Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates �5b. Krimi (Worms) in the Atharvaveda� 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.
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5b. ṛm (Worms) in the Atharvaveda
In 屹prakāśa Nighaṇṭu, ṛṅᲹ is described as an insecticide[1]. Regarding the ѲԾ or Vakāyana, western practitioners believe that consuming small amounts of the bark of Vakāyana can cure the ringworm disease of children[2].
Caraka-Samhita says that it is very difficult to determine the nature of a disease, whether mild or serious and at the same time the investigation of different aspects of parasites is also difficult. The existence of every parasite is active when residing inside the body.
There are twenty types of worms including:
- ū첹 and
- ʾī,
- ś岹,
- dz岹,
- dz屹ī貹,
- Saurasa,
- Audumbara and
- Գٳܳ,
- Գٰ,
- 岹岹,
- ṛdⲹ,
- Curu,
- ٲṣp,
- Saugandhika,
- Ѳ岵ܻ岹,
- ܰ,
- Ѳܰ,
- ,
- Saśūlakā and
- ܲܰ岹.
There are twenty types of worms as described in Śāraṅgadhara ṃh. Among them, the two external worms are�
[From Kapha]:
[From Rakta]:
- ٲ,
- Saurasa,
- dzṃs,
- dz屹ī,
- Udumvarā and
- ś岹;
[From ʳܰīṣa (faces)]:
- Ѳܰ,
- ,
- ū,
- Sausurādā and
- ܰ.
There are several other forms of worms belonging to Kapha and Rakta namely Snāyuka[3].
The parasites including ū and ʾī exist in the excreta. ś岹, dz岹, dz屹ī貹, Saurasa, Audumbara, and Jantumāt� are found in the blood. Գٰ, 岹屹ṣṭ, Hṛdayādā, Curu, ٲṣp, Saugandhika, and Mahāguda thrive in Kapha. ܰ, Ѳܰ, , Saśūlakā, and Sausurāda exist in faeces.
The parasites are further classified into four groups i.e., ʳܰīṣaja that born and thrive in faces, Śleṣmaja that grow in phlegm, ŚṇiٲᲹ that exist in blood, and Malaja that thrive in external excreta[4].
There are two types of excreta namely external and internal. Malaja is the parasites born of external excreta. They are caused by a lack of cleanliness in the body. They grow in the hair, face, eyelashes and the dress. These creatures microscopically resemble the shape of a grain of Tila. They are white and black. Common symptoms caused by these parasites include itching, production of urticaria and pimples. The common remedy of these parasites is to remove the parasites, keeping the body clean and avoiding regimens that produce the excreta. ṣṭṅga ṛdⲹ� described two kinds of worms such as ⲹ and ĀⲹԳٲ. Based on origin there are four types of worms like wastes, Kapha, aṣrk and faeces. Worms are caused by an unhygienic lifestyle. The worms are very small and resemble sesame seeds. They are found in hair and clothes and cause rashes, eruptions, itching and small tumours. Food such as sweet dishes, molasses, milk curds, flour of grains and freshly harvested grains, aggravate worms[5]. ṣṭṅga Saṃgraha described two kinds of worms such as ⲹ and ĀⲹԳٲ. They cause rashes, papules, itching and enlargement of lymph glands.
