद्राक्षानीलिनीक्लीतनकोदकीर्याविडङ्गपूगपञ्चाङ्गुलफलानि।चतुरङ्गुलफलपत्राणि।पूतीकस्यत्वक्फलपत्राणि।महावृक्षसप्तच्छदज्योतिष्मतीक्षीराणि।                                          (A. S. Su. 14/3)

Some of the jaṅgamaviecakadravyasare

क्षीरमद्यमस्तुतक्रधान्याम्लमूत्राणिचेतिविरेचनोपयोगीनि॥              (A. S. Su. 14/3)

Mūlinivirecakadravyas: hastidantī, haimavatī, śyāmatrivṛt, jyotiṣmatī,

viṣāṇika, ajagandhā, dravantī  etc..

Phalinī virecakadravyas: kampillaka, āragvadha, viḍaṅga, trapusa, madana, abhayā, etc..

Ksheeerinidravyas: snuhī, arka.

Twakvirecakadravyas- pūtikā, tilvaka.

2. BASED ON INDICATION

Snigdha and Rūkṣavirecana

नातिस्निग्धशरीराय दद्यात् स्नेहविरेचनम्|
स्नेहोत्क्लिष्टशरीराय रूक्षं दद्याद्विरेचनम्||                   (Cha. Ka. 12/83)

Snigdha/ snehavirecana should not be given to a person whose body is atisnigdha. To a person whose body is saturated with sneha (snehotkliṣṭa), then  rūkṣavirecana has to be administered.

विषाभिघातपिटिकाकुष्ठशोफविसर्पिणः।
कामलापाण्डुमेहार्तान्नातिस्निग्धान्विशोधयेत्॥

सर्वान्स्नेहविरेकैश्चरूक्षैस्तुस्नेहभावितान्।          (A. H. Su. 18/53)

For diseases like viṣa, abhighāta, piḍakā, kuṣṭha, śopha, visarpa, kāmala, pāṇḍu, and meha, virecana should be given without undergoing too much prior snehana. In rūkṣa conditions, snehavirecana can be administered. Patients who are atisnigdha, for them rūkṣavirecana is given.

3. BASED ON THE MODE OF ACTION

Anulomana, sraṃsana, bhedana and recana

Anulomana

कृत्वापाकंमलानांयद्भित्त्वाबन्धमधोनयेत् |

तच्चानुलोमनंज्ञेयंयथाप्रोक्ताहरीतकी ||                       (Sha. Sam. Pu. 4/3)

The dravyas which move the malas downward after digestion and breaking their bandha is known as Anulomana.

Example – Harītakī

Properties:

Rasa – Pañca rasa Kaṣāyapradhāna.

Guṇa – Laghu, rūkṣa

Vīrya – Uṣṇa

Vipāka – Madhura

Karma – Vātakaphāhāra

Sraṃsana

पक्तव्यंयदपक्त्वैवश्लिष्टंकोष्ठेमलादिकम्|

नयत्यधःस्रंसनंतद्यथास्यात्कृतमालकः ||            (Sha. Sam. Pu. 4/5)

The dravyas which expel the śliṣṭa malas without digesting is sraṃsana.

Example – Āragvadha

Bhedana:

मलादिकमबद्धंयद्बद्धंवापिण्डितंमलैः |

भित्त्वाऽधपातयतियद्भेदनंकटुकीयथा ||           (Sha. Sam. Pu. 4/6)

The dravyas which disintegrates the abaddha or baddha or piṇḍita form of mala and then expelled through adhomārga is bhedana.

Example – kaṭukī

Botanical name – Picrorhizakurroa

Family – Scrophulariaceae

Synonyms – khaṭvi, kaṭuka, tiktā kṛṣṇabheda, kaṭambarā, aśoka, matsyaśakala, cakrāṅgī, śakulādanī, matsyapitta, kaṭurohiṇī.

Properties

Rasa – Tikta

Guṇa – Rūkṣa, laghu

Vipāka – kaṭu

Vīrya – Śīta

Doṣaghnatā – Kaphapittāhāra

Recana

विपक्वंयदपक्वंवामलादिद्रवतांनयेत् |

रेचयत्यपितज्ज्ञेयंरेचनंत्रिवृतायथा ||                   (sha. Sam. Pu. 4/7)

The dravyas which expels the pakva and apakva mala, by making them in drava form, and expelled out through adhomārga is known as recana.

