Chapter 10 - Woman in Caraka’s Times

The primary as well as the secondary sexual differences of the woman from those of man have given her a distinctive social position throughout the many ages of human history. In the ancient world she held either a privileged position by virtue of her charm, delicacy and relative weakness or an inferior position to man’s and was regarded as a subordinate, ornament and source of sense satisfaction, to be possessed, decorated or pampered. It is only in recent times that her claim to equality with man has been seriously put forth and has gained recognition in all civilised countries. It is only now that she claims neither the privileged position with its implication of relative weakness and inferiority nor the subordinate position as an object of sense gratification. She is now asserting her equal partnership with the man in the enterprise of life and wants neither more nor less. In view of this, it would be interesting to see what position and task she was assigned in the various context of social life as portrayed in the texts of Ayurveda and particularly in the Caraka Samhita, the work under review.

We shall divide the reference into two classes (A) those regarding her growth, aging and constitution, the disease, general and, special, she is liable to, modification of medications and dosage, and the last but the most important the physiology and pathology of the maternity period she passes through, and (B) the general references direct and indirect as a woman

A. Medical references—

1. The sages of India by long observation and thought knew the difference in the pace of growth and decay of the constitutions of both man and woman. Tn physical and mental development and maturity as well as in their decay man is slower than woman. This fact is depicted in observations like the following:—

[Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 35.31]

“The wise physian should know that a man of twenty-five years of age and a woman of sixteen years of age have attained to an equal stage of sexual maturity”.

[Suśrutasaṃhitā Śārīrasthāna 3.11]

“The catamenal discharge which starts from the age of twelve in a woman comes to a cessation at the age of fifty when the body enters in its stage of senescence”.

2. She is liable to all diseases which human flesh is heir to and in addition to these diseases she suffers from diseases and disorders peculiar to her due to the special structure of her sexual organs. These diseases are called gynecic diseases and a special chapter has been devoted to them (Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 30). In the chapter on Gulma, a special type of it called Rakta Gulma is described which is a peculiar affection of the female species as it is a uterine affection. Again while describing Vata disease, Caraka says that her position of dependency on man, her lack of enlightenment, and her natural inclinations to shyness, delicacy and modesty, impose restrictions on the prompt discharge of natural urges.

[Carakasaṃhitā Nidānasthāna 3.13]

“The Gulma born of vitiated blood occurs only in women and not in men, because of their peculiar feature of menstrual discharge from the uterus. Owing to her position of dependence, ignorance and continual occupation in service and duty, she restrains the natural urges of the body Either just after abortion or miscarriage, or just after delivery or during the menstrual period, if a woman takes Vata-provoking food, her Vata gets quickly provoked”.

3. Her constitution, being considered weaker than that of a male is compared with the constitutions of the child and the aged persons, and accordingly medications are to be made milder for her.

[Suśrutasaṃhitā Vi. 38.96]

“For kings, and kingly persons, and great men, for women, and persons of delicate constitution as well as for children and the aged (we shall describe the dosage of oil and honey.)

4. One special branch of the octopartite Ayurveda has been ' devoted to the physiology and pathology of the maternity stage of a woman’s life.

B. Social practices:

Caraka samhita being primarily a medical treatise takes a scientific and biological view of man and woman. Yet the social practices of the age and the relative imposition of woman have been mentioned explicitly sometimes and implicitly more often.

1. In the etiology of Rakta Gulma, the social position of the woman in general is referred to (Carakasaṃhitā Nidānasthāna 3.13 quoted above)

2. In the description of posology she has been described as unsteady by nature, tender, wavering, easily disturbed and generally delicate, weak and dependent on others.

[Carakasaṃhitā Vimānasthāna 8.94]

“It is owing to this reason that in emergency a weak patient should be first treated with non-distressing, mild and generally delicate remedies and later on gradually, by heavy remedies which do not upset him or give rise to complications. This should be specially done in the case of woman. They are by nature unsteady, tender, wavering, easily disturbed and generally delicate, weak and dependent on others.”

3. In the chapter instructing the principles of good way and behaviour of life to man, it is said:

[Carakasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 8.22]

“Do not contemn nor confide in the woman overmuch, nor divulge a secret to her, nor place her in power”.

4. Women were also trained to play the part of companion and entertainer to man in his pursuit of pleasure Caraka describes the part played by women attendants and carriers who actually were to be well trained in the art of entertainment

[Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 24.16-17]

“He should drink while being shampooed by clean, loving, beautiful, young and well trained women decked in fine clothes, jewels and flowers suitable to the season.”

5. In the description of the selection of a wife, life’s partner, one of the qualifications she must needs possess was her being i.e. amenable.

[Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 2/1.10]

“... who is akin to him in mind, who is amenable to and pleased with his advances, who enthralls, all his senses by her excellent qualities.”

