Treatment of Apacit and Goitre

Apacit [apachit] has been described in detail. It is located at Manya, Grīvā and Skandhas. Apachit was classified into several types according to the colour, suppuration and other treatments. In the three sūtras of the Atharvaveda, the treatment at Apacit and goitre is mentioned^[1]. Apacit is called Rāmāyaṇī, Glau, Galunta etc. Apacit diseases occur in the neck, upapakṣya, Vijāman etc. Apacit is a precursor to decay disease. The disease weakens the bones, causes inflammation under the hands and feet, and back pain^[2]. Goitre is a contagious disease. It flies like a bird and takes refuge in another person. Gaṇḍamālā is cured by the root of medicine called Muni^[3]. Agastya tree is called Muni tree. If the Agastya tree bark and Dhutarā leaves are crushed in equal quantity, and if which this paste is applied, it is beneficial in case of oedema. In Rājanighaṇṭu, Agastya is said to be beneficial for cold and round goitre. Offering prayers to Gods Sun and Moon, giving incision with the root of Muni deva, leach application, external application with a conch shell, saliva of dog etc, are some of the treatments. In connection with Apachit the practices recorded in the Kauśika Sūtra are: While reciting VI.25, fifty-five leaves of the Paraśu tree are kindled using pieces of wood. The boiled sap of the leaves is smeared upon the sores with a stick of the same wood. The sores are then smeared with a pulverized shell and with the saliva of a dog and subjected to the bites of leeches^[4].Further, while reciting VI.83 rock salt is ground up, placed on the sores and spat upon^[5].

In Vaidyaka Śabdasindhu, Palāśa has been called Muni. If you apply Palāśa or Ḍhāka is called Brahma tree in Bhāvaprakāśa Nighaṇṭu. In the west, acne and oedema are cured by heating and applying Ḍhāka leaves. In Bhaiṣaja Ratnāvalī, the root of Palāśa is sprinkled with rice water and applied to cure goitre and gaṇḍamālā. It is said in the Atharvaveda that if salt is applied to gaṇḍamālā roga, it dissolves quickly. Again, in the Kauśika Sūtra describes, in a different practice, with a bow made of Dārbhyūṣa bamboo having a string made of black wool, the pustules are hit with arrows of black colour and having black wool as its tips^[6]. While doing this the first two stanzas of VII.74 are to be recited. The same act of hitting is repeated by bringing the bow nearer. The patient is then washed at dawn, with water which has been warmed by quenching in it a burning bunch of wool. Again, it is said in the Atharvaveda that the wash of Yajña cures goitre disease. In the Atharvaveda, it is mentioned from the point of view of natural medicine that the rays of the sun and the rays of the moon can destroy this disease.

In a sūkta of the Atharvaveda, it is said that there are eight types of Apacit—

1. Enī,
2. Śyeṇī,
3. Kṛṣṇā,
4. Rohiṇī,
5. Asūtikā,
6. Rāmāyaṇī,
7. Glau and
8. Galunta.

In the Atharvaveda, the fresh juice of the medicine Babhrū is beneficial for diseases like goitre and insanity disease. Maṇḍūkī medicine is mentioned in the Atharvaveda. Its root is used for skin diseases, goitre, etc., for its warmth and chemistry. Mahuyā mentioned in the Śāṅkhāyana Gṛhya Sūtra is beneficial for cases of goitre and rheumatism.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

AV. –VI/83; VII/34; VII/36; Atharva-Veda-Saṃhitā along with Sāyaṇabhāṣya–Vol.–3&4, Ramswaroop Sharma Gaud (ed.), Varanasi, Chowkhamba Vidyabhawan, 2011, pp. 487-589; 125; 130.

[2]:

yaḥ kīkasāḥ praśṛṇāti tālīdyamavatiṣṭhati |
nirāstaṃ sarvaṃ jāyānyaṃ yaḥ kaśca kakudi śritaḥ || (AV. –VII/76/3); Veda Atharvaveda Saṃhitā, trans. Dilip Mukhopadhyaya, Kolkata, Aksaya Library, 2017, p. 571.

[3]:

idaṃ yat kṛṣṇaḥ śakunirabhiniṣpatannapīpatat |
āpo mā tasmāt sarvasmād duritāt pāntvaṃhasaḥ || (AV. –VII/64/1); Acarya Vedanta Tirtha (ed.), Atharvaveda–Vol. 1, Delhi, Manoj Publication, 2012, p. 400.

[4]:

pañca ca yā iti pañcapañcāśataṃ paraśuparṇānkāṣṭhairādīpayati || (Kauśika Sūtra 30.14); Atharvavedīya–Kauśika Gṛhyasūtraṃ (Dārilakeśavayosaṃ-kṣiptaṭīkaya sahitaṃ), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, p. 71.

[5]:

apacita ā susrasa iti kiṃ styādīni || lohitalavaṇaṃ saṃkṣudyābhiniṣṭhīvati || (Kauśika Sūtra 31.16-17); Atharvavedīya–Kauśika Gṛhyasūtraṃ (Dārilakeśavayosaṃ-kṣiptaṭīkaya sahitaṃ), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, p. 74.

[6]:

apacitāmiti vaiṇavena dārbhyūṣeṇa kṛṣṇorṇājyena kālavundaiḥ stukāgrairiti mantroktam || caturthyābhinidhāyābhividhyati || jyāstukājvālena || (Kauśika Sūtra 32.8-10); Atharvavedīya–Kauśika Gṛhyasūtraṃ(Dārilakeśavayosaṃ-kṣiptaṭīkaya sahitaṃ), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, p. 76.