Example – Trivṛt

4. BASED ON VĪRYA OF AUṢADHA

Mrudu, madhyama and tīkṣṇa

MṚDU VIRECANA

मन्दवीर्यं विरूक्षस्य हीनमात्रं तु भेषजम्|
अतुल्यवीर्यैः संयुक्तं मृदु स्यान्मन्दवेगवत्||                             (Cha. Ka. 12/56)

Dravyas having mṛduvīrya or when combined with opposite vīrya or administered in hīnamatra, given to a rūkṣa person causes mṛduvirecana.

Mṛduvirecana can be administered to durbala patients, having alpadoṣaand also for those whose koṣṭha is unknown.

Some mṛduvirecakadravyas – drākṣā, eraṇḍataila, uṣṇajala, guda, ikṣu rasa, kṣīra, dadhi, mastu, ullodita.

MADHYAMA VIRECANA

किञ्चिदेभिर्गुणैर्हीनं पूर्वोक्तैर्मात्रया तथा|
स्निग्धस्विन्नस्य वा सम्यङ्मध्यं भवति भेषजम्||                        (Cha. Ka. 12/55)

The drugs with slightly less quality than above mentioned characteristic features, administered in medium dosage, given to a person who underwent proper snehana & swedana will produce medium action called as madhyamavirecana.

Dravyas indicated in patients having Madhya roga. ĀcāryaŚārṅgadhara recommends the use of madhyamavirecana in madhyamakoṣṭha.

Some dravyas used are – trivṛt, kaṭuki and āragvadha.

TĪKṢṆA VIRECANA

जलाग्निकीटैरस्पृष्टं देशकालगुणान्वितम् ||
ईषन्मात्राधिकैर्युक्तं तुल्यवीर्यैः सुभावितम् |
स्नेहस्वेदोपपन्नस्य तीक्ष्णत्वं याति भेषजम् ||                           (Cha. Ka. 12/53-54)

Dravyas which has not affected by water, heat, and insects, cultivated in suitable deśa and kāla, which has been triturated with the drugs of same vīrya attains tīkṣṇa properties. These dravyas when administered in prescribed dosage to the patient who has undergone snehana and svedana causes tīkṣṇavirecana in krūrakoṣṭha persons. Snuhī kṣīra is considered as the best among the tīkṣṇavirecanadravyas. According to Śārṅgadhara, hemakṣīrī, dantī etc are some examples of tīkṣṇavirechakadravyas.

विशेषतस्तु कुष्ठज्वरमेहोर्ध्वरक्तपित्तभगन्दरोदरार्शोब्रधप्लीहगुल्मार्बुदगलगण्डग्रन्थिविसूचिकालसकमूत्राघातक्रिमिकोष्ठविसर्प– पाण्डुरोगशिरःपार्श्वशूलोदावर्तनेत्रास्यदाहहृद्रोगव्यङ्गनीलिकानेत्रनासिकास्यस्रवणहलीमकश्वासकासकामला– पच्यपस्मारोन्मादवातरक्तयोनिरेतोदोषतैमिर्यारोचकाविपाकच्छर्दिश्वयथूदरविस्फोटकादयः पित्तव्याधयो विशेषेण महारोगाध्यायोक्ताश्च; एतेषु हि विरेचनं प्रधानतममित्युक्तमग्न्युपशमेऽग्निगृहवत्||                                                                        (Cha. Si. 2/13)

According to ĀcāryaCaraka, virecana is indicated in kuṣṭha, jvara, meha, ūrdhvagaraktapitta, bhagandara, udara, arśas, bradhna, plīhā, gulma, arbuda, galagaṇḍa, granthi, viṣūcikā, alasaka, mūtrāghāta, krimikoṣṭha, viṣarpa, pāṇḍu, śiraśūla, pārśvaśūla, udāvarta, netradāha, āsyadāha, hṛdroga, vyaṅga, nīlikā, netrasrāvaṇa, nāsikā srāvaṇa, āsyasrāvaṇa, halīmaka, śvāsa, kāsa, kāmalā, apacī, apasmāra, unmāda, vātarakta, yoni doṣa, retodoṣa, timira, arochaka, avipāka, chardi, svayathu, visphoṭaka.

