Principles of Viṣa Cikitsā in Agada Tantra

Viṣa Cikitsā is the therapeutic component of Agada Tantra, the Āyurvedic discipline concerned with the diagnosis and management of poisoning. Classical descriptions in the Caraka Saṃhitā, Suśruta Saṃhitā, Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya, and Aṣṭāṅga Saṅgraha explain the management of Sthāvara Viṣa, Jaṅgama Viṣa, and Kṛtrima Viṣa through principles based on the properties, intensity, movement, site, timing, and doṣa-based expression of poison. This chapter presents the major conceptual tools of Viṣa Cikitsā, including Viṣa Guṇa, Viṣa Vega, Viṣa Gati, Doṣa, Sthāna, Kāla, elimination procedures, neutralizing measures, and Prativiṣa. It also explains the Caturviṃśati Upakrama of Caraka as a systematic therapeutic framework and discusses the influence of season, diurnal variation, environmental temperature, and tissue involvement on treatment selection. The chapter concludes by relating these classical principles to contemporary ideas of toxicokinetics, organ protection, antidotal therapy, emergency assessment, and individualized management. Keywords: Viṣa Cikitsā, Agada Tantra, Caturviṃśati Upakrama, Viṣa Vega, Viṣa Gati, Prativiṣa, Āyurvedic Toxicology, Poisoning Management.