Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates ‘Gynecic disorders and Impotency’ 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.
Gynecic disorders and Impotency
Maharṣi Caraka discusses disease of Yonivyāpat and treatment of Gynecic disorders and Yonivyāpat-cikitsā. Yonivyāpat which is also caused by the aggravated vāyu. Twenty types of gynaecological disorders arising due to faulty practices, deranged menstrual flow, defect in the ovum and due to fat.
Twenty types of Yoni-roga are as follows:
- Vātaja,
- Pittaja,
- Kaphaja,
- Tridoṣaja,
- Raktaja,
- Arajaskā,
- Acaraṇa,
- Aticaraṇā,
- Prākcaraṇā,
- Upaplutā,
- Pariplutā,
- Udāvartinī,
- Karṇinī,
- Putraghnī,
- Antarmukhī,
- Sūcīmukhī,
- Śuṣkayoni,
- Vāminī,
- Ṣaṇḍhi, and
- Mahāyoni.
The general treatment of Yoniroga includes unction, fomentation, therapeutic enema, cold measures, ununctuous and hot measures etc.
Eight types of Śukra doṣa are as follows:
The general treatment of defective semen includes unctuous and non-unctuous therapeutic enema, abhayāmalakī rasāyana, pippalī rasāyana. Regarding the diet of Vāta-śoṇita patients it has been said: ghee, milk, red rice, wheat.
Four causes of impotency are as follows:
- defective seed,
- loss of penile strength,
- senility, and
- deficiency of semen.
The general symptoms of impotency are as follows: swelling, pain and redness of penis, ulcers on penis, appearance of maggots, foul odour. The general treatment of impotency includes rasāyana, Vājīkaraṇa, spiritual treatment etc.
Four types of pradara. Features of good menstrual flow are as follows: appears after one month, for five days, in limited quantity; colours of the discharge are like guñjāphala, red lotus, ālaktaka or like an insect called indragopa.
Eight types of defective breast milk are as follows:
- tasteless,
- frothy,
- ununctuous,
- multi-coloured,
- foetid,
- slimy,
- viscous, and
- heavy.
The treatment of Stanya-roga includes unction, fomentation, emesis, purgation etc. Diet includes rice, red rice, maize, snake-gourd leaves, and brinjal. Use of formulations to cures of this disease, namely, Pañcakolādi ghṛta, Sārivādi lepa, Takrāriṣṭra. Doṣa, dūṣya, mala and vyādhi which are seen in adults, in similarly seen in infants and children, but only their quantity is less[1]. Four more diseases are also discussed in Chapter five.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
C. Cikitsāsthāna–XXX. 4-152; R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Dash (eds.), Caraka Saṃhitā–Vol. V, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2017, pp. 129-168.