Summary of the Hastyāyurveda

Introduction:

Hastyāyurveda composed by Pālakāpya (Pālakāpyamuṇi viracito Hasti-āyurveda)is primarily a work on the medical treatment of elephants. The present book which is available as a complete Saṃhitā has been edited by Pandit Śivadatta Śarmaṇa who was native and teacher of Jaipur Sanskrit School and later an eminent teacher of Sanskrit School, Lahore.^[1] Hastyāyurveda was printed at ānandāśram Press in 1894.^[2] This book was edited from four manuscripts, one was available from Śrī Kṛṣṇa Śarmā of his own collections, and another two from the library of Pune and Kolkata (Library of the Asiatic Society) and the last one from the personal collection of a Sikar based Vaidya Goswami Anandilal^[3]. Hastyāyurveda is a medical treatise with specific focus on the diseases and treatment of elephants (āyurveda). It is composed by Pālakāpya the mythical sage who was expert in elephant science. The first chapter of the book describes it as an auxiliary Veda of the Atharvaveda. This book is written to serve the purpose of teaching and training of veterinary medical students who wish to specialise in treatment of elephants. The first chapter of the treatise itself reveals the qualities of a student and modalities of learning this science of Hastyāyurveda (verse 19). The qualities and duties of a preceptor are also mentioned here. The text also mentions about the sin incurred by both preceptor and student if they mutually transgress their duties.

It’s a very diffused and bulky work; its verbosity is in striking contrast to the elegant brevity of Mātaṅgalīlā. It is composed mainly in ślokas but with occasional prose passages of considerable length. Hastyāyurveda is divided into four sthānas and has 160 adhyāyas or chapters, they are as follows:

Part One: The Major Diseases

Prathamaṃ Mahārogasthānam (Part One: The Major Diseases) contains 62 chapters. It begins with Maṅgalācaraṇa (benedictory verses). Then follows the story of king Romapāda, his meeting with the sage Pālakāpya. It consists of legends on the creation of elephants etc. and the narration of the Hasti-āyurveda. The causes of the death of wild elephants, their food, their habits etc. have been discussed in this chapter. A brief summary of the major diseases of elephants along with their varieties and a concise summary of all the four chapters have been given here. Besides this praise of elephants and description of their qualities, their importance in war, the natures of those owning elephants have also been mentioned in this chapter. Further this chapter discusses the requisites of a pupil and a teacher of Hasti-āyurveda, the fact that the Hastyāyurveda is an upaveda connected to the Atharvaveda, the entitlement of Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas to study this discipline, and the embargo on non-believers (nāstikas) against studying it seems to be quite interesting. Finally this chapter focuses on the major diseases of elephants.

A sketchy content list of the Hasti-āyurveda is given below (As a proper elaborate translation of this text but is not available hence a list of contents is imperative): ^[4]

1. Benediction

2. Description of the meeting of the sages like Gautama with King Romapāda, who is beset with worries about capture of wild elephants

3. In this context, description of the southern bank of the Ganges

4. Romapāda’s narration to Gautama and others about the boon granted to him by gods, and his plea to bring in wild elephants

5. The description of the sight of sage Pālakāpya and the elephants to the messengers sent by Gautama and others to bring the elephants

6. In this context, description of Pālakāpya and his hermitage

7. Romapāda’s bringing the elephants to Campā, and his plea to Gautama and others for training of elephants

8. Narration of the questions to Pālakāpya regarding his birth, his name, his love for elephants, his education etc.

9. In this context, narration of the curse of the sage Dīrghatapas, and Brahmā’s description of the creation of future exponents of Hastyāyurveda to the elephants beset with anxiety (by this curse).

10. In this context, description of the seduction of the sage Sāmagāyana by a yakṣiṇī, the drinking of Sāmagāyana’s semen along with his urine by a female elephant and her conception.

11. In this context, the narration of the story of Rucirā, the description of the curse of Rucirā by Brahmadatta and her union with Bhārgava

12. The narration of the curse of Mātaṅga and Guṇavatī born in the Vasu lineage, the birth of Pālakāpya, the future expert on Hasti-āyurveda, and later her freedom from this curse.