6. A woman’s body and appearance have been considered the best aphrodisiac.

[... 4-6]

“The last means of stimulating one s manhood (the best agent of virilification) is an exhilarating sexual partner in the wife. When the desired sense-objects yield great pleasure even if singly experienced by the senses, then what need be said of the person of the woman in whom the delectable objects of all the senses are found established together. Such combination of the delectable objects of all the senses is found only in the person of the women and nowhere else. Indeed it is the object that is found in the person of the woman that evokes our pleasure greatly. Hence it is that man’s pleasure is mainly in the woman and that in her is established the source of progeny.”

7. Mention of woman is made as a therapeutic agent in the diseases coming under the category of Pitta type, specially fever and alcoholism.

[Carakasaṃhitā Vimānasthāna 6.17]

“To counteract and subdue such a condition the following measures should be taken”—

“... keeping also the company of agreeable women wearing cool garments and garland”

8.She has been used as a poison girl or poisoner.

[Suśrutasaṃhitā Kalpasthāna 1.5-6]

“Evil minded women destroy the life of the skilful king by means of poison and sometimes by various poisonous potions for the sake of winning good luck, man also loses his life quickly by contact with poison girls, it is therefore that the physician should constantly protect the king from the dangers of poison”.

9. Man is advised to have as sexual partners different types of woman according to the season; e.g. one should have a plump and passionate woman as bed-mate in the winter.

[Carakasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 6.16-17]

“When winter begins, one should always wear warm and thick clothing and should have one’s body anointed with thick paste of eagle-wood Lying in bed with a plump and passionate woman of high and plump breasts who has anointed herself with the paste of eagle-wood, one should, warmed up by aphrodisiac wines, spend the night in her embraces”.

[Carakasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 6.26]

“One should drink wholesome Sidhu or honey wine and enjoy the youthful loveliness of women and gardens”.

10. There is no corresponding pre-natal ceremony as we have the (puṃsavanavidhi) for male progeny. There is no special ceremony believed to be as inducive and constitutive of the procreation of a female child as we have it in the case of a male child.

11. The virilification section which forms one of the eight branches of the octopartite Ayurveda is devoted solely to helping the man and there is no mention of a woman in this process

12. No names of renowned female scholars or Vaidyas are found in the texts. This is an indication that women usually kept or were kept aloof from learning the medical science

13.The ethics of the medical practitioners as described in the texts indirectly give us an idea of the status of woman in ancient India.

[... ]

“Women who are not attended by their husbands or guardians (shall not receive treatment)”

[Carakasaṃhitā Vimānasthāna 8.13]

“No offering of meat by a woman without the behest of her husband or guardian shall be accepted by thee”

[Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 10.9]

“Physicians should not indulge in laughter or jokes with women nor stay long with them, nor should they accept gifts other than food from women”

The code of surgical nursing proscribes the services of a female nurse. Not only that even the sight of a woman is considered undesirable

[Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 19.15]

“Sometimes, by even sight and other contacts with a woman there may occur seminal discharge. Thus even without sexual union, a man will suffer the evil effects thereof”.

But all these references which indirectly give us a glimpse of the status of women in those times need not lead us to the conclusion that she was regarded as no more than a chattel or a useful toy to please the whims of man. Although her natural weakness and her anatomical pecularities kept her far behind in the race as against man, her status as mother was highly respected. She was the fountain source of the propagation of race. Childlessness was not only deplored, it was despised.

[Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 2/1.16-18]

“The man without progeny is like a solitary tree that yields no shade which has no branches, which bears no fruit and is devoid of any pleasant odour. The man without progeny is to be regarded as a painted lamp, a dried up lake, or a pseudo-metal which only has the appearance of the precious metal and is like a man of straw possessing only the shape of man Again, such a man without progeny is regarded to be not well-established, bare, like a void, and possessed of only one sense and as having lived a purposeless life”

So it was the women who brought the very purpose of life to fruition.

Again a child, a male child, was absolutely necessary in order that the person be free from one of the three debts which he is enjoined upon to discharge

[... 34]

“Good and filial sons who are thus born, who are handsome, truth speaking, long-lived and are righteous owe a debt to their parents (and should discharge the same)”.

Woman is the only source of progeny and as such she was highly respected. As a matter of fact it was the protection the woman received as the source of progeny, family honour and the repository of dignity that kept the women from coming to the forefront So her very usefulness was turned into her weakness. Caraka when he comes to speak about this aspect of womans life, waxes eloquent and surpasses others in his eulogy of the woman.

[Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 2(1).6]

“Indeed it is the object that is found in the person of the woman that evokes our pleasure greatly. Hence it is that man’s pleasure is mainly in the woman aid that in her is established the source of progeny. In her also are established righteousness, wealth, auspiciousness and the two worlds—this and the other”.

Thus although the biological picture of a woman as given in medical texts of old is not so glorifying to the woman, as she is by nature weak and inferior to man, her emotional and aesthetic value was regarded highly and her social value as the perpetuator of the race was almost adored.