Satirical works of Kshemendra (study)
by Arpana Devi | 2017 | 60,954 words
This page relates 鈥楾he Physician (vaidya)鈥� part of the study on the Satirical works of Kshemendra: an 11th century poet from Kashmir, who composed three satirical works. Kshemendra himself says that in composing the satirical works his only motive is to reform the mindset of the people.鈥擧e exposes all the vices and follies prevailing in the society with the intention to reform it.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
5.4. The Physician (vaidya)
碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 has hard hit against the corrupt physicians also. He observes that such physicians are looting money from the common people in the name of treatment. He satirizes the physician who is devoid of knowledge but a treasure house of all evil acts.
The author pours bitterness against the physician who like a serpent is the cause of many people鈥檚 untimely death.[1] 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 remarks satirically that he is a heartless rogue and a crafty physician who even does not know who is Caraka.[2] He claims that the physician goes house to house treating the patients but he is unaware of basic medicine and symptoms of diseases as is mentioned in the work of Caraka. In 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补鈥檚 word, the physician is originally a fool, who keeps a list of medicine with him as if a messenger of death.[3] He ridicules the physician when he says that, the physician cannot eliminate patient鈥檚 maladies but their money.[4] He compares such physician with poison (办腻濒补办奴峁璦), serpant (惫测腻濒补) or vampire (惫别迟腻濒补).[5] According to 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补, the wicked physician becomes very happy if someone is sick due to overeating in the occasions like marriage ceremony etc.[6] He expresses his dissatisfaction with such type of physician whose one single touch of hand destroys the organs of the body.[7] Unhappy 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 therefore raises the question as to why the physician is called a master of life (辫谤腻苍腻肠腻谤测补).[8] He condemns such physician who with different medicines keeps experimenting and kills thousands of patients to establish himself.[9] According to him, the physician may be compared with unbearable heat of summer that makes one so thirsty because the physician suck people dry even who is suffering from serious disease.[10] If the physician is called upon to visit a patient he comes immediately with a hope of gaining a big sum of money.[11] But soon his knowledge is exposed to all.
The author exposes that the physician is not only a hypocrite but also a mean fellow, who touches the private parts of a woman during her treatment.[12] 碍峁尘别苍诲谤补 condemns him as the destroyer of the mankind.[13]
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
namo vidy膩vih墨n膩ya vaidy膩y膩vadyak膩ri峁噀/
nihat膩nekalok膩ya sarp膩yev膩pam峁泃yave// ibid., II.68
[2]:
丑峁沝补测补惫颈丑墨苍辞 诲丑奴谤迟补岣� sa峁単raharahita岣� sa va帽cako 惫补颈诲测补岣�/
vakti na do峁Ｄ乶 诲辞峁Ｄ� caraka艣caraka峁� na j膩n膩ti// 顿别艣辞辫补诲别艣补 ,VIII.34
[3]:
[4]:
cikitsako鈥檙thapr膩峁嚹乶膩峁� vy膩dh墨n膩macikitsaka岣�/
膩j墨vam墨艣vara岣� 艣奴l墨岣� yena na tyajate 箩补苍补岣�// ibid., II.71
[5]:
sa 惫补颈诲测补岣� k膩lak奴峁璷 v膩 vy膩lo 惫别迟腻濒补 eva v膩/
产丑奴测补蝉腻 测腻迟颈 m膩峁僺ena ya岣� k峁pranuk奴lat膩峁�// ibid.,II.72
[6]:
nagarotsavay膩tr膩su viv膩he峁atibhojan膩t/
janat膩 测腻迟颈 yan m膩ndya峁� tad vaidyasya 艣ane岣� 辫丑补濒补峁�// ibid.,II.75
[7]:
sa vaidya eva kupito v膩yur膩yu岣� k峁ya峁卥ara岣�/
hastaspar艣ena trimalak峁Ｄ乴aka岣� k峁itendriya岣�// ibid.,II.73
[8]:
k峁沜chrasa峁僴y膩sak峁泃 pu峁僺膩峁� 辫谤腻峁嚹乧腻谤测补岣� kimucyate// ibid.,II.74
[9]:
vividhau峁dhaparivairtairyogairji牡n膩say膩 svavidy膩y膩岣�/
hatv膩 n峁涐箛膩峁� sahasra峁� pa艣c膩d vaidyo bhavet 蝉颈诲诲丑补岣�// 碍补濒腻惫颈濒腻蝉补 ,IX.4
[10]:
ete hi dehad膩h膩t virah膩 iva 诲耻岣补丑腻 bhi峁ja岣� /
gr墨峁adivas膩 ivogr膩 bahut峁涐梗峁嚹佱弗 艣o峁yantyeva// ibid.,IX.3
[11]:
ath膩h奴ta岣� parijanairvaiddyo mady膩mi峁priya岣�/
苍颈诲丑颈峁� hastagata峁� daiv膩nmanyam膩na岣� sam膩yayau// 狈补谤尘补尘腻濒腻 ,II.67