Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates 鈥楾reatment of Rudhirasrava (excessive flow of blood)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.
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Treatment of Rudhirasr膩va (excessive flow of blood)
Atharva Veda is a charm against Rudhirasr膩va. There is only one hymn in the Atharva Veda (I.17) which is used as a charm against 鈥渆xcessive flow of blood鈥�[1]. According to Ke艣ava, it is to be noted that鈥�
鈥�atha 濒辞丑颈迟补峁� vahati 艣ar墨ramadhye bahi艣ca, rudhiravra峁噀 str墨rajaso'bhipravartane ca bhai峁jyam鈥�.
On being attacked by weapons the body loses blood. Sometimes blood is lost in different ways. This flow is called Rudhirasr膩va[2]. The treatments prescribed for Rudhirasr膩va are water, mud and medicines etc. To stop the blood flow sealing the veins is considered a good remedy. Atharvaveda instructs the physician to seal the veins if there is a great loss of blood.
In Atharvaveda 膧蝉谤腻惫补bhe峁ja and two hymns, the soil of 痴补濒尘墨办补 are mention as having curative medicines[3]. Also, C墨pudru and 膧帽箩补苍补 can stop blood flow. In the Vedas, certain medicines are said to be effective for stopping the flow of blood like Darbha, 惭耻帽箩补, 础艣惫补迟迟丑补, Arjuna, Arundhat墨, Tejana, 尝腻办峁Ｄ� and 痴补峁兣沘 etc. The performance meant to check such a flow of blood is given by the 碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补. The Practising priest, as he recites I.17, strews sand and dust around the wound with a bamboo staff having five knots. Again, he strews sand and dust. The mud from the marsh is tied. A solution of it is given to the patient to drink, and also a mixture of curds and ground sesame together with four tips of millet grass[4].
In the treatment of 膧蝉谤腻惫补, a stalk of 惭耻帽箩补 reed with a cord made from the same plant is tied on the patient as an amulet. Having mashed up a natural lump of earth with earth from the ant-hill, he gives the resultant solution to the patient to drink. He then coats him with clarified butter and finally blows through his rectum, while reciting I.2 and II.2[5].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
[2]:
艣atasya dhaman墨n膩峁� sahasrasya hir膩峁嚹乵 |
asthurinmadhyam膩 im膩岣� s膩kamant膩 ara峁僺ata || (AV. 鈥揑/12/3; VI/105/1-3); Veda Atharvaveda 厂补峁僪颈迟腻, trans. Dilip Mukhopadhyaya, Kolkata, Aksaya Library, 2017, p. 114; 490.
[3]:
[4]:
pa帽caparva峁嚹� p膩峁僺usikat膩bhi岣� parikirati || armakap膩lik膩峁僢adhn膩ti || p膩yayati || caturbhird峁況v膩grairdadhipalala峁� p膩yayati || (碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补-26.10-13); Atharvaved墨ya鈥摪钩芘浘卑觳� G峁沨yas奴tra峁� (D膩rilake艣avayosa峁�-k峁pta峁玨aya sahita峁�), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, p. 59.
[5]:
vidm膩艣arasy膩doyaditimu帽ja艣irorajv膩badhn膩ti ||膩k峁泃ilo峁ａ弓avalm墨kauparilikhyap膩yayati ||sarpi峁Ｄ乴impati ||
apidhamati ||(碍补耻艣颈办补 厂奴迟谤补 25.6-9); Atharvaved墨ya鈥摪钩芘浘卑觳� G峁沨yas奴tra峁� (D膩rilake艣avayosa峁�- k峁pta峁玨aya sahita峁�), trans. Udayanarayana Sinha, Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series office, 2009, pp. 55-56.