Diseases and Impurities

Prevalence of diseases (ruk) like kṣya–pulmonary consumption, pratiśyāya–catarrah, cough kṣut–sneeze, kāsa–cough, śopha–swelling, pādasphoṭa–kibe, kilāsa–blotch, kacchvam–scab, kaṇḍū–itch, visphoṭa–boil, vraṇa–sore or wound, nāḍīvraṇa–ulcer, koṭho–ring worm, kuṣṭha–leprosy, durnāmaka–hemorrhoids, ānāha–constipation, grahaṇīruk–diarrhoea, Ślīpada–elephantiasis, keśaghna–baldness.

Some remarks of Kṣīrasvāmin are analysed below:

[Constituents of the Body:]

(a) Dhātu (III. 3. 65; p. 285)–

[Basic Tissues:]

Amarakośa gives various meanings to this homonymous word; it also denotes the basic tissues.

Kṣīrasvāmin explains this in this sense and remarks that the vāta, pitta, and kapha are the dhātus as their equilibrium is essential for healthy body. When they are not at equilibrium, the body falls sick and succumbs to diseases:

śleṣmā vātaḥ pittaṃ ca dhāraṇāttu dhātavaḥ |

Incidentally Kṣīrasvāmin makes note of Vāgbhaṭa (Āṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam, I. 1. 13) about dhātus that are–Rasa (plasma), asṛk (blood), māṃsa (muscles), medas (fat), asthi (bone), majjā (bone marrow) and śukra (semen)–

āsthi-raktādīni rasāsṛṅmāṃsamedo'sthimajjā śukrāṇi dhātavaḥ |

Kṣīrasvāmin records the statement of Śrī Harṣa that an epidemic^[1] is called mārī and its goddess is Māri.

(b) Mala (III. 3. 197; p. 318)–

[Impurity:]

One of the meanings of the word mala^[2] is impurity as mentioned in Amarakośa

This is explained by Kṣīrasvāmin quoting Manu (V. 135) who says–the twelve impurities in men as mentioned in the as fat (vasā), semen (śukra), (masṛi), (majjā), urine (mūtra), faeces (viṭ), (śleṣma), tears (aśru), sweat (sveda):

malayati malate vā dehaṃ malaḥ viṭ gūthaṃ kiṭṭaṃ kalaṅkaḥ |
smṛtau tu—
vasā śukramasṛṅ majjā mūtraṃ viṭ karṇaviṇnakhāḥ |
śleṣmāśru dūṣikā svedo dvādaśaite malā nṛṇām ||

(c) Pāmana (II. 6. 59; p. 146)–

[Diseases with scab:]

Pāmana was a skin disease like scabby. Kṣīrasvāmin points out that some read it as Pāmara while Bhoja approves both the forms–

pāmāsyāsti pāmanaḥ pāmara ityeke dvāvapīti śrībhojaḥ |

(d) Gulma (III. 3. 142; p. 304)–

This disease is not listed along with others by Amarakośa, but is found in the Nānārthavarga where one of its multiple meanings is given as disease. Kṣīrasvāmin specifies it as the spleen disease:

ruk—
udaryo vyādhiḥ |

(e) Pradarā (III. 3. 164; p. 310)–

Pradarā, the homonymous word indicates among other meanings, disease of women which Kṣīrasvāmin explains as the excessive bleeding common among women–

nārīrugatirajaḥ srāvaḥ |

(f) Śūla (III. 3. 197; p. 318)^[3] –

Kṣīrasvāmin explains that Śūla among other things, also indicates a disease caused by vātadoṣa quoting from an unknown text–

śūla rujāyāṃ rugvātadoṣaḥ yadāhuḥ -śūlaṃ vartate'nilāt |

(g) Paṭalam (III. 3. 201; p. 319)–

[Disease of the Eye:]

Amarakośa mentions that the word pāṭalaṃ is denotative of eye disease. Kṣīrasvāmin explains it is an eye disease; it is darkness of the eye or partial blindness; a class of morbid affections of the coating (paṭala) of the eye.

Suśruta (Uttaratantra, VIII. 5-18) describes the severe eye diseases affecting the layers or coats of the pupil and features of timira involving layers–

netraruji yathā—
timiraṃ kācatāṃ yāti paṭalaṃ tadupekṣayā |

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

saṃghātamṛtyurmarakaṃ (ko) mārirmāri ca devateti śrīharṣaḥ |

[2]:

malo'strī pāpa viṭ kiṭṭānyastrī |

[3]:

śūlaṃ rugāyudham |