13. Description of the birth ritual and other rituals of Pālakāpya performed by Sāmagāyana, Pālakāpya’s narration of his stay with elephants, penances and other (reasons for) his living in the forest, and in this context, the birth of the elephants

14. Narration of the causes of the diseases in elephants brought from the forest to the village, Pālakāpya’s consent to stay with Roamapāda, and instruction of Pālakāpya’s Hastyāyurvaeda to Romapāda.

15. (Instruction) to let elephants get into water and anointing them with ghee and oil, amount and time of offering them water, food for increasing their vigour, and rice etc., the time and amount of food and drink, in order to keep them healthy

16. The fifteen causes of death in wild elephants such as falling from mountains etc., nutrition from food, their ability to carry gods, to subsist on branches of trees and grass, their powerfulness etc. by Brahmā’s boon.

17. The four classes of great diseases described in this work and the names and numbers of the sub-divisions in each of the class of diseases, and the number of verses in each chapter of this work

18. Praise of elephants; description of their attributes; the disasters occurring from abandoning elephants in battle; the nature of the eight functions of the elephants.

19. The qualities of the student of Hastyāyurveda; the duties of a student before studying: fasting, worshipping Brahmā and others, offering oblations to Bhava and other gods, and the forms (of worship); description of a preceptor’s qualities, the sin incurred by both Preceptor and student if they mutually transgress (their duties); the description of Hastyāyurveda as an auxiliary Veda of the Atharvaveda; its acceptance of Brāhmaṇas, Kṣatriyas and Vaiśyas as empowered to read it and prohibition of nāstikas and their followers (from reading it)

20. The two categories of great diseases: mental and acquired; determination of the names of 76 diseases related to wind (vāta); determination of the names of 27 diseases related to Bile (pitta); determination of the names of 32 diseases related to phlegm (śleṣmā); determination of the names of 15 diseases related to blood (rakta); determination of the names of 22 destructive diseases (sānnipātika); names of 14 diseases related to wind and Bile; names of diseases arising from wind and phlegm; names of 7 diseases arising from wind and Blood; names and numbers of miscellaneous diseases (arising from) Phlegm, Blood, Bile and kapha; naming and numbering of acquired diseases, naming of diseases (according to whether) they are curable, non-curable or difficult to cure.

21. The outset of fever, in context, the battle between Gods and Dānavas; the God’s approach to Śiva and Viṣṇu to protect themselves; the approach to Brahmā by the Dānava’s suffering from major and minor fevers created by Śiva and Viṣṇu, for their protection and their plea to be freed from major and minor fevers. The nature of the major and minor fevers, Brahmā’s cure of the ailing Dānavas and sending the major and minor fevers to the world of death. The early symptoms of the major and minor fevers.

22. The naming of the fevers in humans, horses and asses/navels respectively as jvara, abhitāpa and khāraka respectively; the name of fever in elephants as pākala, its various parts, the inability of (creatures) other than humans to bear it. The reason for humans” ability to bear and the elephants” inability to bear it; the 10 types of pākala according to (the categories) śuddha, bāla etc.; the determination of the causes, symptoms, effects and prevention of the 10 types of pākala, e.g. śuddha, bāla etc.

23. The propriety of naming the purging diseases by the alternative name of “śoṣaṇa” (draining) and the three categories e.g., antarā, āyāma etc.; the cause of antarā, āyāma and skanda, their prognosis, and the difficulty in curing them; the cause prognosis and incurability of bahirāyāma and vyābiddha skanda.

24. The alternative naming of the old debilitating disease (purāṇa kṛśa/ kṛśaroga) as Pāṇḍuroga; its determination into 3 categories according to it being caused by wind, Bile and kapha respectively. The cause, prognosis and cure of the old debilitating diseases caused by Bile, also named pāṇḍuroga; the cause, prognosis and cure of the Kartusari caused by kapha, also named Pāṇḍuroga; the cause, prognosis and cure of the Plīhodara caused by wind also named Pāṇḍuroga.

