Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates ‘Treatment of Apva disease (Jalodara or Dropsy)� 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.
Go directly to: Footnotes.
Treatment of Apvā disease (Jalodara or Dropsy)
In Rigveda and Atharvaveda, there is mention of Apvā disease, it is called Jalodara disease or dropsy. In this disease, there is water in the stomach. Heart disease is the result of Jalodara disease. The Atharvaveda says that lying too much and misbehaving causes Jalodara disease. 峾 is used as a medicine for Jalodara disease.
The practices associated with Jalodara are simple. In a purely symbolic practice, the patient is sprinkled over the head with water using twenty-one tufts of Darbha grass together with reeds taken from the thatch of a house by the priest while reciting I.10[1].Again, while reciting VI. 24, water is drawn from a stream and sprinkled upon the patient[2].Again, the priest while reciting VI.127 anoints the patient with the powder obtained from pulverizing a chip of ʲś wood of the width of four fingers; dregs of ghee are poured upon the head of the patient during the recitation of VI.127[3].
In the Atharvaveda, the word Udaradāra has been applied for sharp-bellyache. In the three ūٲ of Atharvaveda, the virtues of applying 峾 or 侱ṭ� and Laṭajīrā are discussed. 峾 is a very important medicine in the prevention of colic. There is also a Śٲ-Punarṇavā in the Atharvaveda. Śٲ-Punarṇavā relieves stomach ailments, ṇḍ-Dz and various ailments.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
himavata iti syandamānādanvīpamāhārya valīkai� || (ś첹 ūٰ 30.13); Atharvavedīya–ś� Gṛhyasūtra� (Dārilakeśavayosa�-kṣiptaṭīkaya sahita�), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, p. 71.
[3]:
pañcamena varuṇagṛhītasya mūrdhni sampātānānayati || (ś첹 ūٰ 26.39); Atharvavedīya–ś� Gṛhyasūtra� (Dārilakeśavayosa�-kṣiptaṭīkaya sahita�), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, p. 62.