विरेकसाध्यागुल्मार्शोविस्फोटव्यङ्गकामलाः|
जीर्णज्वरोदरगरच्छर्दिप्लीहहलीमकाः||
विद्रधिस्तिमिरंकाचःस्यन्दःपक्वाशयव्यथा|
योनिशुक्राश्रयारोगाःकोष्ठगाःकृमयोव्रणाः||
वातास्रमूर्ध्वगंरक्तंमूत्राघातःशकृद्ग्रहः|
वाम्याश्चकुष्ठमेहाद्याः———————–| (A. H. Su. 18/8-9)

According to ĀcāryaVāgbhaṭa, virecana is indicated in Gulma, arśas, visphoṭa, vyaṅga, kāmalā, jīrṇajwara, udara, gara, chardi, plīhā, halīmaka, vidradhi, timira, kāca, syanda, pakvāśayavyathā, yoni roga, śukraroga,  koṣṭharoga, krimi, vraṇa, vātarakta, ūrdhvagataraktapitta, mūtrāghāta, sakrdgraha, kuṣṭhamehadya (diseases indicated for vamana i.e. starting from serial number kuṣṭha, meha and up to ūrdhvaroga) are also eligible for virecana.

विरेच्यास्तु– ज्वरगरारुच्यर्शोऽर्बुदोदरग्रन्थिविद्गाधिपाण्डुरोगापस्मारहृद्रोगवातरक्तभगन्दरच्छर्दियोनिरोगविसर्प– गुल्मपक्वाशयरुग्विबन्धविसूचिकालसकमूत्राघातकुष्ठविस्फोटकप्रमेहानाहप्लीहशोफवृद्धिशस्त्रक्षतक्षाराग्निदग्ध– दुष्टव्रणाक्षिपाककाचतिमिराभिष्यन्दशिरःकर्णाक्षिनासास्यगुदमेढ्रदाहोर्ध्वरक्तपित्तकृमिकोष्ठिनः पित्तस्थानजेष्वन्येषु च विकारेष्वन्ये च पैत्तिकव्याधिपरीता इति ||                                                              (Su. Chi. 33/32)

According to ĀcāryaSuśruta, virecana is indicated in person suffering from jvara, garaviṣa, aruci,arśa, arbuda, udara,granthi, vidradhi, pāṇḍu, apasmāra, hṛtroga, vātarakta, bhagandara,chardi, yoni roga, visarpa,gulma, pakvāśayaruk, vibandha,viṣūcikā, alasaka, mūtrāghāta, kuṣṭha,visphoṭaka, prameha,anāha, plīhā, śopha,vṛddhi, injury byśastra, kṣata, kṣāra and agni, duṣṭavraṇa,akṣipāka, kāca, timira,abhiṣyanda, dāhain the śira, karṇa, akṣi, nāsa, āsya, gudaandmeḍhra, ūrdhvagaraktapitta,kṛmikoṣṭha, pitta sthānagata and paittikavyādhis.

जीर्णज्वरोर्ध्वरक्तपित्तगुल्मविद्रधिप्लीहार्शोभगन्दरोदरकृमिणकोष्ठमूत्राघातरेतोयोनिदोषवातशोणितहलीमकव्यङ्गतिमिरकाचाभिष्यन्दाक्षिपाकक्षाराग्निदग्धकुष्टव्रणशिरःपक्वाशयशूलोदावर्तविबन्धच्छर्दिविस्फोटादयोवाम्योक्ताश्चविषूचिकादयोदोषभेदीयोक्ताश्चपित्तव्याधयः।
विशेषेणैतेहिपरंविरेचनेननाशमुपयान्त्यग्न्यपनयनेनाग्निगृहतापवत्॥                                                                                                                                                                (A. S. Su. 27/8)

According to Aṣṭāṅgasaṅgraha, virecana is indicated injīrṇajvara, ūrdhvagaraktapitta, gulma, vidradhi, plīhā, arśa, bhagandara, udara, kṛmikoṣṭha, mūtrāghāta, reto yoni doṣa, vātarakta, halīmaka,vyaṅga, timira, kāca, abhiṣyanda, akṣipāka, burns caused by kṣāra and agni, kuṣṭha,vraṇa,śiraśūlaand pakvāśayaśūla, udāvarta, vibandha, chardi,visphoṭaetc, the diseases enumerated under indications of vamana commencing from viṣūcikā and the diseases of pitta origin mentioned in Doṣabhedīyaadhyāya. All these diseases cured especially by virecana therapy quickly just as the heat inside the kitchen become reduced after the removal of fire from it.