25. The disease of constipation (ānaha) and its division into 5 categories e.g. eating too much (atyāśita); the onset, prognosis and treatment of the atyāśita; the two divisions pure (śuddha) and disjoined (asaṃsakta), and the ānaha inflamed, their outset, prognosis and treatment; ānaha inflamed by the third, the saṃsakta (type), its outset, prognosis and incurability; the ānāha caused by paddy, its division into corrupt and not corrupt (praduṣṭa and apraduṣṭa), followed by its onset, prognosis and treatment, and the difficulty of treating corrupt anāha; the onset, prognosis and treatment of ānāha caused by eating earth; the outset, prognosis and difficulty of treating sannipāta ānāha.

26. The 12 categories of fainting; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting caused by over-eating; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting caused by eating burnt food; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from (eating) paddy; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from (eating) greasy food; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from wind; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from Bile; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from phlegm; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from sannipāta; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from water/tying up place or trap. The outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from (travelling on) the road; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from wine; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of fainting from eating grass.

27. The 7 categories of headache caused by wind, Bile etc.; the outset, the prognosis and treatment of headache caused by Wind, Bile, Phlegm, Blood, sannipāta; worms and trauma.

28. 30 foot diseases; the cause not acquiring foot diseases in wild elephants and the cause of foot diseases in village elephants; the two categories of foot diseases i.e. metabolic and acquired; names of 9 acquired foot diseases; the onset, prognosis and treatment of each of 30 foot diseases; the curability or incurability or curability with difficulty of foot diseases; curing (these) with salt or fire.

29. 8 categories of killing diseases, the onset, prognosis and treatment of those caused by oil, ghee, fat, milk, wine, paddy, water and upadhā (?).

30. The names of 7 kinds of (śopha) of the artery etc.; the 6 categories of pure śopha e.g., caused by wind etc.; the treatment of the pure śopha caused by wind by sweating and massage; the onset, prognosis and treatment of the 7 categories along with their subdivisions, and the names of the incurable śophas.

31. The various types of sweating e.g., pond, bhaṅga (painting on bodies) etc.; the onset, prognosis and treatment of each type. The lying to peace of pākala by homas, worshipping gods, feeding Brāhmaṇas, offering (them) cows etc.; the protection (of elephants) from demons and devils by chanting mantras; the causing of prosperity by making offerings to the 9 planets. The names and number of eye diseases, their place of occurrence etc., the varieties of eyes, sight, the incurable eye diseases, the onset, prognosis and treatment of each eye disease.

Part Two: The Minor Diseases

Kṣudrarogasthānaṃ dvitīyam (Part Two: The Minor Diseases) comprises of 18 chapters. This section deals with all minor diseases of the elephants and their treatment, including poisoning, snake bites etc.

According to the text this chapter describes:

1. The two varieties of vomiting: arising from some (metabolic) flaw or acquired (infective). The onset, prognosis and treatment of vomiting caused by flaw; the onset, and treatment of vomiting, the onset, prognosis and difficulty of treatment and incurability of acquired vomiting.

2. The two varieties of dysentery: arising from inflammation and infections; the onset, prognosis and treatment, (as well as the curable and incurable symptoms of the two varieties of dysentery).

3. The onset, prognosis and treatment of drunkenness, the means of averting unconsciousness.

4. The onset, prognosis and treatment of …… (?), averting it at the time of the onset, and averting it when it is heightened.

5. The onset, prognosis and treatment of tṛṇaśaṣī (?).

6. How to stop an unknown person going towards the elephant shed; the sign of poisoner; feeding mouthful of the food and drink meant for elephants to cats and craws to check whether they are poisoned, and the reaction of the cats and craws who have eaten poisoned food; throwing of poisoned food into fire or water and their reaction (to the poison); the nature of poisoned oil, milk etc.; the prognosis and treatment of poison and the 3 divisions of mūlaja etc.

7. The onset and effects of polluting poison.

8. The symptoms curability and incurability of poison in each of the 10 places, e.g., skin, flesh etc.; the 7 types of effort (in passing urine or stool) in creatures other than elephants when poisoned; the three types of effort, their symptoms, the prognosis of curable poisons and means of averting them by spells and medicines.

9. The prognosis and treatment of one pierced by a poisoned arrow.

10. In case of snake bite, the 3 varieties of biting etc.; the 5 varieties of the cause of the anger of the snake, 4 varieties of snakes, the prognosis and treatment through chanting spells etc. of each.