Table 10: Types of ṛm[6]
Sl. No. | ṛm | Types | Location & Shape | Treatment |
1. | ʳܰīṣaja (5) | ܰ, Ѳܰ, , Saśūlakā, Sausurāda | dzپDz–intestines. Is minute, white, long, cylindrical, black, blue. | Extraction of ṛm, destruction of the source material, avoidance of etiological factors. |
2. | Śleṣmaja (7) | Գٰ, 岹岹, ṛdⲹ, Curu, ٲṣp, Saugandhika, Mahāguda | dzپDz–stomach. Is white, broad, round, Coppery. | Extraction of ṛm, destruction of the source material, avoidance of etiological factors. |
3. | Raktaja (6) | ś岹, dz岹, dz屹ī貹, Saurasa, Audumbara, Jantumātā | dzپDz–blood. Is minute, the round has no feet, is invisible. | ṣṭ treatment |
4. | Malaja (2) | ū첹, ʾī | dzپDz�hairs, beard, moustache, eyelashes. Is minute, multiple, sesamum-shaped. | Extraction removal of Excreta. |
(Source: Synopsis on Caraka ṃh)
The bloodborne parasites are found in blood vessels. The causes are different skin diseases including leprosy. These parasites are very minute and invisible to the naked eye. They cooperate in colour. This parasite includes ś岹, dz岹, dz屹ī貹, Saurasa, Audumbara, and Jantumāt�. They cause distraction of hair from the head as well as from the different parts of the body including eyelashes and nails. A wound affected by these parasites causes hyperesthesia, itching, pain and creeping sensation.
When they grow excessive in number, they hit the skin, vessels, ligaments, muscles tissue and cartilages[7].
The parasites born of phlegm are caused due to Consumption of milk, sugar candy, sesame seed, fish, and meat of animals from marshy land, pastries, milk products, uncooked food and contaminated or unwholesome food. These parasites grow in the stomach and move upwards or booth the sides. They are tape shaped and white. Some are big and flat; some are round and like an earthworm and white. The names parasites are Գٰ, 岹屹ṣṭ, Hṛdayādā, Curu, ٲṣp, Saugandhika, and Mahāguda. These parasites cause�nausea, salivation, anorexia, indigestion, fever, fainting, yawning, sneezing, constipation, malaise, vomiting, emaciation and dryness of the body[8].
The main characteristics of faces born parasites are as follows–causes including consumption of milk, sugar candy, sesame seed, fish, and meat of animals from marshy land, pastries, milk products, uncooked food and contaminated or unwholesome food. These germs thrive inside the colon when grown excessively as they move downwards. When they move towards the stomach the patient’s breath smells like faecal colour. The parasites are minute, cylindrical and long, white. Other variants are thick, cylindrical in shape and grey, blue, green or yellow.
The names of such parasites are ܰ, Ѳܰ, , Saśūlakā, and ܲܰ岹. These parasites cause diarrhoea, emaciation, dryness and horripilation, irritation in the oral region. The parasites excrete from anus[9].
The treatment includes extraction of parasites contraction of factors responsible for the production phlegm of these parasites and then avoidance of such parasites. Parasites should be extracted manually without or with the help of instruments and also by the proper administration of appropriate therapies such as�śDZԲ, vomiting, purgation and ٳ貹Բ. To counteract, the factors responsible for the production of parasites include certain drugs and diets, pungent, bitter and astringent in taste and hot in nature to be used. Thereafter, factors producing these parasites should be avoided[10].
The patients suffering from diseases caused by parasites should be treated with oleation and fomentation therapies for six to seven consecutive days and nights. One day before these therapies the patient should be given milk, sugar, candy, card, sesame seed, fish meat, the meat of animals from marshy land, pastry, milk and kusumbha oil to arouse the parasites to migrate them to the alimentary tract. If the patient spends the night comfortably being able to digest the food of the previous night, he should be given ٳ貹Բ type of enema, emesis and purgation therapy[11].
In such cases, the patient is advised to collect the following herbs�ū첹, ṣa貹, śܲԲ, ñᲹ, Ś, Ѳś, Kharapuṣpā, ūṛṇ and various types of basils, viz. Sumukha, Surasa, ṻ첹, Ҳṇḍī, Kālamālaka, Parṇāsa, ṣa첹 and ʳṇi첹. All these ingredients should be washed and cut into pieces and boiled and mixed with the fruit of Madana, ʾ貹ī, վḍaṅg and oil with svargiksāra and salt and administered to the patient in the form of an enema. In the same way, the following herbs should be mixed with Madana phala to be used as an enema for three to seven days�Arka, Alarka, ṭaᲹ, Ādhakī, ṣṭ and ḍaⲹ, or Ś, ī, Kustumburu, ṭu and ṣa貹, or Ā첹, Śṛṅ, ܳ, and Picumarda[12].
