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Ayurveda (science of life)

Source: archive.org: Vagbhata’s Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita (first 5 chapters)

Nakhavādya (नखवाद्य) refers to “music made with the nails”, and is mentioned in verse 2.40-44 of the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā (Sūtrasthāna) by Vāgbhaṭa.—Accordingly, “[...] music (made) by body, mouth, and nails [viz., nakhavādya]; the shaking of hands and hair; the walking between (two) waters, fires, and respectable (men); the smoke resulting from (the cremation of) corpses; [...] (all these things) one shall eschew. In all activities of a wise (man) the world alone (is) his teacher”.

Note: Vaktra (“mouth”) has been changed into mchu (“lip”) and vādya (“music”) into sgra ’byin (“causing noise to come forth, making noise”). This and the next precept are apparently aimed at those who, like modern jazz fans, make a habit of accompanying music by striking their bodies, clicking with their tongues or lips, clapping their hands or finger-nails, and the like. This is also the interpretation proposed by K. L. Bhishagratna for the parallel passage in Suśrutasaṃhitā IV.24.95 “na gātranakhavaktravāditraṃ kuryāt”—“one shall not make music with body, nails, and mouth” or, as the commentator Ḍalhaṇa puts it, “na gātraṃ vādyabhāṇḍaṃ”—“one shall not make one’s body a musical instrument”.

context information

Āyurveda (आयुर्वेद, ayurveda) is a branch of Indian science dealing with medicine, herbalism, taxology, anatomy, surgery, alchemy and related topics. Traditional practice of Āyurveda in ancient India dates back to at least the first millenium BC. Literature is commonly written in Sanskrit using various poetic metres.

Languages of India and abroad

Sanskrit dictionary

Source: Cologne Digital Sanskrit Dictionaries: Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary

Nakhavādya (नखवाद्य):—[=nakha-vādya] [from nakha] ([cf. Lexicographers, esp. such as amarasiṃha, halāyudha, hemacandra, etc.]) n. ‘n°-music’, noise made with the finger-nails.

context information

Sanskrit, also spelled संस्कृतम् (saṃskṛtam), is an ancient language of India commonly seen as the grandmother of the Indo-European language family (even English!). Closely allied with Prakrit and Pali, Sanskrit is more exhaustive in both grammar and terms and has the most extensive collection of literature in the world, greatly surpassing its sister-languages Greek and Latin.

See also (Relevant definitions)

Partial matches: Nakha, Vadya.

Full-text: Acchurita, Nakhavadana.

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