Fifteen Diseases (Mentioned In Act II)

This Act fully deals with Ayurvedic aspect alone. Fifteen characters, who are all various diseases, take part in this Act.

In the opening scene of the second Act, Kāsa (cough) is portrayed as the servant of Rājayakṣmā; Chardi is his second wife while Kaṇṭhakaṇḍūti is his first wife (whose name alone is mentioned) form his family. The first stage of suffering of Kāsa (cough) is known as Kaṇṭhakaṇḍūti (irritation of throat).^[1] When this symptom of irritating and itching in the throat further develops, this fault comes out of the throat in the form of vomit, Chardi (vomiting).^[2]

From the speech of Kāsa to Chardi—“chardikā khalu tvaṃ prakṛtya”—the nature of Chardi is brought out, as one who brings out things (by vomiting).^[3]

Chardi's reply to this statement brings out the nature of the disease Kāsa—“bhaṣaṇaśīlasya kukkurasya iva tava...”—the sound of cough like a barking dog and heard by others is the nature of this disease.

As the name suggests, Chardi brings out the following information–

(i) Viṣūcī (cholera)

Viṣūcī is the queen of Rājayakṣmā. Viṣūcī is cholera, where bacterial infection is caused by Vibrio cholarac. Vomiting and diarrhoea are main features. Acute vomiting, diarrhoea, thirst, burning sensation, colic pain in the abdomen, yawning, giddiness, spasm in the body, discoloration of the skin, tremor pain in the region of heart and hammering headache are the main signs and symptoms of this Viṣūcī.^[4]

Viṣūcī is one of the two Āmadoṣas, which is vitiation of undigested food. In Viṣūcī this undigested food gets expelled through the upper and lower tracks and it is accompanied with the above mentioned symptoms.

Note: Most of the available symptoms given above are prevalent in both Yakṣmā and Viṣūcī. The dramatist has taken note of this common feature and hence has portrayed them as the royal couple–Viṣūcī as the queen as this disease paves way for the development of the King of disease Rajayakṣmā.

(ii) Kāmalā

Kāmalā is prince Paṇḍu's wife. A person infected by the Pāṇḍu disease, indulges in the food having the property of increasing and aggravating Pitta. As the Pitta increases abnormally and burns the blood and muscular tissue, it causes the disease Kāmalā, which gets stationed in the alimentary tract and sākha (blood and skin). By the effect of this Kāmalā, the eyes, urine, skin, nails, mouth and faeces become yellow and the patient feels burning sensation and gets indigestion and thirst.

Note: As the symptoms Kāmalā and Pāṇḍu are akin to each other and nourish one another in their nature, they are portrayed by the dramatist as wife and husband.

(iii) Five types of Śvāsas^[5]

Namely, Mahāśvāsa–a kind of asthma, Urdhvaśvāsa–expiration, Chinnaśvāsa–another kind of asthma, Tamakaśvāsa–bronchial asthma, and Kṣudraśvāsa–severe wheezing are being sent by Viṣūcī to the help of Pāṇḍu.

(iv) Five types of Hikkā (Hiccoughs)

Five types of Hikkā are also sent by Viṣūcī through Kaṇṭhakaṇḍūti.

(v) Śvāsa and Hikkā

Śvāsa and Hikkā are considered as couples and they are made out of the faults of Kapha and Vata at the instance of Pitta.^[6]

(vi) Śvāsa and Kāsa:

The Svāsas are termed as vayasyāḥ (friends) of Kāsa appropriately by the dramatist since the places of origin of both is the same. As there are pañca-svasas (-rogas)^[7], so too there are pañca-kāsas^[8].

Also, it is stated through the words of Kāsa, that as kāsa-rogas develop, along with them the svāsa-rogas too develop (II.7/8; p.80):

te'pi madvṛddhayaiva puṣṭāḥ |15

In the main Act, all diseases are portrayed as characters Firstly, Galagaṇḍa (Goiter or enlargement of thyroid gland^[9]) is at the entry of the trunk of human body; hence it is characterized as the door-keeper,^[10] and through him Pāṇḍu gets introduced to the audience as son and minister of Rājayakṣmā.

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mādhava Nidāna (10.4) defines it thus:
pūrvarūpaṃ bhavetteṣāṃ śūkapūrṇagalāsyatā |
kaṇṭhe kaṇḍūśca bhojyānāmavarodhaśca jāyate ||

[2]:

The commentary (p.77) says:
kāsasya pūrvarūpāvasthayāṃ kaṇṭhe śūkapūrṇatvaṃ kaṇḍūśca prakṛtya prādurbhavati |
... kāsasya samyak pariṇatasya ānantarameva doṣaḥ chardirūpeṇa kaṇṭhādbahirāyāti |

[3]:

The commentary here explains Chardi as (p.73):
chardistāvat prakṛtya sarvamapi āntasthitaṃ bahirvāmayati |

[4]:

Mādhava Nidāna (VI.14-7):
ājīrṇamāmaṃ viṣṭabdhaṃ vidagdhaṃ ca yadīritam |
viṣūcyalasako tasmādbhaveccāpi vilambikā ||
sūcībhiriva gātrāṇi tudaṃsaṃtiṣṭhate'nalaḥ |
yatrājīrṇena sā vaidyairviṣūcīti nigadyate ||
na tāṃ parimitāhārā labhante viditāgamāḥ |
mūḍhāstāmajitātmāno labhante'śanalolupāḥ ||
mūrcchā'tisāro vamathuḥ pipāsā śūlaṃ bhramodveṣṭanajṛmbhadāhāḥ |
vaivarṇyakampau hṛdaye rujaśca bhavanti tasyāṃ śirasaśca bhedaḥ ||

[5]:

Mādhavanidāna gives the information about the five svāsas as (p.76):
mahā-ūrdhva-cchinna-tamaka-kṣudra-bhedaistu paṣcadhā |
bhidyate sa mahāvyādhiḥ śvāsa eko viśeṣataḥ ||

[6]:

After citing Mādhavanidāna—
“yathā śvāsaśca hikkā ca harataḥ prāṇamāśu ca”—
The commentator adds (p.79):
hikkāśvāsayorubhayorapi kaphavātātmakatvādekasthanasamudbhavatvācca jāyāpatitvamastyupakṣiptamiti bodhyam |

[7]:

Mādhavanidāna, 13.1:
mahordhvacchinnatamakakṣudrabhedaiśca paṣcadhā |
bhidyate sa mahāvyādhiḥ svāsa eko viśeṣataḥ ||

[8]:

ibid., 11.3ab:
paṣca kāsāḥ smṛtā vātapittaśleṣmakṣatakṣayaiḥ |

[9]:

JN. com.p.83:
mahāntaṃ śobhamalpaṃ hanumanyāgalāśrayam |
lambantaṃ muṣkavadrogaṃ galagaṇḍaṃ vinirdiśet ||

[10]:

The commentary states (p.81):
śarīrākhyasya purasya dvārabhūte gale jāyamānatvāt āsya galagaṇḍasya dvārapālakatvamatra vivakṣitam |