Śodhanāṅgasnehapānakāla -Time for administering purificatory oleation:
शुद्धयर्थं पुनराहारे नैशे जीर्णे पिबेन्वर:। – Cha.Su.- 13/61
ह्यस्तने जीर्णे एवान्ने स्नेहोऽच्छ: शुद्धये बहु:॥ – Ah.Su- 16/19
For śodhana purpose the snehana must be administered when the food taken in the previous
night is digested well.
The snehana should be in the form of Accha sneha.
ह्यस्तनेऽन्ने- आहरे जीर्णेव-जीर्ण मात्रा एव न तुऽन्नाभिलाषे सति। शुद्धये-शोधनार्थे अच्छ:-
केवल स्नेह:(अरुणदत्ता)

The śodhana pūrvaka snehapānais usually administered immediately after the digestion of
previous day food and before getting hungry.
From the above verses it is clear that for śodhana purpose the snehapānamust be given in the
early morning.
Hemadri opines that if it is taken when the person is hungry, due to agnibāla (agnibālais
uttāma when a person is hungry) the entered quantity will be digested the purpose of
shoanaga snehapānais to excite the doṣa. (i.e दोष उत्क्लेशन) and दोष उत्क्लेशन do not occur
in uttāmagni state that is the reason why it should be administered when the previous night
food is digested but before the appetite is developed (In the early morning.)
Mṛdu Koṣṭha requires a lesser amount of Sneha for a lesser duration of time whereas the
person possessing Krūra Koṣṭha requires a larger amount of Sneha for longer duration of
time.
Here in the above context, Sneha Prakarṣa Kaala is emphasized considering Śodhananga
Snehapāna wherein Sneha is administered to achieve the desired Doṣa Utkleśana within a
specific number of days. The minimum and maximum number of days for Śodhananga
Snehapānais 3 and 7 respectively. Bhoja is of the opinion that a person having Kaphaja,
Pittaja and Vātaja Prakṛti needs 3 days, 5 days and 7 days of Snehapānarespectively. So

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Śodhananaga Sneha should be administered in such a dose as per the Koṣṭha, that it should
bring about Samyak Snigdha Lakṣaṇas as well as Doṣa Utkleśa within 7 days. Otherwise,
Sneha becomes Sātmya and fails to produce Doṣa Utkleśana.
Administrating the Snēhapānam in the ārohana krāma is the better way for performing
śodanāṅga Snēhapāna to get the proper utkleśana in the body. Kalyanakārakam (9th century
A.D) is the first text to mention the ārohana krāma Snēhapānam. Śodhanartha Snēhapānamm
is to be given in the increasing dose. Example:

Day Dose Time taken for
digestion

Quantity
/ hr.

Next day dose

1 Test dose-25ml Suppose 2hrs 12.5ml Digestion in 6hrs-
12.5×6=75ml

2 75ml Suppose 4hrs 18.75ml Digestion in 8hrs-
18.75×8=150

3 150ml Suppose 6hrs 25ml Digestion 10hrs-
25×10=250

4 250ml Suppose 8hrs 31.25ml Digestion in 12hrs-
31.25×12=375

5 375ml Suppose 10hrs 37.5ml Digestion in 18hrs-
37.5×18=675

6 675ml Suppose 14hrs 48.21ml Digestion in 24hrs-
48.21×24=1157

7 Around 160ml

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In case of Śamananga Snehapāna, the dose is always larger and is to be administered till doṣa
śamana.
In case of Bṛṃhaṇanga Snehapāna, the dose is always smaller and is administered till the
Bṛṃhaṇa effect is achieved which may take from 15 days to few months

Like a drop of oil put on the surface of stable water spreads so quickly, the auṣadha along
with the Anupāna spreads in a fraction of time throughout the body and produces its effect
when administered with appropriate Anupāna.
After snehapāna followed by anupāna the patient is covered with thick cloth, made to rest in a
room which is devoid of excessive wind.
पीतस्नेहे-तृष्णाचिकित्सा
स्नेहपीतस्तु तृष्णायाम्पिबेतुष्णोदकं नरः
If a patient develops thirst during the process of fat digestion, he must be administered with
warm water to relieve his thirst.
1.ushnodaka- for all snehas except tuvaraka,ballataka taila
2.yusha- taila
3.Maṇḍa-vasā,majjā
4.Shita jala- ballakataka,Tuvaraka
जलमुष्णं घृते पेयं यूषस्तैलेऽनु शस्यते।
वसामज्ज्ञोस्तु मण्डः स्यात् सर्वेषूष्णमथाम्बु वा॥२२॥ च.सू.१३/२२
Ushnodaka – for all snehas except tuvaraka andbhallātaka
Yusha – for taila
Maṇḍa-for vasā and majjā
Shita jala- for bhallātaka and tuvaraka