After the elimination of the ingredients of the last enema, the patient should be allayed and given elimination therapy that causes emesis and purgation. The patient is given a drink made of decoction of seeds of Madana in half-ñᲹ, ṣa, հṛt to eliminate impurities through vomiting and purgation[13].
After this procedure, the patient should be sponged with the Luke-warm decoction of վḍaṅg -both externally and internally. Otherwise, the decoction of drugs of pungent, bitter and astringent tastes prepared urine may be used for applying on the body of the patient. After that, the patient should be taken inside an airtight room and be gradually given ۲岵 prepared by boiling with ʾ貹ī root, Citraka and Śṛṅ. After that, the patient should be given two to three ԳܱԲ with the oil of վḍaṅg on alternate days[14].
If the parasites attack the brain of the patient then the head of the patient should be oleated and fomented and the ṣa from the head should be purged by applying earthiness prepared with dehisced seeds of 峾[15].
An order to counteract the factors liable for the production of parasites ū첹parṇ� roots and branches should be extracted and paste of red ś-rice should be boiled to make ū貹 and fried with smokeless firebrands. The patient infected with the parasite should be given this cake with salt and վḍaṅg oil. Then he should be given a drink of sour congee or udaśvit which is a mixture of water and buttermilk with salt and the power of pippalī, cavya, Citraka, Śṛṅ, 첹, Arka, Sahacara, ī貹, ṇḍī, various types of basils, viz. Sumukha, Surasa, ṻ첹, Ҳṇḍī, Kālamālaka, Parṇāsa, ṣa첹 and ʳṇi첹, Bakula, ṭaᲹ, Suvarṇakṣīrī, ṇiī, ٲپٲ, ܱ, Ā첹, Ჹīٲī and īٲ첹 in empty stomach in the morning[16].
Dried horse dung should be crushed to powder and well impregnated in the sun with the decoction վḍaṅg or հ for eight or ten times. These powers mixed with honey should be given to the patient suffering from worm infection[17].
For purgation one 첹ś of ٲ첹 stones crushed and placed in a jar which should be placed over another jar smeared inside with oil and buried underground up to its neck. Then it is burned with cow dung and all the drained oil should be collected and mixed with half quantity of dehisced seeds of վḍaṅg[18]. Another way to deal with parasites is fresh Tila kept in Luke-warm decoction of վḍaṅg should be rubbed oil[19].
Another therapy to deal with the production of parasites is as follows�첹 and Tilvaka should be collected and made into a paste adding the decoction of վḍaṅg. Half Bilva of Ś峾 (black) and հṛt (white), one-fourth Bilva each of ٲԳī, Գī, cavya, Citraka should be collected and mixed with half ādhaka of decoction of վḍaṅg, one all of these should be mixed thoroughly keeping over the fire. The mixture should be cooled down and filtered with new cloth and kept in an earthen jar. Resending the remedial Rasendrasāra ṅg prescribes 96 grams of վḍaṅg, 48 gms of śܻ vatsanābhi, 24 grams of Loha bhasma and 12 grams each of śܻ 岹 and śܻ Gandhaka. Pills prepared by drying the mixture of Ჹī with other drugs rubbed in and 屹 of goat’s milk. To eradicate worms, Krimikālānala rasa is given with ٳԲⲹ첹 and ī첹[20]. Equal quantities of śܻ 岹, śܻ Gandhaka, Indrayava, Ჹǻ, śܻ ѲԲḥśi and seeds of ʲś is recommended. The
Ჹī is then left for a day dipping in the juice of Devadāli. If should be consumed with Ś貹ṇi, to remove worms[21].
In proper time the patient should be given ԳܱԲ. In the same way, the oil should be prepared with drugs like ṣa貹, ٲī, the seed of ñᲹ and seed of ṣātī and administered to the patient[22].
