Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates ‘Treatment of Broken bones (Asthibhanga)’ 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 Broken bones (Asthibhaṅga)
Atharva Veda is a charm against Asthibhaṅga. The treatment of broken bones is described in the Vedas. The Atharvaveda mentions that when a bone is broken, it should be placed and fixed in its proper place. Rohīṇi medicine is applied to reattach broken bones[1]. Arundhatī is mentioned in the Atharvaveda, which is applied to acne, wounds and to rejuvenate broken bones. In the Yajurveda, in the Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā, and the Atharvaveda, it is said that the bark of the Arjuna tree is used to treat fractures. For healing bone-fracture, the Kauśika Sūtra advises in IV. 12; that the patient is to be sprinkled with the essence of Lākṣā plant at dawn and made to drink the Pṛṣātaka mixed with ghee and milk and finally the patient is anointed with it[2]. The Atharvaveda contains references to diseases of the bone and osteoporosis. There is talk of using balāsa medicine to cure this disease[3].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
rohaṇyasi rohaṇyasthnaśchinnasya rohaṇī | rohayedamarundhati || (AV. –IV/12/1 & 3); Atharva-Veda-Saṃhitā along with Sāyaṇabhāṣya–Vol.–2, Ramswaroop Sharma Gaud (ed.), Varanasi, Chowkhamba Vidyabhawan,2011, pp. 379-381.
[2]:
rohiṇītyavanakṣetra'vasiñcati || pṛṣātakaṃ pāyayatyabhyanakti || ā paśyatīti sadaṃpuṣpāmaṇiṃ badhnāti || lākṣāliṅgābhirdugdhe phāṇṭān pāyayati || (Kauśika Sūtra-28.5-7, 14); Atharvavedīya–Kauśika Gṛhyasūtraṃ (Dārilakeśavayosaṃ-kṣiptaṭīkaya sahitaṃ), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, pp. 66-67.