Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates ‘Treatment of Yakshma disease—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.
Treatment of Yakṣma disease—Synopsis
[Note: For a detailed study, see the comparative study of Tuberculosis in the Atharvaveda]
The disease Yakṣma affects almost all part of the body. In later texts it has been used as the synonym of disease, Kuṣṭha, Arundhatī, Satāvarī etc, are used for treating Yakṣma.
Against Rājayakṣma the Kauśika Sūtra recommends the following practice:
“The patient is given to eat porridge containing rotten fish. He is taken to the forest and at dawn and sprinkled over with water which has been warmed by quenching in it the burning sesame, hemp, cow-dung, and sacred fire-wood, all of which are gathered in the forest[1].
The practice is undertaken with the recitation of III.11[2].
The Atharvaveda mentions two ways to cure Rājayakṣmā. For example, drinking Somapāna and Puruṣārtha[3]. Soma-rasa or other nutritious juice cures tuberculosis and increases virility. This disease arises and increases when there is a decrease in mood and will power. If the mind has the willpower then the incidence of this disease gradually decreases and gradually subsides.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
muñcāmi tvā haviṣā jīvanāya kamajñātayakṣmāduta rājayakṣmāt |
grāhirjagrāha yadi vaitadenaṃ tasyā indrāgnī pra mumuktamenam ||
yadi kṣitāyuryadi vā pareto yadi mṛtyorantikaṃ nīta eva |
tamā harāmi nirṛterupasthadaspārṣamenaṃ śataśāradāya ||
sahasrākṣeṇa śataśāradena śatāyuṣā haviṣāhārṣamenam |
śataṃ nayātīndro viśvasya duritasya pāram ||
śataṃ jīva śarado vardhamānaḥ śataṃ hemantāñchatamu vasantān |
śatamindrāgnī savitā bṛhaspatiḥ śatāyuṣa haviṣemaṃ punarduḥ ||
āhārṣaṃ tvāvidaṃ tvā punarāgāḥ punarnava |
sarvāṃga sarvaṃ te cakṣuḥ sarvāmāyuśca te'vidam || (ṚV. -X/161/1-5); Acharya Vedanta Tirtha (ed.), Rigveda–Vol. 4, Delhi, Manoj Publication, 2012, pp. 547-548.