स्नेहजीर्यमानलक्षण – Signs and symptoms of Digesting fat

तृण्मुच्र्छामुखशोषैः शब्दद्वेशाङ्गमर्दजृम्भाभि:|
तन्द्रीवाग्देहसादैःस्नेहंजीर्यति इत्याह|| – Ka.Sa.Su.22/41-46
Snehana which is administered internally undergoes various digestive phases. The symptoms
of different digestive phases are called as sneha jīryamāṇā lakṣaṇas. These lakṣaṇas will be
subsided after the course of Snehapāna and does not require any sort of therapeutic
intervention.
स्नेहजीर्णलक्षणा – Signs and symptoms of digested fat
शिरोरुजभ्रमनिष्ठिवमूर्च्छा सादारतिक्लमै:।
जानीयाद् भेषजं जीर्यतिजीर्णंतच्छान्ति लाघवात्||
अनुलोमनिलस्वास्थ्य क्षुत्तृष्णा उद्गार शुद्धिभि| As.su.25/33
प्रशमन-Feeling relieved From Headache, Dizziness, Nausea, Tiredness And Restlessness
लघुता- Feeling of lightness. अनुलोम- Downward movement of vāta. क्षुद्प्रवृत्ति -Appetite
उद्गारशुद्धि -Clear belching. बल-Feeling strong.मूत्रपुरीशमरुतः -Normal evacuation of
urine, feces and flatus. इन्द्रियप्रसन्नता-Proper functioning of sense organs.
Symptoms of proper digestion:
A well‐functioning digestive system is a critical determinant of good health; it directly
relates to our ability to break food down and absorb important nutrients to supply energy,
build tissues and support hundreds of metabolic reactions in the body.
Regular bowel movement
Proper Stool colour.
Normal amounts of flatus
Lack of digestive symptoms – Symptoms such as abdominal discomfort, regular bloating,
nausea, diarrhea or constipation may indicate digestive problems. Absence of these
symptoms indicates proper digestion.
Good overall health – When food is properly digested and nutrients are absorbed, the benefits
may show with clear skin, strong hair and nails and good energy levels.

SAMYAK YOGA OF SNEHANA:
वातानुलोम्यं दिप्तोऽग्निर्वच: स्निग्धमसंहतम्।
मार्दवं स्निग्धता चाङ्गे स्निग्धानामुपजायते॥ – Ch.Sa.Su13/58
वातानुलोम्यं दिप्तोऽग्निर्वच: स्निग्धमसंहतम्।
स्नेहोद्वेग:क्लम: सम्यक् स्निग्धे रूक्षेविपर्यय:॥ – Ah.Su-16/30, VA.SE
Downward movement of the flatus, improved digestive fire, unctuous and soft stools,
smoothness of the body parts, feeling of exhaustion, aversion to fatty materials, lightness of
body, clarity of sense organs, increase in Medaa, Tejas and Dhriti are the signs and symptoms
of proper oleation.
ATIYOGA OF SNEHANA:
पाण्डुता गौरवं जाड्यं पुरीषस्याविपक्तता।
तन्द्रारुचिरुत्क्लेश: स्यादतिस्निग्ध लक्षणम्॥ – Cha.Su.13/59
अतिस्निग्धेतुपाण्डुत्वंघ्राणवक्त्रगुदस्राव: || – Ah. Su-16/31

If snehapānais administered in higher quantity without considering the koṣṭha, then the

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person may suffer from ati snigdha lakṣaṇas like yellowish, whitish, Yellowish pale skin or
stools, Fatigue Heaviness, Stiffness, Loss of taste, Exhaustion, Nausea, Anorexia with loss of
appetite, Secretion from nose, mouth and anus, Breathing difficulty, Vomiting, Fainting,
Morbidthirst, Acid reflux, Dizziness, Hallucinations, cough, Bloating with colic pain,
Frequent stools (Diarrhea)
ASNIGDHA LAKṢAṆA:
If snehapānais not done or administered inadequately then these lakṣaṇaas can be observed
in the patient. Further by observing these lakṣaṇas the physician should rectify the dose
according to the koṣṭha and agni of the patient and carry out snehapānaproperly which is very
important in achieving proper result.

पुरीषं ग्रथितं रूक्षं वायुरप्रगुणोमृदु:।
पक्ता खरत्वं रौक्ष्यं च गात्रस्यास्निग्ध लक्षणं॥ – Ch.Sa-13/57, Vangasena=
SYMPTOMS OF INADEQUATE OLEATION;
If snehapāna is not done or administered inadequately then these lakṣaṇaas can be observed
in the patient. Further by observing these lakṣaṇas the physician should rectify the dose
according to the koṣṭha and agni of the patient and carry out snehapāna properly which is
very important in achieving proper result.
पुरीषं ग्रथितं रूक्षं वायुरप्रगुणोमृदु:।
पक्ता खरत्वं रौक्ष्यं च गात्रस्यास्निग्ध लक्षणं॥ – Ch.Sa-13/57
Hard, dry stools, derangement of vāta, weak digestive power, roughness and dryness of the
skin- these are the signs of under oleation. Susrutha adds urovidhaaham, durvarna and
durbāla. Hard, dry stools, derangement of vāta, weak digestive power, roughness and dryness
of the skin- these are the signs of under oleation.