Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates 鈥楾reatment of Fever (Takman)鈥擲ynopsis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 Fever (Takman)鈥擲ynopsis
[Note: For a detailed study, see the comparative study of Fever in the Atharvaveda]
Takman has been described vividly in Atharvaveda. It is a periodic fever with rigors and can be correlated with malarial fever. Its attacks are during summer, it is known as Grai峁ika, during the rainy season it is called 痴补谤峁办补 and in the autumn season, it is known as 艢腻谤补诲补. The different types are 础苍测别诲测耻峁补 (Quotidian), T峁泃墨yaka (Tertian) and Sadandi (remittent) etc. Arjuna, 础帽箩补苍补, 碍耻峁ａ弓丑补 used to treat Takman.
In the Atharvaveda fever is called Takman. But the term fever was never used[1]. Due to 膧m膩艣ayastha 闯腻峁环补谤腻驳苍颈 disorder, fever and other diseases occur. The Vedas describe various medicines for the treatment of fever, such as water therapy, solar therapy, wind therapy etc. The Atharvaveda speaks of the application of various herbs such as鈥敯茚梗峁蟛�, 闯补峁単颈岣峚, gugala, 础帽箩补苍补, 艢补峁卥丑补, 笔颈辫辫补濒墨, Soma, 顿腻蝉墨, 艢奴诲谤腻 and yaj帽a etc. The 碍耻峁ａ弓丑补 plant is effective against all kinds of fever[2] and also 闯补峁単颈岣峚[3]. The Atharvaveda also mentions the application of 碍耻峁ａ弓丑补, Khadira, 础帽箩补苍补 尘补峁噄, 闯补峁単颈岣峚 尘补峁噄, 艢atav膩ra 尘补峁噄 to eradicate 痴颈峁尘补鈥撵别惫别谤[4].In the treatment of a patient suffering from Takman, he is washed with the water in which a heated axe is quenched by the practising priest while he recites.
According to Ke艣ava and 厂腻测补峁嘺, this performance is undertaken鈥�
鈥�jvarabhai峁jyam | nityajvarai vel膩jvarai satatajvare ek膩ntikajvare c膩turthikajvare 峁泃ujvare ca |鈥�.
A different treatment is prescribed by the 碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补 at 29.18: The Priest while reciting V.22 gives the patient a gruel made of roasted grain to drink. The dregs of the gruel, he pours from a copper vessel into fire derived from the forest fire. Again, at 碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补 32.17 appears an unusual account for curing fever: while reciting VII.116, he does as in the case of birds, he ties a frog that has stripes like reed upon his body using a blue and red thread, by the armpits to a low couch upon which the patient is made to sleep and sprinkles him.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
AV. 鈥揤/14/1-2; XIX/39.
[3]:
AV. 鈥揦IX/34; 35.