11. The onset, prognosis and treatment of boils and their curability and non-curability; the (boon of) immunity from poisons granted to animals; the rarity of boils in the elephant; the onset, prognosis and treatment of lūtā (skin disease); supposedly caused by moisture from spiders.

12. The onset and prognosis of apavāda.

13. The aptness o the name of ābaddha (caused by faulty tying); its onset; no cure except through death unless taken to the forest. Description of the beauty of the spring and other seasons in forests, ponds, trees, rivers, lakes, quarters and sky etc. description of the wild sports of elephants with the female.

14. The 5 types of erysipelas, the onset, prognosis and incurability.

15. Dilatation of heart, the onset, prognosis and incurability.

16. The absence / inadequacy of penis, aptness of its name the 2 divisions into metabolic and acquired, onset, prognosis and curability and incurability.

17. Rheumatism, its division into 2 categories, metabolic and acquired, onset, prognosis and treatment, loss of life through neglect. Seizure of the trunk, its onset, prognosis and treatment, curability and incurability.

18. Churning of the trunk, its onset and curability or incurability, six divisions of prognosis up to the day of death.

19. Erectness of the ears, its onset, prognosis and treatment.

20. Onset, prognosis and treatment of vātagat.

21. The attack of a vein in the back of the neck, its onset, prognosis and treatment, the taking of ghee when the seizure is over.

22. The scantiness of ichor, its onset, prognosis and treatment.

23. Leanness, its onset, prognosis and treatment.

24. Weakness, its onset, prognosis and treatment.

25. Attack of phlegm, its prognosis and treatment.

26. Purifying the mouth and its treatment.

27. The onset and prognosis of convulsion and mental diseases and the varieties of convulsion.

28. The treatment of convulsion and mental diseases.

29. The onset, prognosis and treatment of the compression of throat.

30. …

31. …

32. Prognosis and treatment of insanity.

33. Seizure of epilepsy, its prognosis, various types of treatment for seizure by the 9 planets and seizure of insanity, their relief by the end of the year, and their incurability after this.

34. Onset, prognosis and treatment of vātakuṇḍalī.

35. Prognosis of hernia and its treatment.

36. Onset, prognosis and treatment of hidden diseases.

37. The onset, prognosis and treatment of tape worms.

38. Onset, prognosis and treatment of chest sores.

39. Onset, prognosis and treatment of blood in semen.

40. Onset, prognosis and treatment of the foot disease named yavagaṇḍa; its painfulness as compared to the other 30 foot diseases; its curability if treated at the onset and incurability if (too much) time passes.

41. Treatment of onset of skin burning.

42. Its treatment if it increases/aggravates.

43. Treatment to bring an end to it.

44. Onset, prognosis and treatment of abdominal ailments.

45. Methods of nurture (of elephants) caught very young.

46. Onset, prognosis and treatment of seizure in the night; the ailments from seizure by rākṣasas etc. simultaneously, and chanting of mantras, feeding of Brāhmaṇas etc. to prevent these.

47. Onset, prognosis and treatment of each of various types of bladder complaints like broken bladder etc.; the incurability of broken bladder; unavoidableness of others arising out of typhoid.

48. Prognosis and treatment of (possible) death due to wind at giving birth.

49. General symptoms of 4 categories of tooth diseases e.g., infective etc.; onset, prognosis and treatment of each of them, and the signs of curability or incurability; the categories of the infective tooth diseases according to whether they are caused by wind etc.; the onset, prognosis and treatment of each, and types of tooth extraction.

50. Loss of memory, its onset, prognosis and treatment; incurability (of this disease) with all its symptoms after 10 days.

51. Onset, prognosis and treatment of hidden diseases, the 2 categories of colic, that caused by the Bile and Wind, and that caused by Phlegm and Wind; in that context, the first creation of this disease arising from Hara’s anger towards Madana, and its remedy.

52. 4 categories of autumnal diseases: fatness; leanness; vulgar/natural/redness.

53. Prognosis and treatment of bee sting.

54. 11 categories of faults of complexion; onset, prognosis and treatment of each.

