Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates 鈥楾reatment of Skin diseases (Carmaroga) and Leprosy (Kushtha)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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Treatment of Skin diseases (Carmaroga) and Leprosy (碍耻峁ａ弓丑补)
[Note: For a detailed study, see the comparative study of Leprosy in the Atharvaveda]
Atharvaveda discusses dermatological Diseases or Carmaroga. The disease of the skin is called Carmaroga. For the treatment of skin diseases, certain medicine is mentioned. For instance, in K膩峁環aka 厂补峁僪颈迟腻 P墨tud膩ru is talked about. In Vedas, synonymous words of P奴tud膩ru are 笔墨迟补诲腻谤耻, P奴tudru and P奴tadru. In Atharvaveda, this is called Am墨vac膩tana[1]. The oil of 顿别惫补诲腻谤耻 trees also has medicinal properties. This can treat old skin diseases and is good for leprosy. Atharvaveda says that Gulgulu is good for ulu is good for arthritis, goitre, leprosy, and 痴腻迟补-惫测腻诲丑颈, etc. Atharvaveda and Yajurveda mention the use of Tila. The oil of Tila can be used for hair, skin and pimples. 顿奴谤惫腻 grass is good for skin disease and can be used to stop nose bleeds. 艢补迟补惫腻谤补 cures Piles, leprosy and irritation of the skin. Atharvaveda also says that the 惭补峁囜笉奴办墨 is good medicine for dermatological diseases, skin irritation, leprosy, Syphilis and different types of wounds. The Sala tree is not only can be used as an amulet but also as a medicine for Carmaroga, poison, pimples, Ko岣峢a and ear disease etc.[2]
Leprosy turns a person hideous that is why it is called 碍耻峁ａ弓丑补.
鈥�艣ar墨ra峁僰u峁ａ箛膩tikutsita峁僰arotiitiku峁ａ弓ham |鈥�.
In Atharvaveda, the reason for Kil膩sa and Palita has been called D奴峁岣�[3]. This 顿辞峁蝉 are untimely consumption of meals, aimless and unsystematic movement, bad deeds, illegitimate relationship and having meals with the patient. When Dhatus like flesh, fat and bones are polluted it becomes the reason for Kil膩sa and Palita. The medicines for white leprosy or Kil膩sa and Palita mention in Atharvaveda are 狈补办迟补峁�, 搁腻尘腻, 碍峁涐梗峁嚹�, Asikn墨, 搁补箩补苍墨, Brahman, 膧蝉耻谤墨 and 艢测腻尘腻 etc. Kil膩sa and Palita are cured by AV.I.23 and 24. The practices connected with these are given at 碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补[4]. The practising priest while reciting the hymns rubs the sores of the patient till they become red. He smears these with the substances鈥�叠丑峁涐箙驳补谤腻箩补, 贬补谤颈诲谤腻, 滨苍诲谤补惫腻谤耻峁嚹� and 狈墨濒颈办腻. He then cuts the white scurf and having covered the patient, performs the rite to the Maruts[5].
The Atharvaveda speaks of the application of 碍耻峁ａ弓丑补 medicine to alleviate colic or pain or 艢奴濒补. It is accompanied by Soma medicine in the 贬颈尘腻濒补测补蝉. It is said to cure headaches, eye and body aches[6]. 碍奴峁环补鈥檚 ointment is beneficial for wounds, sores etc. It is also used in chronic skin diseases. The Atharvaveda mentions P墨tud膩ru, P奴tudru or 顿别惫补诲腻谤耻. 顿别惫补诲腻谤耻 decoction is used for diseases like oedema, stone, gonorrhoea, syphilis etc. Its oil is chemistry. 顿别惫补诲腻谤耻 is used for pain, wounds and skin diseases. Rheumatism, neuralgia or colic is treated by the 碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补 in connection with VI.90[7]. An amulet of the spear is attached to the patient while the hymn is being recited by him. The Atharvaveda mentions P峁涐梗峁瓂膩maya or back pain disease[8]. Ja峁単i岣峚 ma峁噄, 笔耻峁补谤补 root and orris root are mentioned to cure this disease. The Atharvaveda mentions diseases associated with the spleen and an enlarged disease of the spleen or liver[9]. 笔颈辫辫补濒墨, k峁ptabhe峁j墨 is mentioned to cure this disease. Also, 笔颈辫辫补濒墨 and 叠颈产丑墨迟补办补 medicines have been used to cure this disease.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
agne岣� 艣ar墨ramasi p膩rayi峁ａ箛u rak峁h膩si sapatnah膩 |
atho am墨vac膩tana岣� p奴tudrurn膩ma bhe峁jam || (AV. 鈥揤滨滨滨/2/28); Atharva-Veda-厂补峁僪颈迟腻 along with S膩ya峁嘺bh膩峁a鈥揤ol.鈥�2, Ramswaroop Sharma Gaud (ed.), Varanasi, Chowkhamba Vidyabhawan, 2011, p. 148.
[2]:
[3]:
[4]:
苍补办迟补峁� 箩腻迟腻 蝉耻辫补谤峁噊 箩腻迟补 iti mantrokta峁� 艣ak峁沝膩 濒辞丑颈迟补峁� pragh峁涐梗y膩limpati || palit膩ny膩cchidya || m膩rut膩nyapihita岣� || (碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补-26.22-24); Atharvaved墨ya鈥摪钩芘浘卑觳� G峁沨yas奴tra峁� (D膩rilake艣avayosa峁�-k峁pta峁玨aya sahita峁�), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, pp. 60-61.
[5]:
samutpatantu pra nabhasveti var峁k膩mo dv膩da艣ar膩tramanu艣u峁et || sarvavrata upa艣r膩myati || maruto yajate yath膩 惫补谤奴峁嘺峁� juhoti || 辞峁诲丑墨岣� samp膩tavat墨岣� prave艣y膩bhinyubjati || vipr膩vayeta || 艣va艣irae峁璦ka艣ira岣e艣ajaradup膩naho va峁兣浤乬re prabadhya yodhayati || udap膩tre峁嘺 samp膩tavat膩 samprok峁膩map膩tra峁� trip膩de'艣m膩namavadh膩y膩psu nidadh膩ti || (碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补-41.1-7); Atharvaved墨ya鈥摪钩芘浘卑觳� G峁沨yas奴tra峁� (D膩rilake艣avayosa峁�-k峁pta峁玨aya sahita峁�), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, pp. 98-99.
[6]:
艣墨r峁Ｄ乵ayamupahatyamak峁ostanvorapa岣� |
ku峁ａ弓hastat sarva峁� ni峁arad daiva峁� samaha v峁涐梗峁噛am || (AV. 鈥揤/4/10); Acarya Vedanta Tirtha (ed.), Atharvaveda鈥揤ol. 1, Delhi, Manoj Publication, 2012, p. 218.
[7]:
y膩峁� y膩峁� te rudra iti 艣奴line 艣奴lam || (碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补-31.7); Atharvaved墨ya鈥摪钩芘浘卑觳� G峁沨yas奴tra峁� (D膩rilake艣avayosa峁�-k峁pta峁玨aya sahita峁�), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, p. 73.