Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates ‘Treatment of Kaphaja (heart disease)’ 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 Kaphaja (heart disease)
In the Atharvaveda, Kaphaja heart disease is called Balāsa. Balāsa means a disease that destroys strength or physical strength. Āñjana maṇi, Jaṅgiḍa maṇi and Varaṇa maṇi for the treatment of balāsa, Varaṇa maṇi destroys tuberculosis. The Ṛgveda and the Atharvaveda mention several medicines to cure heart disease. They are—Arjuna, Kṣetriyanāśanī, Cīpudru, Jambīra, Balāsanāśanī, Balāsa bheṣaja, Vṛṣa, Śigru, Soma, Srekaparṇa, Haridru and Hāridrava etc. Even the treatment of Balāsa is inconsequential[1]. Accordingly, A reed is placed into the water of the river and then the patient is washed with the water of the river using a branch of a holly tree so that the water flows down upon the reed. The hymn VI.14 is recited throughout[2].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
palāśodumbarajambukāmpīlasragvaṅghaśirīṣasrattayavaraṇabilvajaṅgiḍakuṭakagarhyagalāvalavetasaśimbalasi-punasyandanāraṇikāśmayoktatunyupūtadāra vaḥ śāntāḥ || (Kauśika Sūtra-8.15); Atharvavedīya–Kauśika Gṛhyasūtraṃ (Dārilakeśavayosaṃ-kṣiptaṭīkaya sahitaṃ), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, p. 19.