[INDOLOGY] Question on amākṣika madhu in MBh 5.62.23

[Martin Straube]

Dear Patrick,

One meight assume that it means "free from bees", "not contaminated with (dead) bees"; cf. Skt. nirmakṣika (https://nws.uzi.uni-halle.de). However, In this case one would rather expect amakṣika. Did you check the critical edition of the Mbh?

Best wishes
Martin Straube


patrick mccartney via INDOLOGY <indology at list.indology.info> schrieb am Mittwoch, 16. September 2026 um 08:44:

> 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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