55. Merits and demerits of earth according to place and colour; the cause of healthiness in eating earth among wild elephants and the cause of disease in eating earth among village elephants; prognosis and treatment of diseases arising from eating earth.

56. 3 categories of dysentery according to cause by wind etc.; onset, prognosis and treatment of dysentery caused by Wind, Bile and Phlegm.

57. Onset, prognosis and treatment of constipation and the difficulty of cure and incurability if neglected.

58. The prognosis and treatment of worms in the abdomen.

59. The 4 categories of weakness; onset, prognosis and treatment of each of 10 categories of tuberculosis; other name for pulmonary tuberculosis; in that context, the curse on the Moon by Dakṣa and (the diseases) caused by it.

60. 14 causes of ichor, their names and prognosis of each; the treatment of each of 5 types of ichor arising from Wind etc.

61. Prognosis and treatment of worms (lice) in the ears and hair and the signs of curability and incurability.

62. Onset, prognosis and treatment of the ear.

63. Onset, prognosis and treatment of loss of appetite.

64. Prognosis and treatment of impacted food.

65. 5 categories of tumour according to being caused by Wind etc.; onset, prognosis and treatment of this tumour caused by Wind, Bile, Phlegm, Blood and infection; mortality if neglected.

66. Prognosis and treatment of atiyāta.

67. 5 categories of spleen diseases e.g., caused by Wind etc.; onset, prognosis and treatment of spleen diseases caused by Wind, Bile, Phlegm, Blood and infection.

68. 3 categories of heart diseases; onset, prognosis and treatment of heart diseases caused respectively by Wind, Bile, Phlegm.

69. 4 categories of physical diseases; onset, prognosis and treatment of these diseases, according to being caused by Wind, Bile, Phlegm, Infection.

70. Causes of sudden physical diseases by accident e.g., falling etc.

71. 12 categories of physical diseases e.g., paralysis etc., their cure, symptoms and treatment.

Part Three: Surgery

Tritīyaṃ Śalya sthānam (Part Three: Surgery) consists of 34 chapters. This section deals with surgery of elephants, including the names and descriptions of the surgical instruments. Diagnosis and treatment of fractures have also been discussed here. Symptoms of still birth and how to extricate the still born calf, forms another part of this study. It finally also adds to the knowledge on elephants” tusks and related issues.

The chapter thus proceeds:

1.?

2. Prognosis of fresh sores caused by each of these: (?) tigers claws, fire, acid and poison.

3. Treatment of fresh sores; general dangers of fresh sores; determination of moments and stars in auspiciousness or otherwise while going to the doctor; ….

4. Wounds caused respectively by Wind, Bind and Phlegm, 21 categories of these according to symptoms of their cause; three categories of symptoms of swelling in the joints according to their being septic or turning septic; and onset of 44 types of wounds.

5. Names, attributes and actions of the 5 elements, earth etc.; names of 7 ….. (?) of body; action of Wind, Bile and Phlegm; diet and other habits; 4 sub-divisions of animals according to sweat etc. (?); actions of 5 categories of breath and 4 categories of mental (action?) according to their aiding or opposing one another; the names, attributes and actions of the 6 tastes; …..

6. …

7. ….

8. Symptoms of a (female) elephant in season and pregnant; detailed description of various types of pregnancy; evolution and development of the limbs and senses (of the foetus); the cause of the evolution of the genital organs in the male and female; cause of the whiteness or blackness of the limbs; signs of the Wind, the Bile and the Phlegm in the nature (of the baby); the causes and signs of the evolution of various categories such as Bhadra etc.

9. The enumeration of the places and numbers of the teeth, nails nerves, veins, bones and joints in the body; the places of Wind, Bile, Phlegm and Blood.

10. Types of (treatments with) instruments and types of (treatment with) fire.

11. Types of numbers and pain; remedial methods; trees to be used or not used for (making) instruments and their worship; making instruments; worship and oblation to the gods in charge of these.

12. The evolution of this science from Brahmā and the first series of pupils; surgery of the outer body; the symptoms for surgery (?); surgery of more than one place with a single type of instrument; categories of surgery in difficult places; impossibility of cure in case of damaging the vital etc.

