Chapter 280 - The remedies for all the diseases (sarvarogahara)

[Sanskrit text for this chapter is available]

Dhanvantari said:

1a. Diseases are considered to be (of four kinds such as), relating to the body, relating to the mind, arising accidentally and arising naturally.

1b-2a. Fever, leprosy and the like (are considered) to be relating to the body. Anger etc. are considered to be relating to the mind. Those that are due to a blow etc. (are known) as accidental. Hunger, old age and the like (are known) as natural.

2b-3. One should give ghee, molasses and salt along with gold to a brahmin on a Sunday in order to get rid of the diseases relating to the body and those that are accidental. One who makes a gift of oil for bathing to a brahmin on a Monday would become free from all diseases [i.e., sarvaroga].

4. Oil should be given on Saturday. One who makes a gift of food with cow’s milk in the (month of) Āśvina (October-November), (would also get rid of the diseases). One who bathes the liṅga (representative symbol of Lord Śiva) with ghee and milk would become free from diseases.

5. One should offer unto fire dūrvā (grass) dipped in the three sweet things (sugar, honey and clarified butter) with (the recitation of) the gāyatrī (mantra). One should bathe and make the offering in that asterism in which one got the disease.

6. A hymn to (Lord) Viṣṇu would remove the diseases that are mental. Listen to me. (I shall describe) the defects (of the humours) wind, bile and phlegm as well as the ingredients of the body (such as blood).

7. O Suśruta! The food that is eaten gets two forms after leaving the stomach. A part becomes secreted and the other, the constituent fluid of the body.

8. The part that is secreted is the impurity such as feces, urine, sweat, rheum of the eyes, the mucus of the nose, the earwax and the bodily impurity.

9-10a. From the constituent fluid, serum (is formed) which again is turned into blood. Flesh (is formed) from blood and then fat and bones from fat. Sap (is formed) from bones and then semen. From semen, complexion and strength (are got).

10b-11a. One should render treatment (to a patient) after examining (the nature of) the country, the disease, the strength, the stamina, the season and the nature (of the patient). Then the strength of the remedy (should also be examined).

11b-14. One should reject the rikta^[1] days, Tuesdays and Saturdays and baneful (combination) (and begin treatment) after worshipping (Lord) Hari (Viṣṇu), a cow, a brahmin, the Moon and the Sun and the celestials. O Learned one! Listen to this sacred formula (that has to be recited) before commencing the treatment. “May (the gods) Brahmā, Dakṣa, Aśvins, Rudra, Indra, the Earth, the Moon, the Sun, the Wind, the Fire, the sages, the collection of herbs and the hosts of spirits protect you. Let this medicine be like the elixir of life of the sages, the nectar of the gods and the ambrosia of the outstanding serpents.”

15-16. A country abounding in trees and having plenty of water is known as anūpa (marshy) and would produce (excess of) wind and phlegm. (A country) that is devoid of (the above features) (is known as) jaṅgala (rural or picturesque). A country that has trees and water in moderate proportion is known as sādhāraṇa (ordinary). (The country known as) jāṅgala (produces) excessive bile. The sādhāraṇa (type) is known as moderate.

17. It is said that wind is dry, cool and unsteady, bile is hot like the three kinds of astringents and phlegm is steady, acid, unctuous and sweet.

18. They get increased by things having the same (qualities) and get abated by things having the opposite (qualities). Things that have sweet, sour and saline taste generate phlegm and destroy wind.

19. Those that are pungent, bitter and astringent produce wind and destroy phlegm. Similarly those that are pungent, sour and saline are known to increase bile.

20. Those that are bitter, sweet and astringent destroy bile. This is not the effect of the taste but only of its chemical action.

21. O Suśruta! Those that are stimulant and hot destroy phlegm and wind. Those that are cold destroy bile. They (the herbs) exert their influence according to their qualities.

22. It is said that phlegm gets collected, deranged and subsided in winter, spring and summer respectively.

23. O Suśruta! wind is said to get collected, deranged and subsided in the nights of summer, rainy season and autumn (respectively).

24. Bile is said to get collected, deranged and subsided in the rainy season, autumn and fore-winter (respectively).

25. The three (seasons)^[2] beginning with the rainy (are said to be) visargas. The three (seasons)^[3] beginning with winter and ending with summer (are) ādāna.

26-3la. The visarga relates to the moon and the ādāna is stated to be relating to the fire. The moon going round the three seasons such as the rainy etc. by turns produces the three tastes—sour, saline and sweet in order. The sun going round the three seasons such as winter and the like increases the three tastes—bitter, astringent and pungent flavours in order. As the duration of night increases, the strength of men also increases. When they decrease, (the strength) also decreases. During the beginning, middle and end of nights, eating, days and one’s age, phlegm, bile and wind get deranged. They are said to get collected before the beginning of their derangement and get appeased after their derangement.

31b-34a. O Brahmin! All the diseases are caused by excessive eating or not eating or forcing or retaining the flow (of urine etc.). Two parts of the belly should be filled with food, one part with drink and one part should be left free for the wind etc. to work. A remedy is only that which is the opposite of the cause of a disease. This is what should be done. I have described to you the essence.

34b-36a. (Though) it is said that phlegm, bile and wind have their places above and below the umbilical region and the regions of the anus and the buttocks (respectively) in the body, they are capable of coursing through the entire body. Especially wind (can do so). Heart is at the centre of body and it is known to be the place of mind.

36b-39a. It is said that a man of windy temperament would be emaciated, have scanty hair, be fickle-minded, garrulous, have uneven wind, and feel flying in the air in his dream. A man of bilious temperament is said to be having ultimely [untimely?] grey hair. He would be irritable and would perspire copiously. He would be fond of sweets and would see glowing things in dream. A phlegmatic man would have strong body and firm mind. He would be brilliant. He will have glossy hair on the head. He would see clear water in dream.

39b-40a. O The foremost among the sages! Men of windy, bilious and phlegmatic temperaments are known to be tāmasa (inactive), rājasa (passionate) and sāttvika (virtuous) (respectively).

40b-43a. Raktapitta (haemoptysis) (is caused) by excessive coition and engaging in doing hard (physical) work. The wind in the body gets deranged on account of eating bad food or on account of grief. O Brahmin! Bile gets deranged on account of internal heat, eating hot food, making a journey as well as due to fear. Phlegm gets deranged due to excessive drinking of water, eating heavy food and lying down after eating. A lazy man also gets his phlegm deranged.

43b. After knowing the diseases caused by (humours) wind and the like from their characteristics, one should remedy them (as below).

44. The characteristics of the disease due to the (deranged) wind are—pain in the bones, bitter taste in the mouth, parched state of feeling in the mouth, yawning and bristling of the pair.

45. A disease due to (deranged) bile is marked by yellowness in the nails, eyes and veins, bitter taste in the mouth, thirst and burning heat (in the body).

46. The characteristics of disease due to phlegm are laṅguor, flow of water (from the mouth), heaviness (of the body), sweet taste in the mouth and longing for heat.

47. (Eating of) oil and hot food, anointing the body with oil and bathing and drinking of oil and the like would appease (deranged) wind. Clarified butter, milk, sugar and the rays of the moon and the like would counter (deranged) bile.

48. The oil of the three myrobalans together with honey and doing exercises etc. would remove (deranged) phlegm. Contemplation on (Lord) Viṣṇu and His worship would appease all the diseases.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

The fourth, ninth and fourteenth days of a lunar fortnight.

[2]:

Rainy season, autumn and fore-winter.

[3]:

Winter, spring and summer.