Table Of Content

Charaka Samhita Handbook on Ayurveda Volume II Edited by Gabriel Van Loon 624 Legal Note from the editor: This book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of physicians. The reader should consult his or her physician in matters relating to his or her health, and particularly with respect to any procedures or techniques that may be described in this book. © Copyright by Gabriel Van Loon 2002, 2003 With generous permission –REQUESTED- from P.V. Sharma and Chaukhambha Orientalia Publishers. 625 Dedicated to Dr. Vasant Lad, my first Ayurvedic teacher; to Sri Punarvasu Atreya, voice of the Charaka Samhita; and to today’s Ayurvedic students and future Vaidyas. Special Thanks to The five or six elders who have taken time to teach me, and to my dear parents for their loving support. About the Author Gabriel Van Loon graduated from the Ayurvedic Studies Program and the Gurukula Intern Program under Dr. Vasant Lad at the Ayurvedic Institute in Albuquerque, N.M. He founded the Durham Center for Ayurveda in 1998, where he runs the health clinic. Mr. Van Loon specializes in treatment protocols based on the Charaka Samhita. Mr. Van Loon is also an advisor to other health centers. 626 627 Table of Contents Section Page Volume I Preface 7 1 Principles 11 2 Study 101 3 Diagnosis 129 4 Healthy Living 199 5 Treatment Procedures 291 6 Fertility 469 7 Formulation 537 Volume II 8 Specific Diseases 629 628 629 Section 8 Specific Diseases: Paralysis etc. (Vatavyadhi) p.630 Sleep Disorders p.651 Anemia, Jaundice p.653 *The 3 vital organs (Heart, Head, Urinary System) p.670 Gastrointestinal disorders p.736 Phtisis [[‘cacexia’]/ [consumption]/ chronic flu with wasting] p.762 Chest wound/ Wasting p.785 Fever p.799 Hemorrhage p.839 Hiccup/ Asthma p.863 Uterine/ Vaginal Disorders p.879 Defects of Semen p.895 Impotency (male) p.898 Menorrhagia p.903 Arthritis p.906 Fainting and coma p.924 Tumors (including uterine fibroids) p.927 Diarrhea p.953 Skin disorders p.971 Swelling p.995 Abdominal diseases p.1018 Hemorrhoids p.1045 Diabetes p.1078 Insanity p.1099 Epilepsy p.1117 Cough p.1129 Vomiting p.1158 Erysipelas p.1169 Thirst p.1194 Poisoning p.1208 Alcoholism p.1238 Wound-care p.1260 Thigh stiffness p.1280 Parasites p.1288 Veterinary treatment p.1298 630 Vatavyadhi (Paralysis etc.) Diagnosis V Sub-types Symptoms of vitiated V, by location Various paralysis conditions V covered with P, K or dhatus Treatment General treatment Treatment by location of V Diet General topical treatment Uncting formulas 631 On Vata: “V is life, strength and sustainer of all creatures. V is the entire world, it is the master of all.” The person whose V is with unimpeded movements and in normal state lives long for 100 years devoid of disorders. -Ci28#3-4 V is of 5 types: [Each V sub-type is distinguished by location and action/ vector, function.] [ They each have their own portion of the body in which it is located, direction of movement, and functions.] Prana, Udana, samana, vyana and apana. V coordinates the body well while moving unimpededly in different places. Ci28#5 Sub-type: Locations in the body: Functions: Prana head, chest, throat, tongue, mouth, nose spitting, sneezing, belching, respiration, digestion, etc. udana navel, chest, throat speech, effort, energy, strength, complexion etc. samana channels carrying sweat, dosas and water (fluid) and seated beside the digestive fire provides strength to Agni. vyana being quick-moving pervades the entire body and performs the functions of movements, extension, contraction, like blinking etc. apana testicles, urinary bladder and penis, navel, thighs, groins, anus. “It releases semen, urine, feces, menses and fetus while situated in intestines.” Ci28#5-10 632 About the Sub-doshas: They all in equilibrium and located in their places perform their normal functions by which the body is sustained free from disorders. If they move on wrong path or are unbalanced they afflict the body with disorders relating to their location and functions and take away life shortly. Ci28#11-12 Causes of Aggravation of V: rough, cold, little and light food, excessive coitus and vigils, faulty therapeutic management, excessive elimination of impurity and blood, excessive movements such as leaping, jumping, wayfaring and physical exercise, wasting of dhatus, excessive emaciation due to anxiety, grief and illness, uncomfortable bed and seat/chair, anger, day-sleep, fear, suppression of urges, amadosa, injury, fasting, injury in vital parts, falling down from elephants, horses and other fast vehicles. Ci28#15-17 The result of V aggravation due to the above: V, filling up the vacant channels in the body produces various disorders pertaining to the entire body or one of the parts. Ci28#18 Purvarupa: the unmanifested symptoms