13. The 4 categories of abscess according to being caused by Wind etc. Onset, prognosis and treatment of abscess according to being caused by Wind, Bile, Phlegm and infection.

14. Subdivision of ulcers according to whether it is physical or adventitious. Prognosis, treatment, curability or incurability of each.

15. Onset, prognosis, curability and incurability of sinus; treatment of curable sinus with surgery or saline etc.

16. The division and number of divisions of the 700 veins in various places such as throat etc.; enumeration of each of the 3 veins related to the elements Wind, Bile etc. and the seven arising related to blood, and the piercing of each according to disease.

17. The prognosis and treatment of the dental veins.

18. Dental treatment.

19. Types of severing veins and propriety or impropriety of severing them.

20. Enumeration of more than 700 nerves, their place and size, and 6 colours, the nerves (whose damage) causes immediate death, the nerves (whose damage) causes delayed death, their numbers and periods; enumeration of the modification of nerves and their symptoms.

21. The cause of poison in dogs; the enumeration of dogs into 4 castes, e.g. Brāhmaṇa etc.; the cause of 3 categories of exudation of a person who has been bitten by a dog, and the prognosis, treatment and symptoms of the incurability of such.

22. Detailed enumeration of the names and treatment of the nerve-ends (?) and the propriety or otherwise of surgery on them.

23. The enumeration of the nerve ends (?) and their treatment in another method.

24. Another statement of the onset and cause of pākala (fever) in infants etc. and their places according to their being placed in the liver etc.

25. Enumeration of the names and numbers of the 21 types of lūtā, ways to avoid them.

26. Onset, prognosis and treatment of (bites by) poisonous insects.

27. Prognosis, treatment, curability and incurability of snake bite.

28. The 15 parts of the body e.g. arms, face etc., the names and numbers of (subdivisions) in each part; the sum total of all parts of the body.

29. Names, sizes, numbers of the 10 categories of surgical instruments; enumeration of the names, numbers, sizes and places of instruments for cauterisation and extraction.

30. Types of applying saline.

31. Reasons and varieties of broken bones; the prognosis, treatment, curability and incurability of each.

32. Symptoms of a dead foetus in a female, the extraction of the dead foetus and types of surgical operations.

33. The types of extraction of the teeth after a homa, and the enumeration of the types and growth of teeth.

Part Four: Conclusion

Caturthamuttarasthānam (Part Four: Conclusion) comprises of 36 chapters. This chapter deals with the diet of an elephant, application of vastī (probably oral medicine), construction of an elephant shed, food beneficial for an elephant. It also deals with application of nasya, food in various seasons, drinks for elephants etc. This chapter also describes the creation of elephants-mythological account, the work and worship of a physician, how to mount an elephant, the medicinal properties of some food and herbs and so on. It mentions the categories of elephants, stages of an elephant’s life, application of leeches, how to get rid of spirit in elephant shed, rites and various omens related to elephants. Few significant ones have been discussed below:

1. The division of oily substances into still and moving; the propriety and impropriety of drinking ghee and oil; measurement of three kinds of drink (?); the measurement of ghee and oil; …….

2. Propriety and impropriety of drinking ghee and oil according to the 6 seasons; the division of merits and demerits and measurements of drinking ghee and oil every day according to species, condition etc.

3. The strength and figure of elephants and females according to being excellent, medium and inferior; four fold sub-divisions and names of each of the types of food, hard and chewable, soft and chewable and drinkable; three fold sub-division of lickable food such as utkārikā; enumeration of the attributes of each; the modes of eating and qualities of …… (?); merits and demerits of drinking wine; merits and demerits of …… (?); merits and demerits of curd and milk; merits and demerits of śāli, barley, māṣa and wheat flour; merits of spraying water on the body and washing the head; merits of oiling tusks and eyes.

4. Again, the nine fold classification of oil recognised by myself and the divisions recognised by Gārgya and others; the times and methods of drinking oil, merits of types of fat, marrow; methods of drinking oil in the 6 seasons; the application of flesh oil; merits of the bladder; the strength and excess of patrabhaṅga, the methods of applying vajraka oil; three fold methods.

