Classification of diseases in the Caraka-Saṃhitā

In a living being, the head is the substratum of elan vital and all the sense faculties. So, it occupies the first place amongst the vital organs of the body. By the suppression of natural urges, sleep during the day time, vigil during the night, intoxication, speaking aloud, exposure to frost and easterly wind, sexual indulgence, inhalation of undesirable smell, exposure to dust, smoke, snowfall and sun, intake of heavy and sour food, and rhizomes including tubers, etc. in excessive quantity, excessive intake of cold water, injury to the head, vitiation of āma lamentation or a product of improper digestion and metabolism, suppression of tears, advent of cloud, anxiety and adopting regimen contrary to those prescribed for the locality and season, doṣas like vāta, etc., get aggravated resulting in the vitiation of rakta-dhātu in the head. These cause diseases with various symptoms in the head^[1].

The general diseases are: eight abdominal diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja,
5. Plīhodara (due to splenic disorder),
6. Baddhodara (due to intestinal obstruction),
7. Chidrodara (due to intestinal perforation) and
8. Jalodara (ascites).

Eight Mūtraghātas (Urinary disorder) diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja,
5. Aśmarīja (due to stone in urinary tract),
6. Śukraja (due to semen) and
7. Śoṇitaja (due to blood).

Eight Kṣīra doṣas (Vitiation of milk) are:

1. Discoloration,
2. bad smell,
3. bad taste,
4. sliminess,
5. foaminess,
6. ununctuousness,
7. Heaviness and
8. Atisneha (Over unctuousness).

Eight Retodoṣas (seminal disorder) are:

1. Thinness,
2. Dryness,
3. Foaminess,
4. absence of whiteness,
5. putrid smell,
6. Over-sliminess,
7. combination with other dhātus (tissue elements) and
8. high specific gravity.

Seven Kuṣṭhas (obstinate) skin diseases including Leprosy are:

1. Kapāla,
2. Udumbara,
3. Maṇḍala,
4. Ṛṣyajihva,
5. Puṇḍarīka,
6. Sidhma and
7. Kākaṇa.

Seven Piḍakās (abscess or carbuncle) are:

1. Śarāvikā,
2. Kacchapikā,
3. Jālinī,
4. Sarṣapī,
5. Alajī,
6. Vinatā and
7. Vidradhī.

Seven Vīsarpas (skin diseases characterized by an acute spread) are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja,
5. Agnivīsarpa,
6. Karddamavīsarpa and
7. Granthivīsarpa.

Six Atisāra are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja,
5. Bhayaja (due to fear) and
6. Śokaja (due to grief).

Six Udāvarttas (abdominal diseases characterized by an acute spread) are:

1. Vātaja (due to flatus),
2. Mūtraja (due to urine),
3. Purīṣaja (due to faeces),
4. Śukraja (due to semen),
5. Charddija [Chardija] (due to vomiting) and
6. Kṣavathuja (due to sneezing).

Five Gulma (abdominal tumour) diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja and
5. Raktaja (due to blood).

Five Splenic disorders are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja and
5. Raktaja (due to blood).

Five Kāsa (Coughing) diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Kṣataja (due to ulceration) and
5. Kṣayaja (due to wasting).

Five Śvāsa (dyspnoea) diseases are:

1. Mahāśvāsa,
2. Urdhvaśvāsa,
3. Chinnaśvāsa,
4. Tamakaśvāsa and
5. Kṣudraśvāsa.

Five Hikkā (hiccup) diseases are:

1. Mahāhikkā,
2. Gambhīrahikkā,
3. Vyapetā (intermittent),
4. Kṣudrā and
5. Annajā.

Five Tṛṣṇās (Thirst) are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Āmaja (due to improper digestion),
4. Kṣayaja (due to consumption) and
5. Upasargātmikā (as a secondary development).

Five Chardi (Vomiting) diseases are:

1. Dviṣṭānnasaṃyogajā,
2. Vātaja,
3. Pittaja,
4. Kaphaja and
5. Sannipātaja.

Five Anorexia (Aruci) diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja and
5. Śramaja.

Five Head diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja and
5. Kṛmija (due to infection).

Five Heart diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja and
5. Kṛmija.

Five Pāṇḍu (anaemia) diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja,
4. Sannipātaja and
5. Mṛdbhakṣaṇaja.

Four Apasmāras (epilepsy) are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja and
4. Sannipātaja.

Four Eye diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja and
4. Sannipātaja.

Four Ear diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja and
4. Sannipātaja.

Four Pratiśyāyas (coryza) are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja and
4. Sannipātaja.

Four Mouth Diseases are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja and
4. Sannipātaja.

Four Grahaṇīs are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja and
4. Sannipātaja.

Four Madas (intoxication) are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja and
4. Sannipātaja.

Four Mūrcchās (fainting) are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Kaphaja and
4. Sannipātaja.

Four Yakṣmās or Śoṣās (consumption) are:

1. due to overstrain,
2. suppression of natural urges,
3. wasting and
4. irregular dieting.

