Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates ‘Treatments of Vataja diseases’ 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.
Treatments of Vātaja diseases
The well-known types of Vātaja roga are arthritis or Vāta, respiratory diseases or Śvāsa, Joint arthritis or Sandhi-vāta and hip-gout or Kaṭi-vāta. Atharvaveda speaks about Vāta disease. Bhāvaprakāśa says the following foods increases Vāta–Prasādhikā, Khesārī, Kalāi, gram, Śyāmā, mug, Aḍahara, Rājamāṣa, Moṭha, Varāṭikā, Musurikā and Kodrava. The causes for Vāta disease are the breath in the eastern air, staying up the night, onerous labour, starvation, sex, erosion of bodily minerals, lust, sorrow, anxiety etc. Atharvaveda says Pippalī is medicine for Vāta roga. It is a life-giving medicine. It cures Unmāda-roga, Vāta-roga and Pakṣaghāta. Ācārya Sāyaṇa advises the use of Pippalī to treat Dhanurvāta, Ākṣepaka or all Vāta diseases[1]. Atharvaveda also mentions Viṣāṇakā or Viṣāṇā medicine, Kuṣṭha medicine is the cure for Vāta. In Śāṅkhāyana Gṛhya Sūtra Madhūka has been mentioned as a cure for Vāta[2].
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
pippalī kṣiptabheṣajyūtātividdhabheṣajī |
tāṃ devāḥ samakalpayanniyaṃ jīvitavā alam ||
pippalyaḥ samavadantāyatīrjananādadhi |
yaṃ jīvamaśnavāmahai na sa riṣyāti puruṣaḥ ||
asurastvā nyakhanan devāstvodavapan punaḥ |
vātīkṛtasya bheṣajīmatho kṣiptasya bheṣajīm || (AV. –VI/109/1-3); Acarya Vedanta Tirtha (ed.), Atharvaveda–Vol.1, Delhi, Manoj Publication, 2012, p. 345.
[2]:
Śāṅkhāyana Gṛhya Sūtra–1/12/9; 4/17/3.