5. The methods of applying nine methods of enema (?).

6. The auspicious places, days, stars etc. of building elephant sheds; the sizes etc. of sheds proper to house the excellent, medium and inferior types of elephant; building planes suitable for summer etc.; performing homa and feeding Brāhmaṇas.

7. The 12 species of leeches; the 2 categories poisonous and non-poisonous; breeding ground, signs etc. of each.

8. The roaming about of spirits in the elephant sheds in the form of diseases; their causes; the nature of raudra and vaiṣṇava fevers; the fear of elephants upon seeing them; the cause Agni as cause of these; symptoms of infection fever; the worshipping of Śiva and Viṣṇu and offerings to spirits to prevent fever.

9. The method of nīrājanā (worshipping with lamps and sprinkling water) of the elephants; the times and methods; the auspicious signs of days, stars, position of the sun etc. for the peace to elephants; the methods of worshipping and praying to gods such as Viṣṇu and Prajāpati; methods of chanting hymns at the time of the homa; the methods of prayer to Viṣṇu and Prajāpati; the auspicious and inauspicious signs at the time of the homa (seen in) the fire and smoke, and according to the noises made by the elephant.

The importance of elephants

Hastyāyurveda reflects the importance of elephants:^[5]

According to Pālakāpya elephant’s significance is immense not only for the army but also for a ruler in all his civil activities. In Hasti-āyurveda one complete chapter has been mentioned to determine the importance of elephant, they have been mentioned as Vajra in war and also for different types of work. According to the description provided in the Hastyāyurveda a single elephant can win over 6,000 horses (Jayatyekoapimātaṅgaḥ ṣaṭ sahastrāṇi vājinām).^[6] To crush the enemy force, there is no comparison of an elephant (Mardane parasainyānāṃ koanyo nāgātparaḥ sahet)^[7]. It is an ornament of army (narāṇāṃ bhūṣaṇaṃ vidyā sainyānāṃ bhūṣaṇaṃ gajāḥ)^[8].

Hence having elephants domesticated has been considered as imperative for the royal class.

Vāraṇeṣu tu sāmarthyaṃ viśeṣeṇeha dṛśyate /
Trayāṇāmapi sainyānāṃ vidyante naiva te guṇāḥ // (v.35)^[9]

The treatise also mentions that without elephants army is just like night without moon, and earth without crops.^[10]

Footnotes and references:

[1]:

Mahesh Chandra Sharma. “Hastyāyurveda–A Complete Treatise on Elephants”, Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine, Vol. 36, 2006, p. 147.

[2]:

Śivadatta Śarmaṇa, ed. Pālakāpyamuniviracita Hastyāyurvedaḥ, Poona: ānandāśrama Sanskrit series, No.26, 1984.

[3]:

Mahesh Chandra Sharma. “Hastyāyurveda–A Complete Treatise on Elephants”, Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine, Vol. 36, 2006, p. 147.

[4]:

For the English translation of the Lists of content of Hastyāyurveda I am grateful to Prof. Bijoya Goswami, Former Professor, Department of Sanskrit, Jadavpur University.

[5]:

Mahesh Chandra Sharma. “Hastyāyurveda–A Complete Treatise on Elephants”, Bulletin of the Indian Institute of History of Medicine, Vol. 36, 2006, pp145-158.

[6]:

Śivadatta Śarmaṇ. ed. Pālakāpyamuṇiviracito Hastyāyurvedaḥ, Chapter I, Mahārogasthāne: Gajarakṣaṇavinyāsādhyāyaḥ, v. 15, p.41.

[7]:

Ibid., v. 21, p.41.

[8]:

Śivadatta Śarmaṇ. ed. Pālakāpyamuṇiviracito Hastyāyurvedaḥ, Chapter I, Mahārogasthāne: Gajarakṣaṇavinyāsādhyāyaḥ, v. 23, p.41.

[9]:

Ibid. v. 35, p.41.

[10]:

“Candrahīnā yathā rātriḥ sasya hīnā vasundharā II (v.36) Gajahīnā tathā senā vistīrṇāapi na śobhate I Etecānyeapi bahavo vāraṇānāṃ guṇāḥ smṛtāh II” (v. 37)–Ibid. p.42.