अविरेच्यास्तु सुभगक्षतगुदमुक्तनालाधोभागरक्तपित्तिविलङ्घितदुर्बलेन्द्रियाल्पाग्निनिरूढकामादिव्यग्राजीर्णिनवज्वरि– मदात्ययिताध्मातशल्यार्दिताभिहतातिस्निग्धरूक्षदारुणकोष्ठाः क्षतादयश्च गर्भिण्यन्ताः||                                                                                  (Cha. Si. 2/11)

According to ĀcāryaCaraka, virecana is contraindicated in subhaga, kṣataguda, nāla nala, adhobhāgaraktapitta, vilaṅghita, durbalendriya, alpāgni, niruddha, Kāmādivyagramānasa, ajīrṇa, madātyayita, ādhmāta, śalyardita, abhighāta, atisnigdha, atirūkṣa, dāruṇakoṣṭha and other person having ailments beginning from kṣata and ending with garbhiṇī as described in vamana contraindication.

————————नतुरेच्यानवज्वरी||१०||
अल्पाग्र्यधोगपित्तास्रक्षतपाय्वतिसारिणः|
सशल्यास्थापितक्रूरकोष्ठातिस्निग्धशोषिणः||                         (A. H. Su. 18/11)

Navajwara, alpāgni, adhogataraktapitta, ksatapāyu, atisāra, sa-śalya, āsthāpita,  krūrakoṣṭha, atisnigdha and śoṣa.

मन्दाग्न्यतिस्नेहितबालवृद्धस्थूलाः क्षतक्षीणभयोपतप्ताः |
श्रान्तस्तृषार्तोऽपरिजीर्णभक्तो गर्भिण्यधो गच्छति यस्य चासृक् ||
नवप्रविश्यायमदात्ययी च नवज्वरी या च नवप्रसृता |
शल्यार्दिताश्चाप्यविरेचनीयाः स्नेहादिभिर्ये त्वनुपस्कृताश्च ||
अत्यर्थपित्ताभिपरीतदेहान् विरेचयेत्तानपि मन्दमन्दम् |         (Su. Chi. 33/29-31)

According to ĀcāryaSuśruta, virecana is contraindicated in person who have weak digestive power, who had more of oleation therapy, children, old aged, obese, chest injury, suffering from fear, those exhausted, thirsty, whose food consumed earlier has been already digested, pregnant, those who are havingadhogaraktapitta, navapratiśyāya, suffering from alcoholic intoxication, navajvara, women who delivered recently,  suffering from foreign bodies, who have not been administered oleation. Those in whom pitta is greatly increased in their body, must be given purgation therapy mildly. Persons who are unfit for purgation will die,if purgation is administered by the unintelligent physician.

अविरेच्याःपुनर्नवज्वरातिसार्यधोरक्तपित्तक्षतगुदलङ्घतरात्रिजागरितास्थापिताल्पाग्निराजयक्ष्ममदात्ययार्ताध्मातसशल्याभिहततिस्निग्धरूक्षक्रूरकोष्ठाःतत्रनवज्वरस्याविपक्वान्दोषान्ननिर्हरेत्।
वातमेवचकोपयेत्।अतीसार्यधोरक्तपित्तयोरतिप्रवृत्त्याहन्यात्।क्षतगुदस्यगुदेप्राणोपरोधकरींराजयक्ष्मार्तस्यक्षीणधातुतयामलबलत्त्वम्।तदभावाद्देहनाशःस्यात्।मदात्ययार्तस्यमद्यक्षीणेदेहेवायुःप्राणोपरोधाय।आध्मातस्यपुरीषाशयेनिचितोवायुर्विसर्पन्सहसातीव्रतरमाध्मानंमरणंवाजनयेत्।सशल्याभिहतयोःक्षतेवायुराश्रितोजीवितंहिंस्यात्।अतिस्निग्धस्यातियोगोभवेत्।
क्रूरकोष्ठस्यौषधोद्धतादोषाह्यप्रवर्तमानाहृदयशूलपर्वभेदानाहच्छर्दिमूर्च्छाक्लमान्जनयित्वाप्राणान्हन्युः।गर्भिण्यादीनांपूर्वोक्तदोषःस्यात्॥                                                                                                                                                                               (A. S. Su. 27/9)

Reasons for contraindication

विरेचनं पित्तहराणां||                              (Cha. Su. 25/40)

Virecana is best treatment for pitta hara.

