Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates ‘Fever according to Caraka—Synopsis’ found in the study on diseases and remedies found in the Atharvaveda and Charaka-samhita. These texts deal with Ayurveda—the ancient Indian Science of life—which 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.
Fever according to Caraka—Synopsis
[Note: For a detailed study, see the comparative study of Fever in the Caraka-Saṃhita]
Maharṣi Caraka says fever is the chief of all diseases. The one that afflicts the body is called fever. Fever irritates the body, senses and the mind. Again, he said that all animals are born with fever and die with fever. The words that signify the stage of fever are jvara, disorder, disease, vyādhi and panic. Physical and mental defects are the causes of fever. Fever does not shelter an innocent person. It is said that fever originated from Rudra's anger. Fever causes nausea, loss of appetite, thirst, body aches and heart pain.
There are eight causes of human fever, namely—
Fever affects both body and mind. Physical and mental anguish are common symptoms of all fevers. Premonitory symptoms for fever are laziness, tearful eyes, grunting, heaviness, fatigue, fire, heat, wind and water, sometimes desire, sometimes envy, impatience, animosity, loss of strength and colour, and a slight distortion of temperament. According to the weakness of seasons, day and night, doṣa, condition of the mind, and the result of the action in the past life, different fever occurs in different people.
If there are the premonitory symptoms or in the primary stage of fever, it is necessary to intake light food or fasting because Āmāśaya is the site of the origin of this disease. After the fever is generated the patient should be administered decoction, drink, unction, oleation, fomentation, ointment, bath pasted medicine, emesis, purgation, āsthāpana type of enema, alleviation therapy, inhalation, fumigation, smoking, collyrium and milk preparations.
For all types of chronic fever, intake of ghee is beneficial. Besides, it has been said that daytime sleep, bathing, massage, food, intercourse, anger, proverbs, hard work, tanning etc., should be avoided for various fever[1].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
C. Cikitsāsthāna–III.3-127; Baidyacharya Kalikinkar Sensarma & Ayurbedacharya Satyasekhar Bhattacharya (eds.), Caraka-Samhita–Vol. I, trans. Kabiraj Jasodanandan Sirkar, Kolkata, Deepayan Publication, 2013, pp. 209-258.