Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates 鈥楾reatment of Urinary Disorders (Mutrakriccha)鈥� found in the study on diseases and remedies found in the Atharvaveda and Charaka-samhita. These texts deal with Ayurveda鈥攖he ancient Indian Science of life鈥攚hich 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Treatment of Urinary Disorders (惭奴迟谤补办峁沜肠丑补)
The Atharvaveda initially mentions the treatment of M奴trarodha or 惭奴迟谤补办峁沜肠丑补[1]. The best way to get rid of various impurities in the body is to pass urine out smoothly. All the toxins in the body combine with the urine and come out of the body with the urine. In this way, the body stays healthy. But when the urine gets stuck inside and the urine poison spreads inside the body, various diseases arise as a result. When the prostate glands are enlarged, the urinary tract becomes blocked and the urine does not come out. This is called urinary tract disease or urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence is a terrible disease, which results in death. Therefore, in the Vedas, provision has been made to keep the two kidneys (kidneys) transparent[2]. The Atharvaveda speaks of four types of treatment for urinary tract infections. Namely鈥擬edicinal treatment, 艣补濒补办腻 application, surgery, treatment and divine or 顿补颈惫墨 treatment.
艢补谤补, 惭耻帽箩补 or Tejana, etc., have been suggested to be used as medicine in the treatment of urinary tract diseases. The 峁歡veda says that water should be filtered and dunk by 惭耻帽箩补. According to the K膩峁環aka 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, 惭耻帽箩补 has a lot of power. The second way to get rid of urinary tract disease is to insert the shoots of 惭耻帽箩补 grass or 滨峁Ｄ玨腻 into the urinary tract. This causes urine to come out[3]. The word 滨峁Ｄ玨腻 is used in two places in the Atharvaveda. It is known from this that 滨峁Ｄ玨腻 is applied for urinary incontinence.
In modern times it is an iron whip or catheter. The third rule is surgery or operation. This causes the urine stuck in the uterus and kidney to be excreted by surgery. The word mehana in mantra prevents prostate gland operation[4]. The fourth rule is 顿补颈惫墨 treatment. The Atharvaveda mentions Parjanya (cloud, rain), Mitra (soul), 痴补谤耻峁嘺 (water), Moon and Sun in the 顿补颈惫墨 treatment. Parjanya means that rainwater is the purest. If you drink it regularly, all the faults of the body are excreted through urine. Description of 惭奴迟谤补驳丑腻迟补 (retention of urine) and its treatment by catheterisation is also found in Atharvaveda. The Atharvaveda mentions many medicines to cure urinary tract infections, which are beneficial. Namely鈥�Darbha, 础辫腻尘腻谤驳补, Madugha, 碍颈峁兣泆办补, 碍耻艣补, 膧sr膩vabhe峁ja, 顿奴谤惫腻, P墨tud膩ru, Punar峁嘺v膩, Bisa, 惭腻峁, 惭耻帽箩补, Yab膩峁, 痴补谤补峁嘺, Vetasa, 艢补谤补, 艢膩峁囜笉ad奴rv膩, 艢颈驳谤耻, 厂补丑补诲别惫墨, Srekapar峁嘺.
If the patient is suffering from 鈥渞etention of urine鈥� and 鈥渃onstipation鈥�, the practising priest ties substances like 贬补谤墨迟补办墨 (gall-nut) or 碍补谤辫奴谤补 (camphor) which promote micturition, while reciting I.3. Then he gives the patient a decoction of earth from a mole-hill, 笔奴迟颈办腻, pulverized Pramanda, each mixed with wood shavings. Then while reciting the last two stanzas of I.3 he gives the patient enema and makes him take a ride in a vehicle. He then shoots an arrow and finally opens the urethra by probing the bladder with a copper instrument. After the operation is over, the priest pours twenty-one barley grains upon the affected parts of the body. A decoction of 膧la (a creeper), lotus root and Ula (musk) are given to the patient to drink鈥�[5].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
vidm膩 艣arasya pitara峁� parjanya峁� 艣atav峁涐梗峁噛am |
ten膩 te tanve 艣a峁� kara峁� p峁泃hivy膩峁� te ni峁cana峁� bahi峁ａ弓e astu b膩liti || (AV. 鈥揑/3/1-9); Atharva-Veda-厂补峁僪颈迟腻 along With S膩ya峁嘺bh膩峁a鈥揤ol.鈥�1, Ramswaroop Sharma Gaud (ed.), Varanasi, Chowkhamba Vidyabhawan, 2011, p. 139-151.
[2]:
[3]:
[4]:
pra te bhinadmi mehana峁� vartya峁� ve艣anty膩 iva |
ev膩 te m奴tra峁� mucyat膩峁� bahirb膩liti sarvakam || (AV. 鈥揑/3/7); K. L. Joshi(ed.), Atharvaveda 厂补峁僪颈迟腻鈥揤ol. I, Delhi, Parimal Publication, 2015, p. 7.