of fanciful design, and spread them out in front (of the king.) All kinds of desserts, confectionary and dry viands should be served on his right, while all soups etc., meat-essences, drinks, cordials, milk, Khada-Yusha, and Peya should be placed on his left. Bowls containing preparations of treacle, Raga-Shadava, and Sattaka should occupy a place midway between the two sets of bowls described above.
The intelligent physician, well conversant with the rules of serving dishes as above laid down, should attend upon the king at his table, and spread out on the purified level floor of a solitary, beautiful, spacious, blissful, perfumed and flower-decorated chamber, and the king should partake of those sacred and pleasant dishes, served neither hot nor cold, and cooked and seasoned in the desired mode, and possessed of their specific tastes.
The physician in attendance should see that the king first partakes of the sweet dishes, then of the acid and saline, and of the pungent and other ones at the close of the meal.*[1] First or at the forepart of a meal, such fruit as the pomegranate, etc., should be eaten, after that, Peyas and boiled rice and prepared dishes, as
- ↑ *The taste of sweet viands eaten at the outset would naturally go to subdue the Vayu located in the stomach; acid or saline taste partaken of at the middle of a meal would rouse up the fire of digestion located in the pancreas (Agnyashaya), while the pungent taste enjoyed at its close would lend to subdue the Kupham.
