Medicine in the Atharva-veda (Introduction)

Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita

by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words

This page relates 鈥楳edicine in the Atharva-veda (Introduction)鈥� found in the study on diseases and remedies found in the Atharvaveda and Charaka-samhita. These texts deal with Ayurveda鈥攖he ancient Indian Science of life鈥攚hich lays down the principles for keeping a sound health involving the use of herbs, roots and leaves. The Atharvaveda refers to one of the four Vedas (ancient Sanskrit texts encompassing all kinds of knowledge and science) containing many details on Ayurveda, which is here taken up for study.

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Medicine in the Atharva-veda (Introduction)

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Only a brief introduction and history of medical science is found in 峁歡veda whereas Atharvaveda contains a detailed description of various aspects of medical science. In Atharvaveda descriptions of anatomical structures of human digestion and metabolism, blood circulation, diseases and causative factors, preventive measures, treatment with herbs, minerals and surgical techniques, different types of worms and, the diseases caused by them along with treatment etc. have been described.

It can be inferred that there is a definite relationship between, 膧测耻谤惫别诲补 and Atharvaveda. Hence 膧测耻谤惫别诲补 is called Upaveda of Atharvaveda. In Atharvaveda, spiritual therapy was given equal importance along with relation therapy.

To relieve abnormalities of childbirth and puerperal disorders, certain oblations and other practices were prevalent. Most of the diseases were treated through offerings and prayers to Gods and other natural agents. Identification and classification of plants are also in Vedas. The 础耻峁诲丑颈厂奴办迟补 of 峁歡veda was the first authentic document of knowledge about the plants. In Atharvaveda classification of plants from various angles such as form, size, colour, morphological characters, habit etc. have been discussed. Many references were available in Atharvaveda about 碍峁沵颈 (Bacteria).

The word 碍峁沵颈 (which are nourished by raw flesh), R膩khasa (which sucks blood), Yatudhana (which causes pain), Pi艣膩ca (eats flesh), Apsar膩 (Swims in water), 骋腻苍诲丑补谤惫补 (makes noise) etc. have been used to denote 鈥榤icro-organisms in Atharvaveda鈥�. Nearly 100 types of organisms were described. Some of them are 顿峁涐梗峁璦 (macroscopic) and the others are 础诲峁涐梗峁璦 (microscopic).

Different types of organisms, the place where they dwell, their shape, types, the harm caused by them, signs and symptoms, line of treatment, use of fumigation, to control such organisms etc. were described in Atharvaveda.

Atharvan treatment is very simple. There are medicinal charms in which some symptoms are occasionally given, the disease is either mentioned or not mentioned. Its cause is vaguely supposed to be some enemy, witchcraft or the wrath of some god or some such thing and some plant is mentioned which is to be used as an amulet or employed otherwise.

Atharvaveda XIX.45.4 mentions four distinct uses of the 膧帽箩补苍补 plant: 鈥�膩k峁eka峁� ma峁噄meka峁� k峁涐箛u峁a sn膩hyeken膩 pibaikame峁Ｄ乵 ||鈥�^[1].'Use thou one as an ointment, make one as an amulet, and bathe with one and drink one of them'. Thus, these were the four possible ways in which a plant was medicinally used. The 膧tharva峁� is primarily a charm system in which the charm was systematically accompanied by an amulet. There are special charms to cure Apachit^[2],碍腻蝉补^[3], Kil膩sa^[4], 艢ir峁kti^[5], Jalodara^[6], J膩y膩nya^[7], Mutr膩varodha^[8], 艢濒别峁补^[9], Harim膩^[10], 碍峁辫迟补^[11], 鲍苍尘腻诲补^[12], 笔补办峁驳丑腻迟补^[13], K峁triya^[14], Rudhirasr膩va^[15], 膧蝉谤腻惫补^[16], 罢峁涐梗峁嚹�^[17], 础蝉迟丑颈产丑补峁単补^[18], Bal膩sa^[19], Ke艣av峁沝dhi^[20], 痴腻箩墨办补谤补峁嘺^[21],骋谤腻丑颈^[22], Vi峁andha^[23], Takman^[24], Sarpavi峁n膩艣ana^[25], 碍峁沵颈n膩艣ana^[26], V峁浥沜hikavi峁n膩艣ana^[27] and Sarvaroga-产丑补颈峁箩测补 [蝉补谤惫补谤辞驳补产丑补颈峁箩箩测补峁�]^[28] and some of these charms mention plants to be used against these diseases.

Thus鈥搕he use of Devamuni against Apachit^[29]; 痴补谤补峁嘺 against Yak峁a; 笔颈辫辫补濒墨 against 碍峁辫迟补; C墨pudru against Bal膩sa; Nitatn墨 for Ke艣av峁沝dhi; Supar峁嚹乻uri against Harim膩; 笔峁浥沶颈辫补谤峁噄 against miscarriage; 搁辞丑颈峁嚹� against fracture; 础辫腻尘腻谤驳补 against various diseases; 艢il膩c墨, 尝腻办峁Ｄ� for growth of body; 碍耻峁ａ弓丑补 against Takman; 闯补峁単颈岣峚 against Vi峁andha; Vi峁Ｄ佱箛ak膩 against 膧蝉谤腻惫补. In addition to these Atharvaveda mentions several plants whose use cannot be specified.

In the Atharvaveda, the word Bhe峁j墨 has been used for medicine. In the Vedas, medicine has been categorized based on its quality, religion and form. The Atharvaveda has given not only several plants in general but has given us some families of the plants such as Asikn墨, 碍峁涐梗峁嚹�, P峁浥沶i, Prast峁涐箛at墨, Stamvin墨, Eka艣u峁単a, Pratanvat墨, 础峁兣泆尘补迟墨, K膩峁囜笉in墨, 痴颈艣腻办丑腻, Vai艣vadev墨, 鲍驳谤腻, Avak膩, Ulva, T墨k峁ａ箛a艣峁涐箙g墨, as also Pu峁avat墨, Pras奴mat墨, 笔丑补濒颈苍墨, 础辫丑补濒腻 etc. The VIII.7 gives a detailed classification of the plants as-Plants Classified according to colour; those classified according to growth; their varieties according to properties, their varieties according to their origin, and their varieties according to him. First, categorization based on colour like Brabhr奴, 艢耻办谤补, Roh墨峁噄, P峁浥沶i, Asikn墨, 碍峁涐梗峁嚹�. Second, classification based on form like Prast峁涐箛at墨, Stamvin墨, Eka艣u峁単a etc. Thirdly, there is classification based on quality like 闯墨惫补濒腻, Arundhat墨, 惭补诲丑耻尘补迟墨 etc. Fourth, classification is based on fruits etc. like Pu峁avat墨, Pras奴mat墨, 笔丑补濒颈苍墨 etc.