पित्तेतुविरेकंश्लेष्मसंसृष्टेवातत्स्थानगतेवाश्लेष्मणीति॥                                                                  (A. S. Su. 27.4)

Virechana is administered for vyadhis vitiated due to pitta, pitta associated with kaphaand also in pitta sthanagatakaphajavyadhi.

पित्तहरैर्मात्रां कालं च प्रमाणीकृत्य; विरेचनं तु सर्वोपक्रमेभ्यः पित्ते प्रधानतमं मन्यन्ते भिषजः; तद्ध्यादित एवामाशयमनुप्रविश्य केवलं वैकारिकं पित्तमूलमपकर्षति, तत्रावजिते पित्तेऽपि शरीरान्तर्गताः पित्तविकाराः प्रशान्तिमापद्यन्ते, यथाऽग्नौ व्यपोढे केवलमग्निगृहं शीतीभवति तद्वत्||१६||

                                                                                             (Cha. Su. 20/16)

Virecana treatment is for pitta doṣaḥ nirharaṇa. As Āmāśaya is the sthana for Kapha and pitta, subsiding the āmāśayagata pitta, all other types of pitta also gets subsided. As how a fire caught in a building gets cooled by subsiding the fire.

बुद्धेः प्रसादं बलमिन्द्रियाणां धातुस्थिरत्वं बलमग्निदीप्तिम् |
चिराच्च पाकं वयसः करोति विरेचनं सम्यगुपास्यमानम् ||

यथौदकानामुदकेऽपनीते चरस्थिराणां भवति प्रणाशः |
पित्ते हृते त्वेवमुपद्रवाणां पित्तात्मकानां भवति प्रणाशः ||        (Su. Chi. 33/27-28)

By virecana karma, it does buddhi prasādana, does indriyabala, dhatu sthiratva, balavardhaka, does agnidīpti, delays ageing process. By the removal of water, how all the reliants of water gets destroyed. In the same way, by the removal of pitta doṣa through virecana, it gets rid of all the diseases caused due to pitta.

Virecana has its action on Doṣa, Dūṣya and Srotas.

Doṣa wise – it acts mainly on pitta.

                       Pitta sthānagata kapha

Kaphasthānagata pitta

Pittāvṛtavāta

                       And to some extent to saṃnipātajadoṣas.

Dūṣya wise – has action on Rasa, Rakta, Māṃsa, Asthi, Majjā and Śukra

Srotas – has action on Rasavaha, Raktavaha, Māṃsavaha, Asthivaha, Majjāvaha and Śukravaha.

Health wise – it is done as a part of ṛtucaryā in Śaradṛtu. As in ŚaradṚtu pitta prakopa occurs, so virecana is opted as a ṛtuśodhana during this season.

Disease wise virecana is opted as the line of management for kuṣṭha, śotha, śvāsa, pakṣāghāta,etc.

UTILITY OF VIRECHANA FOR THE SPECIFIC CONDITIONS AND STAGES OF THE DISEASE

रूक्षबह्व्अनिलक्रूरकोष्ठव्यायामशीलिनाम्॥

दीप्ताग्नीनांचभैषज्यम्अविरेच्यैवजीर्यति।

तेभ्योवस्तिंपुरादद्यात्ततःस्निग्धंविरेचनम्॥

शकृन्निर्हृत्यवाकिञ्चित्तीक्ष्णाभिःफलवर्तिभिः।

प्रवृत्तंहिमलंस्निग्धोविरेकोनिर्हरेत्सुखम्॥                               (A. H. Su. 18/53-55)

For rūkṣa persons, or persons having excessive vitiation of vāta, or having krūrakoṣṭha, those habituated with vyāyāma, and having dīptāgni, the medicines get digested without undergoing virecana. For such cases, bastihas to be administered followed by snehavirecana. Alternatively, phalavarti can be given prior to snehavirecana.

विषाभिघातपिटिकाकुष्ठशोफविसर्पिणः।

कामलापाण्डुमेहार्तान्नातिस्निग्धान्विशोधयेत्॥

सर्वान्स्नेहविरेकैश्चरूक्षैस्तुस्नेहभावितान्।          (A. H. Su. 18/53)

For diseases like viṣa, abhighāta, piḍakā, kuṣṭha, śopha, visarpa, kāmala, pāṇḍu, and meha, virecana should be given without undergoing too much prior snehana. In rūkṣa conditions, snehavirecana can be administered. Patients who are atisnigdha, for them rūkṣavirecana is given.

All the above should be given snigdhavirecana and those who are unctuous should be given rūkṣavirecana.