Four Sterilities are:

1. Bījopaghātaja (due to the affliction of sperm),
2. Dhvajabhaṅgaja (due to atonic condition of the genital organ),
3. Jarāja (due to old age), and
4. Śukrakṣayaja (due to diminution of semen).

Three Śothas (oedema) are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja and
3. Kaphaja.

Three Kilāsas (an obstinate skin disease) are:

1. leucoderma red (Rakta),
2. coppery (Tāmra) and
3. white coloured (śubhra varṇa).

Three Raktapittas (a disease characterized by bleeding from various parts of the body) are:

1. Ūrdhvabhāga (affecting the upper channel),
2. Adhobhāga (affecting the lower channel)
3. and Ubhayabhāga (affecting both upper and lower channels).

Two Jvaras (fever):

1. arising out of cold where the patient is desirous of hot substance and
2. arising out of heat where the patient is desirous of cold substance.

Two Vraṇas (ulcer) are:

1. Endogenous and
2. Exogenous.

Two Āyāmas (body bending) are:

1. Opisthotonous and
2. Emprosthotonous.

Two Gṛdhrasīs (sciatica) are:

1. Vātaja and
2. Vātakaphaja.

Two Kāmalās (Jaundice) are:

1. Koṣṭhāśrayā (Hepatic and pre-hepatic) and
2. Śākhāśrayā (obstructive).

Two Āmas (disorders due to improper digestion and metabolism) are:

1. Alasaka (intestinal torper) and
2. Visūcikā (choleric diarrhoea).

Two Vātaraktas (gout) are:

1. Gambhīra (deep) and
2. Uttāna (superficial).

Two Arśas (piles) are:

1. Śuṣka (non-bleeding) and
2. Ārdra (bleeding).

One Urustambha caused by, Āma-tridoṣaja.

One Saṃnyāsa (Coma) is Sānnipātika.

One Mahāgada (psychic perversion) is due to mental and moral perversion.

Twenty Kṛmis (germs including parasites) are:

1. Yūka [both reside outside the body in the excreta],
2. Pipīlikā [residing outside the body in the excreta],
3. Keśāda,
4. Lomāda,
5. Lomadvīpa,
6. Saurasa,
7. Auḍumbara and
8. Jantumātṛ—these six reside in the blood;
9. Antrādā,
10. Udarāveṣṭā,
11. Hṛdayādā,
12. Curu,
13. Darbhapuṣpa,
14. Saugandhika and
15. Mahāgada—these seven are due to Kapha;
16. Kakerukā,
17. Makerukā,
18. Lelihā,
19. Saśūlakā and
20. Sausurāda—these five inhabit faces.

Twenty Pramehas (a kind of urinary disorder) are:

1. Udaka-meha,
2. Ikṣubālikārasa-meha,
3. Sāndra-meha,
4. Sāndraprasāda-meha,
5. Śukla-meha,
6. Śukra-meha,
7. Śīta-meha
8. Śanairmeha,
9. Sikatā-meha and
10. Lālā-meha—these ten are due to Śleṣma;
11. Kṣāra-meha,
12. Kāla-meha,
13. Nīla-meha,
14. Lohita-meha,
15. Mañjiṣṭhā-meha and
16. Haridrā-meha—these six are due to Pitta;
17. Vasā-meha,
18. Majjā-meha,
19. Hasti-meha and
20. Madhumeha—these four types are due to Vāta.

Twenty Yonirogas (diseases of the female genital tract) are:

1. Vātaja,
2. Pittaja,
3. Ślaiṣmika,
4. Sānnipātika,
5. Raktayoni (menorrhagia),
6. Arajaskā (amenorrhoea),
7. Acaraṇa (colpitis Mycotica),
8. Aticaraṇā (chronic vaginitis),
9. Prākcaraṇā (deflorative vaginitis),
10. Upaplutā (secondary dysmenorrhoea),
11. Pariplutā (acute vaginitis),
12. Udāvartinī (primary dysmenorrhoea),
13. Karṇinī (endo-cervicitis),
14. Putraghnī (abortive tendency),
15. Antarmukhī (inversion of uterus),
16. Sūcīmukhī (pinhole os),
17. Śuṣka (colo-xerosis),
18. Vāminī (profluvium seminis),
19. Ṣaṇḍhayoni (undeveloped female sex organs) and
20. Mahāyoni (prolapsed of the uterus)^[2].

There are four types of diseases, namely:

1. Exogenous (Āgantu),
2. Vātaja,
3. Pittaja,
4. Śleṣmaja.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

prāṇāḥ prāṇābhṛtāṃ yatra śritāḥ sarvendriyāṇi ca |
yaduttamāṅgānāṃ śirastadabhidhīyate || (CS. -Sūtrasthāna–XVII.12); Caraka Saṃhitā Vol. I with elaborated Vidyotini Hindi Commentary, trans. Kasinatha Pandey & Gorakha Natha Chaturvedi, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, 2015, p. 332.

[2]:

CS. -Sūtrasthāna–XIX.2-46; Baidyacharya Kalikinkar Sensarma & Ayurbedacharya Satyasekhar Bhattacharya (eds.), Caraka-Samhita–Vol. I, trans. Kabiraj Jasodanandan Sirkar, Kolkata, Deepayan Publication, 2013, pp. 156-163.