The treatment of parasites aims to remove them in the beginning and the causative factors for the production of parasites are to be dealt with. There are three types of treatment namely elimination therapy, Alleviation therapy and Avoidance of causative factors[23]. Apakarṣana, ʰṛt ٲ and Բ parivarjana -these three principles of treatment described for curing the parasite infestation are also applicable for the cure of all diseases in general[24].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
bhṛṅgārājo bhṛṅgarajo mārka vo bhṛṅgaeva ca |
aṅgāraka� ke śarajo bhṛṅgāra� ke śarañjana� |
bhṛṅgarāja� kaṭustiktorukṣoṣṇa� kaphavātanut |
ke śyastvacya� k� miśvāsakāsaśothamapāṇḍu nut |
dantyo rasāyano valya� kuṣṭhanetraśirorttijit || (屹–Gugucyādivarga -1/243-245) 屹prakāśa by 屹miśra Vol. I, trans. Kalishachandra Sengupta, Vaidyacarya Kalikinkara Senasharma & Ayurvedacharya Satya Shekhara Bhattyacharya (eds.), Kolkata, Deepayan, 2000, p. 229.
[2]:
[3]:
eva� viṃśatibhedena k� mayaḥh syur屹 ca te |
bāhyāsٲٳbhyantarāh syusteṣu yukābahiścarā� ||
likṣāścānye'ntaracarā� kaphāte hṛdayodakā� |
atrādā udarāveṣṭāścyuravaśca mahāguhā� ||
sugandhā darbhakusumāsٲٳ raktāśca mātara� |
saurasā lomavidhvaṃsā romadvīpā udumbarā� ||
ke śādāśca tathaivānye śāk� jjātā make rukā� |
lelihāśca salūnāśca sausurādā� kake rukā� ||
ٲٳnya� kapharaktābhyā� saṃjāta� snāyukta� smṛta� |
vraṇasya k� mayaścānye viṣamā bāhyayonaya� || (Śāraṅg. S. –I/7/14-18); Śāraṅgadhara-ṃh: A Treatise on Ayurveda by Śāraṅgadhara, trans. K. R. Srikantha Murthy, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Orientalia, 2017, pp. 32-33.
[4]:
[5]:
k� mayastu 屹 proktābahyābhyantarabhedata� ||
bahirmalakaphāsṛgvi� janmabhedāccaturvidhā� ||
nāmato viṃśatividhā� bāhyāstatrāmṛjodbhavā� ||
tilapramāṇasaṃsthanavarṇāḥ ke śāmbarāśrayā� |
bhupādāśca sūkṣmāśca yūkālikṣāśca nāmata� ||
屹 te koṭhapiṭikākaṇḍū gaṇḍān prakūrvate | (ṣṭ. H. �Բsthāna-14/42-45); ṣṭṅga ṛdⲹ� of Vāgbhaṭṭa Vol. II, trans. K. R. Srikantha Murthy, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Krishnadas Academy, 2018, pp. 143-144.
[6]:
Rajneesh V. Giri & Smitha Rajneesh, Synopsis on Caraka ṃh, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Orientalia, 2019, p. 82.
[7]:
śṇiٲnā� tu khalu kuṣṭhai� Բ� ܳٳٳԲ�; ٳԲ�—raktavāhinyo dhamanya�; saṃsthanam—aṇvo vṛttāścāpādāśca, ūṣm............. taduttarakālamupadekṣyāma� || (CS. վԲٳԲ–VII.11); Caraka ṃh Vol. I with elaborated Vidyotini Hindi Commentary, trans. Kasinatha Pandey & Gorakha Natha Chaturvedi, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, 2015, p. 726.
[8]:
śṣm� kṣīraguḍatilamatsyānūpamāṃsapiṣṭānnaparamānnakusumbhasnehājirṇapūrtiklinnasaṃkīrnaviruddhāsātmyabhojana samutthānā�............... (CS. վԲٳԲ -VIII.12) R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Das (ed.), Caraka ṃh–Vol. II, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2018, p. 201.