of these disorders; prodromal signs and symptoms When the same are manifested they represent the own entity of disorders while their lightness (lessened severity) denotes the subsidence of the disorder. Ci28#19 Symptoms produced by vitiated V: contractures, stiffness in joints, tearing in bones and joints, horripilation, delirium, stiffness in hands, back and head, limping, crippledness, humpedness, drying of organs, sleeplessness, destruction of fetus, sperms and ovum, pulsation, numbness in organs, crookedness of head, nose, eyes, clavicular region and neck, tearing, piercing pain, distress, convulsion, mental confusion, exhaustion. Ci28#20-23 Why V produces peculiar disorders: Due to difference of cause and location. Ci28#24 633 Character of vitiated V, according to location: Location of V: Symptoms: in bowels retention of urine, stool, Bradhana (hernia), cardiac disorders, gulma, piles and pain in sides. Generally all over the body quivering and breaking pain in the limbs and joints which are painful as if cracking in anus retention of stool, urine and flatus, colic, tympanitis, calculus, gravels, pain and emaciation in shanks, thighs, sacral region, feet and back. Amasaya pain in heart, navel, sides and abdomen, thirst, belching, visucika, cough, drying of throat and mouth and dyspnoea. Pakwasaya causes gurgling sound in intestines, colic, meteorism, difficulty in passing urine and stool, hardness in bowels and pain in sacral region. Sense organs loss of sensation Twak skin is rough, cracked, benumbed, thin, and is associated with piercing pain, stretching, redness and pain in joints. Rakta severe pain with heat, abnormal complexion, leanness, anorexia, pimples on body parts and stillness of ingested meal. Mamsa + Medas body has heaviness in organs, severe piercing pain as if beaten with sticks or fists, distress and excessive exhaustion. Majja + Asthi breaking pain in bones and joints, pain in joints, loss of flesh and strength, sleeplessness and continuous pain. Sukra prematurely expels or retains semen or fetus and also causes abnormality. Snayu produces opisthotonus, emprosthotonus, cramps, humpedness and other generalized or localized disorders. Sira (Blood vessels) the body having mild pain and swelling dries up and quivers with siras as motionless, constricted or dilated. Joint swelling like air-filled bladder in [(to the)] touch, and pain during contraction and extension of limbs. Ci28#25-37 Ardita (Facial Paralisys): Cause: When V aggravated severely affects one half of the body, it dries up the blood, hand, leg and knee and produces contracture in that half. Ci28#38 Signs: Face and also nose, eyebrows, forehead, eyes and jaws get crooked. Thus the morsel of food goes in the mouth in crooked way, the nose is crooked, eyes stiffened and sneezing is suppressed in spite of impulse. Tongue when raised becomes curved, voice becomes feeble and impeded, teeth become loose, hearing is deficient ad voice is 634 hoarse. There is pain in foot, hand, eye, shank, thigh, temple, ear and cheek. This disease is localized either in one-half of the body or in half of the face. Ci28#38-42 Manyastambha (stiffness of carotid regions): occurs when V gets lodged in both the carotid regions and reaches inside. Ci28#43 Antarayama (emprosthotonus): neck bends inwards and carotid regions also get stiffened excessively. Also, there is gnashing of teeth, salivation, inward bending of back, stiffness of head, yawning and lockjaw. Ci28#44 Bahirayama (Opisthotonus): Cause: The aggravated V drying up the external vessels situated in back, and carotid regions cause “dhanustambha” (archlike stiffness) known as “bahirayama”. Ci28#45-46 Signs: The body of the patient is bent downwards like bow, head goes to back, chest gets thrown upwards, carotid region gets stiffened and neck is bent downwards. There is also gnashing of teeth, yawning, salivation, and loss of speech when it comes with force it kills the patient or produces restlessness. Ci28#47-48 Hanugraha (lock-jaw): when V is located at the root of the jaw, it causes the jaws to slip down from their bonds and consequent opening of mouth or by stiffening the jaws it causes closing of the mouth. It is characterized by stiffness and absence of pain. - Ci28#49 Aksepaka: Vitiated V causes frequent convulsions in the body while drying up hand and feet along with blood vessels, ligaments and tendons. Ci28#50 Dandaka (plenosthotonus): When V stiffens hands, feet, head, back and hip the body becomes stiff like a stick. This is incurable. Ci28#51 Progress and Prognoses in these cases: In ardita etc. when the paroxysm of the disorder goes away, the patient feels normal but in case if persists it afflicts him with respective troublesome symptoms. The physician should not take up these cases. Ci28#52 