[INDOLOGY] Question on amākṣika madhu in MBh 5.62.23

[patrick mccartney]

Dear Friends,

I'm curious about* amākṣika* in the following passage of the *Mahābhārata*:

*vayaṃ kirātaiḥ sahitā gacchāmo girim uttaram*
*brāhmaṇair devakalpaiś ca vidyājambhakavātikaiḥ*

*kuñjabhūtaṃ giriṃ sarvam abhito gandhamādanam*
*dīpyamānauṣadhigaṇaṃ siddhagandharvasevitam*

*tatra paśyāmahe sarve madhu pītam amākṣikam*
*maruprapāte viṣame niviṣṭaṃ kumbhasaṃmitam*

*āśīviṣair rakṣyamāṇaṃ kuberadayitaṃ bhṛśam*
*yat prāśya puruṣo martyo 'maratvaṃ nigacchati*

*acakṣur labhate cakṣur vṛddho bhavati vai yuvā*
*iti te kathayanti sma brāhmaṇā jambhasādhakāḥ.*

The usual interpretation seems to be *a-mākṣika* “not bee-derived,” but I
am wondering whether there is more to the terminology. *Madhu* has a much
wider semantic range than simply “honey,” including Soma,
sweet/intoxicating liquids, nectar, etc.; moreover, the passage places the
*madhu* immediately after a description of medicinal plants and has it
guarded by venomous snakes before attributing to it rejuvenating and
immortalizing powers.

There are also parallel passages:

*amākṣikaṃ mahāvīryaṃ puṭake puṭake madhu*
*Kūrmapurāṇa* 1.27.33; *Liṅgapurāṇa* 1.39.28

and:

*vṛkṣāṃs tān paryagṛhṇanta madhu cāmākṣikaṃ balāt*
*Kūrmapurāṇa* 1.27.35

Could *amākṣika* have a technical/material sense beyond “non-bee honey”? I
am particularly interested in whether there are relevant commentarial,
lexical, medical, or *śleṣa/saṃdhyābhāṣā* interpretations.

All the best,

Patrick McCartney, PhD
Hiroshima, Japan
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