[9]:
purīṣajā astulyasamutthānāh śleṣmaja�; teṣāṃ ٳԲ� 貹챹śⲹ�, te pravardhamānāstvadho visarpanti, yasya punarāmāśayā bhimukhā� syuryadantara tadantara� tasyodgāraniśvāsā� purīṣagandhina� syu�............. (CS. վԲٳԲ–VII.13); Caraka ṃh Vol. I with elaborated Vidyotini Hindi Commentary, trans. Kasinatha Pandey & Gorakha Natha Chaturvedi, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, 2015, p. 787.
[10]:
tatrāpakarṣaṇaṃ—hastenābhagṛhya vimṛśyopakaraṇavatā'panayanamanupakaraṇena vā; sthanagatānā� tu krimīṇāṃ bheṣajenāpakarṣaṇa� nyāyata�, taccaturvidha�; ٲⲹٳ�śDZԲ�, Բ�, virecanam, āsthapana� ca; ityapakarṣaṇavidhi� |........ (CS. վԲٳԲ -VIII.15) R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Das (ed.), Caraka ṃh–Vol. II, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2018, p. 203.
[11]:
athaina� krimikoṣṭhamāturamagre ṣaḍrā tra� ٲٰ� vā snehasvedābhyāmupapādya........... parīkṣyaviśeṣān parīkṣya samyak || (CS. վԲٳԲ–VII.16); Caraka ṃh Vol. I with elaborated Vidyotini Hindi Commentary, trans. Kasinatha Pandey & Gorakha Natha Chaturvedi, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, 2015, p. 728.
[12]:
mūlakasarṣapalaśunakarañjaśigrukharapuṣpābhūstṛṇasumukhasurasakuṭhe ragaṇḍīrakālamālakaparṇāsakṣavakaphaṇijjhakāni sarvā ṇyathavā yathālābha�?[?] tānyāhṛtānyabhisamīkṣya khaṇḍaśaśche dayitvā prakṣālya pānīyena suprakṣālitāyā� syālyā� samāvāpya gomūtreṇārdhodake nābhiṣicya sādhayet satatamavaghaṭṭayan darvyā?[?] tamupayuktabhūyiṣṭhe'mbhasi gatarasepvauṣadheṣu sthalīmavatārya ܱ貹ūٲ� 첹ṣҲ� bastau vidhivadāsthapayedena�?[?] ٲٳ'rkālarka kuṭajāḍhakīkūṣṭhakai ḍaryakaṣāyeṇa vā?[?] ٲٳ śܱīܰܲٳܳܰܰ첹ṭuṣa貹첹ṣұṇa?[?] ٲٳ''malakaśṛṅgaveradāruharidrāpicumardakaṣāyeṇa madanaphalādisaṃyoge saṃpāditena trirātra� ٲٰ� vā''sthapayet || (CS. վԲٳԲ -VIII.17) R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Das (ed.), Caraka ṃh–Vol. II, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2018, p. 205.
[13]:
pratyagate ca paścime bastau pratyaśvasta� tadaharevobhayatobhāgahara�........... sarvaviśeṣānavekṣamāṇo ṣa || (CS. վԲٳԲ–VII.18); Caraka ṃh Vol. I with elaborated Vidyotini Hindi Commentary, trans. Kasinatha Pandey & Gorakha Natha Chaturvedi, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, 2015, p. 729.
[14]:
athaina� samyagvirikta� vijñāyāparāhṇe śaikharikakaṣāyeṇa sukhoṣṇena pariṣecayet................ ԲԳܱ屹ḍaṅgٲԲ- Գٲ� dvistrirvā || (CS. վԲٳԲ-VIII.19); R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Das (ed.), Caraka ṃh–Vol. II, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2018, p. 206.
[15]:
yadi punarasyātipravṛddhāñchīrṣādān krimīn manyena śsyaivābhisarpata� kadācit, ٲٲ� Ա峾ⲹ ś upapādya virecayedapāmārgataṇḍulādinā śDZԲ || (CS. վԲٳԲ–VII.20); Caraka ṃh Vol. I with elaborated Vidyotini Hindi Commentary, trans. Kasinatha Pandey & Gorakha Natha Chaturvedi, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, 2015, p. 730.
