Bhesajjakkhandhaka (Chapter on Medicine)
by Hin-tak Sik | 2016 | 121,742 words
This study deals with the ancient Indian Medicine (Ayurveda) in Early Buddhist Literature and studies the Bhesajjakkhandhaka and the Parallels in other Vinaya Canons. The word Bhesajja means “medicine” and is the sixth chapter of the Khandhaka, which represents the second book of the Pali Vinaya Pitaka. Other works consulted include the Bhaisajya-s...
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Medicines (c): Leaves (Pa??a/Patra)
Only the 罢丑别谤补惫ā诲补 Bhesajjakkhandhaka and the 惭ū濒补蝉补谤惫ā蝉迟颈惫ā诲补 Bhai?ajyavastu include a list of leaf-medicines.
Moreover, the Sanskrit and the Chinese versions of the latter text have slightly different lists.
罢丑别谤补惫ā诲补:—“… the leaf medicines [are]: leaf of neem tree, leaf of Tellicherry bark, leaf of pointed gourd, leaf of holy basil,[1] leaf of Levant cotton, or whatever other leaf medicines there are; neither they serve as hard food among the hard food, nor as soft food among the soft food. Having accepted them, [one has] to take care of [them] for the duration of one's life, [and] to use [them] when there is a reason.”[2]
惭ū濒补蝉补谤惫ā蝉迟颈惫ā诲补 (Sanskrit):—“尝别补蹿-medicine is: leaf of pointed gourd, leaf of Malabar nut tree, leaf of neem tree, leaf of ridged gourd, leaf of Indian devil tree; or, furthermore, another [leaf which] serves for the need of leaf-medicine [but] not for the need of food.”[3]
惭ū濒补蝉补谤惫ā蝉迟颈惫ā诲补 (Chinese):—“Leaf medicines are three leaves,[4] [which] mean: pickled vegetable (leaf of pointed gourd?), leaf of Malabar nut tree …, [leaf of] neem tree …, [leaf of] ridged gourd …, and the others belonging to this category,[which] should be used in accordance with the preceding [teaching].”[5]
All these plants are known in ?yurveda, but are not specified as leafmedicines. Moreover, various leaves are mentioned in the ?yurvedic texts but they are not systematised as a particular category. Numerous leaves are named in the group of vegetables (?ā办补) in the chapters concerning food and drink in these Indian medical treatises, with their individual properties and effects on the body (Caraka Sa?hitā 厂ū迟谤补蝉迟丑ā苍补 27. 878 ff.; Su?ruta Sa?hitā 厂ū迟谤补蝉迟丑ā苍补 46. 249 ff.; A??ā?ga H?daya Sa?hitā 厂ū迟谤补蝉迟丑ā苍补 6. 72 ff.). In modern medicinal botany, it is stated that “the leaves of plants, shrubs, and trees can be used for medicinal properties. Leaves can be used alone or can be mixed with twigs, stems, and buds” (U.S. Forest Service 2015b).
The leaf-medicines mentioned in the Chapters on Medicine of the 罢丑别谤补惫ā诲补 and 惭ū濒补蝉补谤惫ā蝉迟颈惫ā诲补 Vinayas are summarised as follows:
| Original name | English name | Botanical name | |
| 罢丑别谤补惫ā诲补 | nimbapa??a | leaf of neem tree | Azadirachta indica |
| ku?ajapa??a | leaf of Tellicherry bark | Holarrhena antidysenterica | |
| pa?olapa??a | leaf of pointed gourd | Trichosanthes dioica | |
| sulasipa??a | leaf of holy basil | Ocimum sanctum | |
| 办补辫辫ā蝉颈办补辫补??补 | leaf of Levant cotton | Gossypium herbaceum | |
| 惭ū濒补蝉补谤惫ā蝉迟颈惫ā诲补 (Sanskrit) | pa?olapatra | leaf of pointed gourd | Trichosanthes dioica |
| 惫ā?颈办补辫补迟谤补 | leaf of Malabar nut tree | Adhatoda vasica | |
| nimbapatra | leaf of neem tree | Azadirachta indica | |
| 办辞?ā迟补办ī辫补迟谤补 | leaf of ridged gourd | Luffa acutangula | |
| saptapar?apatra | leaf of Indian devil tree | Alstonia scholaris | |
| 惭ū濒补蝉补谤惫ā蝉迟颈惫ā诲补 (Chinese) | 酸菜 | pickled vegetable (leaf of pointed gourd?) | Trichosanthes dioica (?) |
| 婆奢迦叶 | leaf of Malabar nut tree | Adhatoda vasica | |
| 絍婆 | (leaf of) neem tree | Azadirachta indica | |
| 高奢得枳 | (leaf of) ridged gourd | Luffa acutangula |
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
罢丑别谤补惫ā诲补 Vinaya Pi?aka I. 201: “... pa??āni bhesajjāni nimbapa??a? ku?ajapa??a? pa?olapa??a? sulasipa??a? 办补辫辫ā蝉颈办补辫补??补? yāni vā pan’ a??āni pi atthi pa??āni bhesajjāni, n’ eva khādaniye khādaniyatta? pharanti na bhojaniye bhojaniyatta? pharanti, tāni 辫补?颈驳驳补丑别迟惫ā 测ā惫补箩ī惫补? pariharitu?, sati paccaye paribhu?jitu?.”
[3]:
Gilgit Manuscripts III. 1.iii: “patrabhai?ajyam| pa?olapatra? 惫ā?颈办补辫补迟谤补? nimbapatra? 办辞?ā迟补办ī辫补迟谤补? saptapar?apatramiti| yadvā punaranyadapi patrabhai?ajyārthāya spharati nāmi?ārthāya触” 痴ā?颈办ā is synonymous with 惫ā蝉补办补.
[4]:
In the Chinese version, there is a term “三葉” which literally means “three leaves” before listing the items of leaf-medicine. It seems that the translator might have mistaken 酸菜 and 婆奢迦叶 as one term rather than two. 酸菜 means “pickled vegetable”. By comparing the Chinese version with the Sanskrit one, this term probably refers to the leaf of pointed gourd that can be cooked as vegetable (Khare 2004, 458).
[5]:
Taishō Tripi?aka 1448. 1b15-16: “葉藥者，三葉：謂酸菜婆奢迦叶...，絍婆...，高奢得枳...，及以餘類，准前應用。” 婆奢迦 is 惫ā?颈办ā or 惫ā蝉补办补. 絍婆 is nimba. 高奢得枳 is 办辞?ā迟补办ī.