Pāṇḍuroga

The Ayurvedic texts say that among the three doṣas when the predominant Pitta, is blown out by the strong Vāta it spreads all over the body through arteries and veins. Then it deranges Kapha, blood, skin and muscles and stays inside them. This causes, in the skin and muscles different types of colours like Pāṇḍu (yellowish-white, pale), green and yellow (like turmeric). Among them Pāṇḍu-colour is more dominant and hence this disease is called Pāṇḍu.

Generally in this disease, the following symptoms appear: body becomes heavy; body elements get loosened; properties of ojas are reduced; the blood and body (muscles) fat gets diminished; weaktess in body, sensory organs and speech are perceived.

Joints of eyes get swelling; debility occurs; expectorates sputum; noise in the ears and fatigue are also present. The affected person will have painful heart; he dislikes food; will have hair fall; his digestive fire diminishes and he will have fever, dyspnoea and giddiness.

Pāṇḍu is of five types as:

1. vataja,
2. pittaja,
3. kaphaja,
4. sannipātaja and
5. mṛdbhakṣaṇaja.

In the drama, Pāṇḍu as a disease is not described directly as Rajayakṣmā had been in the sixth Act. But through the words of Galagaṇḍa and Sannipātas the poet seems to describe the appearance of a person affected by Pāṇḍu (II.8, 10-11). Ruddy shrunken eyes (due to fever which is constant in a person affected by Pāṇḍuroga), protruding teeth, reddish mouth, thick long tongue, stretching the hands above the head and deeply sighing (indicative of indolence and langour), gnarled fingers are all signs of Pāṇḍuroga.^[1] Such a person does not care about his dress, does not eat the betel-leaves (which is good for digestion), seems to be lost in thought, sighs deeply and is constantly worried^[2]. Pāṇḍuroga affected person in spite of taking bath, does not look clean (due to his ill-health), does not wear his dress properly and also does not eat right food at the right time.^[3]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

II. 8: āraktasaṅkucadapāṅgamudagradaṃṣṭraṃ vyādāya vaktramurupāṭaladīrghajihvam |
uccairbhujau valayitau grathitāṅgulīkau kurvan saśabdamiha jṛmbhaṇamātanoti ||

[2]:

II. 10: khaṭvāmaṅgavivartanena lulitakṣaumāstarāmāvasan vīṭīṃ bhṛtyakarārpitāmagamayan vaktraṃ gṛhītāmapi |
uttānastimite dṛśāvapi cirāduccairvitāne'rpayan ātyarthaṃ śvasitodgamairvivṛṇute cintāṃ nijāntargatām ||

[3]:

II. 11: na snāti vāriṣu ciraṃ tvaritaṃ dukūlaṃ vaste vilambasahano na kadāpi bhuṅkte |
bhūṣāgaṇaṃ vahati kiṣca viparyayeṇa rājā yuvaiṣa hṛdi kāryavicārakṛṣṭaḥ ||