SB 1.5.33
तदेव ह्यामयं द्रव्यं न पुनाति चिकित्सितम् ॥ ३३ ॥
tad eva hy āmayaṁ dravyaṁ na punāti cikitsitam
Synonyms
[In regard to Nārada’s previous statement, it may be questioned how action, which is the root cause of material existence (nanu saṁsāra-hetoḥ karmaṇaḥ), can relieve the threefold miseries (kathaṁ tāpa-traya-nivartakatvam). This is answered in the following two verses along with an illustration provided in the present verse (sadṛṣṭāntam āha dvābhyām) of how such a thing is possible through transformation of the elements involved in such a procedure (sāmagrī bhedena ghaṭata iti).142]; suvrata — O virtuous one; yena — by whichever [substance, such as ghee and so on (ghṛtādinā)]; yaḥ ca — some particular; āmayam — disease [rogaḥ]; jāyate — is produced; bhūtānām — of [i.e., for] living beings; tat — that; eva — very; dravyam — substance [which, when taken alone, is productive of disease (kevalam āmaya-kāraṇa-bhūtam)]; na hi punāti — certainly cannot cure [or ward off (na nivartayati)]; [tam] āmayam — that disease; [if, however (kintu)]; cikitsitam [dravyāntair bhāvitaṁ sat] — [that substance is infused with, or transformed by, some other substance, and then taken as] medicine [it can definitely cure the disease (punāty eva)]; [this verse provides the example for what is stated in the next verse (yathā evam ity uttareṇānvayaḥ)143].
Translation
O virtuous one, that very substance by which some particular disease is produced for living beings certainly cannot cure that disease. If, however, that substance is infused with, or transformed by, some other substance and then taken as medicine, it can definitely do so.