[16]:
mūlakaparṇīṃ samūlāgrapratānāmāhṛtya khaṇḍaśaśchedayitvol� khale kṣodayitvā pāṇibhyā� pīḍayitvā � ṛhṇīy, tena rasena lohitaśtaṇḍulapiṣṭa�........... || (CS. վԲٳԲ-VIII.21); R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Das (ed.), Caraka ṃh–Vol. II, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2018, p. 207.
[17]:
athāśvaśak� dāhṛtya mahati kiliñjake prastīryātape śoṣayitvodū khale............ krimikoṣṭhine leḍhū� prayacche t || (CS. վԲٳԲ-VIII.22); R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Das (ed.), Caraka ṃh–Vol. II, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2018, p. 208.
[18]:
ٲٳ bhallātakāsthīnyāhṛtya 첹śpramāṇena cāpothya............ bhadradārusaralakāṣṭhasnehānupakalpya ٳ� prayacche t | (CS. –վԲٳԲ� -VII. 29-30); Baidyacharya Kalikinkar Sensarma & Ayurbedacharya Satyasekhar Bhattacharya(eds.), Caraka-Samhita–Vol. I, trans. Kabiraj Jasodanandan Sirkar, Kolkata, Deepayan Publication, 2013, p. 47.
[19]:
athāhareti brūyāt—śāradānnavāṃstilān saṃpadupetān; tānāhṛtya suniṣpūtānniṣpūya......... śucau dṛḍhe kalaśe nyasyānugupta� nidhāpayet || (CS. –վԲٳԲ–VII.25); Caraka ṃh Vol. I with elaborated Vidyotini Hindi Commentary, trans. Kasinatha Pandey & Gorakha Natha Chaturvedi, Varanasi, Chaukhambha Bharati Academy, 2015, p. 732.
[20]:
ḍaṅg� dvipalañcaiva viṣacūrṇa� tadarddhakam |
lauhacūrṇa� tadarddhañca tadarddha śܻpāradam |
rasatulya� śܻgandha� chāgīdugdhena peṣayat |
chāyāśuṣkāṃvaṭīṃ k� tvā khādet ṣoḍaśaraktikām ||
dhānyajīrānupānena krimikālānalo rasa� |
udarastha� krimi� hanyād grahaṇyarśa� samanvitam || (Ras. S. –I/Krimi 侱쾱ٲ/1-3); Ashok D. Satpute, Rasendra ṅg of Sri. Gopal Krishna, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, 2009, pp. 409- 410.
[21]:
śܻsūtamindrayavamajamodā� manaḥśilām |
palāśabīja� gandhañca devadālyā dravairdinam ||
sammardya bhakṣayennitya� śālaparṇīrasai� saha ||
sitāyukta� pivāñcāni krimipāto bhavatyalam || (Ras. S. –I/Krimi 侱쾱ٲ/24-25); Ashok D. Satpute, Rasendra ṅg of Sri. Gopal Krishna, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Krishnadas Academy, 2009, p. 414.
[22]:
etenaiva ca pākavidhinā sarṣapātasikarañjakoṣātakīsnehānupakalpya pāyayet sarvaviśeṣānavekṣamāṇa� | (CS. –վԲٳԲ–VII.26); R. K. Sharma & Bhagwan Dash (eds.), Caraka ṃh–Vol. II, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 2017, p. 211.
[23]:
viśeṣatastu svalpamātramāsthapanānuvāsanānulomaharaṇabhūyiṣṭha� teṣvevauṣadheṣu purīṣajānā� krimīṇāṃ cikitsita� kartavyam | (CS. վԲٳԲ -VII.35); Baidyacharya Kalikinkar Sensarma & Ayurbedacharya Satyasekhar Bhattacharya(eds.), Caraka-Samhita–Vol. I, trans. Kabiraj Jasodanandan Sirkar, Kolkata, Deepayan Publication, 2013, p. 49.