Mahavagga - Sixth Khandhaka: Chapter 6

1. Now at that time the Bhikkhus who were sick had need of fruits as medicine.
They told this thing to the Blessed One.
'I allow you, O Bhikkhus, the use of fruits as medicine--the vilaṅga 5, the
pippala 6, and marika peppers; the harîtaka 7, and vibhîtaka 8, and âmalaka 9
myrobalans; the gotha fruit 10; and whatsoever other fruits are used for
medicine, and impart an appetising flavour to foods, either hard or soft, which
the
p. 47
sick Bhikkhus could not otherwise eat. They may be received and stored up (&c.,
as in chap. 4, down to:) guilty of a dukkata offence,'



Footnotes
46:5 Erycibe Paniculata.
46:6 This is not the Ficus Religiosa, but simply pepper. Childers, following
Subhûti's edition of the Abhidhânappadîpikâ, spells both this word and the
allied form Pippalî with pph instead of pp. So also Fausböll at Gâtaka, vol. i,
p. 29, verse 218. We prefer the spelling with pp in accordance with the
Sanskrit.
46:7 Yellow myrobalan.
46:8 Beleric myrobalan.
46:9 Emblic myrobalan.
46:10 We cannot suggest any explanation of this word. Buddhaghosa has no comment
on any of these medicinal fruits or seeds.