If V affects half the body and while drying up the blood vessels and ligaments it 635 paralyses one side, either left or right, and causes loss of movement, pain and loss of speech. Ci28#53 Ekanga Roga: when vitiated V causes contracture in one of the feet or hands with piercing pain and distress. Ci28#54 Sarvanga Roga: when affection is generalized. Ci28#55 Grdhrasi (sciatica): starts from hip and gradually comes down to waist, back, thigh, knee, shank and foot and affects these parts with stiffness, distress and piercing pain and also frequent quiverings. These symptoms are of V but when the disorder is caused by V and K it is associated with drowsiness, heaviness and anorexia. Ci28#56 Khalli: produces cramps in foot, shank, thigh and wrist. Ci28#57 The remaining disorders may be known from the symptoms according to location and name. The 2 Causes of Vitiation of V: *****!!!***** Vitiation of V takes place due to either 1) wasting of Dhatus or 2) obstruction in Srotas Ci28#58-59 V mixed with K and P: In all these disorders, association of P etc. should be observed. V, P, and K move in all the channels of the body. Due to subtleness, V itself provokes the other 2 doshas. When aggravated it excites them and carrying them to different places produces different disorders due to obstruction in passage and dries up rasa etc. (the dhatus). Ci28#58, 60 636 Symptoms of V covered with P, K or Dhatus: Dosha or Dhatu covering V: Symptoms: P burning sensation, thirst, pain, giddiness, feeling of darkness, aggravation of burning sensation by the use of pungent, sour, salty and hot things and desire for cold. K Coldness, heaviness and pain, suitability of pungent, sour and salty and particular desire for fasting, exertion, rough and hot things. Rakta burning sensation with distress, the space between skin and muscle becomes red and swollen and rashes appear. Mamsa appearance of hard and decoloured boils, swelling, horripilation and feeling of ant’s crawling. Medas causes adhyavata which is characterised by shifting, unctuous, soft and cold swelling in body parts along with anorexia. This is curable with difficulty. Asthi the patient likes hot applications and kneading. Besides, the body has breaking pain, malaise and piercing pain. Majja there are bending, yawning, cramps and pain which ease by pressing with hands. Sukra semen is not expelled out or expelled excessively and it causes sterility. Food there is pain in abdomen on taking food which subsides on empty stomach. Urine there are retention of urine and blowing up of urinary bladder. 637 Feces stool is constipated too much, there is cutting pain downwards in anorectum, uncting substance gets digested quickly, the patient suffers from hardness in bowels after meals, due to pressure with food the patient passes hard stool with difficulty and delay, there is pain in hip, groins and back, V moves in reverse direction and heart is ill. Ci28#61-71 Prognosis in Vatavyadhi: The following are curable with difficulty or incurable due to deepness of their location: They should be treated if they are new, free from complications and in strong patients: Displacement of joints, lock-jaw, contracture, humpedness, hemiplegia, wasting of body parts, paraplegia, khudavatata, stiffness and the disorders located in majja and asthi. Ci28#72-74 Treatment of Disorders of Vata: In the case that V is alone and uncovered: 1)It should be managed with intake of ghee, muscle-fat, oil and marrow. 2)When the patient is tired of uncting substance he should be given some interval and thereafter again uncted with milk, vegetable, soup of domestic, aquatic or marshy meat mixed with uncting substance, payasa (rice cooked with milk), krsara [kitchari] with sours and salt, unctuous enema, snuffing and saturating food and when uncted well should be fomented [[after each day’s dose]. 3)The patient having been massaged well should be subjected to unctuous fomentation by means of tube, bed and bolus or the means according to need. -After massage and fomentation even a crooked or stiffened limb can be bent gradually as desired like a piece of dry wood. 4)After fomentation horripilation, piercing pain, distress, dilatation [what is the definition of this word?], **swelling, stiffness, **seizures etc. are pacified quickly and softening comes forth.*** 5)The use of uncting substance nourishes the dried body tissues quickly and promotes strength, digestive power, corpulence and vital breath. 6)One should administer unction and sudation frequently. When the bowels are softened with unction, the disorders of V do not stay further. Ci28#75-82 In the case that V is accompanied by excess impurity: 1)In case, due to excess of impurity, the disorder does not get pacified, the patient should be evacuated with mild unctuous purgatives.