The commentary connects this chapter with the preceding statement that embodied knowers become manifest when shukra and shoNita unite. It says this is possible when both are considered pure, so the chapter explains their purity. Here shoNita specifically means menstrual or reproductive blood, and purity means freedom from contact with disturbed doShas.
Key terms
shukra
The male reproductive contribution in this classical account.
ArtavashoNita (artavashonita)
Menstrual or female reproductive blood in the commentary's terminology.
shuddhi
Purity, explained here as absence of doSha-related disturbance.
kShetraj~ja (kshetrajna)
The embodied conscious knower said to become manifest at conception.
Adhikarana 2 (3) · Śloka 3
vāta-pitta-ślēṣma-kuṇapa -granthi-pūtipūya-kṣīṇa-mūtrapurīṣarētasaḥ prajōtpādanē na samarthā bhavanti ||3||
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वात-पित्त-श्लेष्म-कुणप -ग्रन्थि-पूतिपूय-क्षीण-मूत्रपुरीषरेतसः प्रजोत्पादने न समर्था भवन्ति ||३||
Meaning of the śloka
Retas affected by vAta, pitta, shleShma, a corpse-like odor, nodularity, foul pus-like character, depletion, or the odor of urine or feces is described as unable to produce offspring.
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sā ca śuddhirvātādiduṣṭaśukrasyēti vātādibhiḥ pr̥thaksamuditairduṣṭaśukratāmāha- vātētyādi| ēvambhūtarētasaḥ puruṣā garbhōtpattau na kṣamā bhavantīti piṇḍārthaḥ||3||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary says these categories describe shukra affected separately or jointly by vAta and the other listed factors. Its overall point is that a person whose retas has these characteristics is considered unable to initiate pregnancy in this classical framework.
Key terms
retas
Reproductive fluid, referring here to shukra.
kuNapa (kunapa)
Having an odor compared to a corpse or putrefaction.
granthi
Nodular, clotted, or containing lump-like formations.
Shukra affected by vAta has the colors and pains associated with vAta; that affected by pitta has pitta-associated color and pain; and that affected by shleShma has shleShma-associated color and discomfort. With rakta involvement it is abundant and smells like a corpse. With shleShma and vAta it becomes nodular; with pitta and shleShma it resembles foul pus; depletion is attributed to pitta and vAta; and combined doSha involvement gives an odor like urine or feces. The corpse-odor, nodular, pus-like, and depleted forms are said to be difficult to treat, while the urine- or feces-odor form is said to be incurable.
The commentary expands the sensory descriptions. Vata-associated colors include reddish and dark shades and its pains include pricking and splitting sensations; different provoking factors can produce different pains, though vAta itself is not assigned an odor. Pitta-associated colors include yellow and blue and its sensations include heat and burning; foul odor is also to be understood in the corpse-odor and pus-like forms. ShleShma is associated with white color, itching, and an unctuous or raw odor. The rakta-associated form is plentiful, blood-colored, and pitta-like in discomfort; 'rakta-affected' means affected through blood already disturbed by doShas. GranthibhUta means knotty or lumpy, and the pus-like form resembles decomposed pus. Forms caused by two doShas also carry the colors and pains of both. The combined-doSha form smells like urine or feces. Of the listed categories, the four beginning with corpse odor are difficult to treat, the last is incurable, and the remaining single-doSha forms are inferred to be treatable in this historical prognosis.
Key terms
vAtavarNavedana (vatavarnavedana)
Color and painful sensations attributed to vAta disturbance.
Artava may be affected separately or jointly by the three doShas and by shoNita as a fourth factor; when so affected it is described as non-productive seed. Its state is to be recognized by doSha-associated color, pain, and other signs. The corpse-odor, nodular, foul pus-like, depleted, and urine- or feces-like forms are said to be incurable, while the other forms are considered treatable.
After discussing shukra, the commentary applies a parallel classification to menstrual or reproductive blood. Artava affected by any one factor, by pairs, or by all together is called abIja, incapable of serving as reproductive seed in this system. Its doSha-related colors and pains are those already explained for disturbed shukra. The urine- or feces-like category includes similarity in odor, color, or related qualities. The three forms produced by one doSha alone are considered treatable. The commentator adds that disorders of shukra and artava are not classed as merely manageable without cure, because of their stated disease nature.
Key terms
Artava (artava)
Menstrual or female reproductive material in this classical passage.
abIja (abija)
Not functioning as reproductive seed in the text's framework.
doShavarNavedanA (doshavarnavedana)
Color and discomfort associated with a particular doSha.
mUtrapurIShaprakAsha (mutrapurishaprakasha)
Resembling urine or feces in odor, color, or related features.
For the first three disturbances of shukra, the knowledgeable physician is instructed to use oleation, sudation, and other procedures, including specialized measures and uttara-basti. For corpse-odor retas, ghee prepared with dhAtakI flower, khadira, pomegranate, and arjuna is prescribed; alternatively ghee prepared with the shAlasAra group. For nodular retas, ghee prepared with shaTI or with palAsha ash is given. For pus-like retas, preparations with parUShaka and the vaTa group are prescribed. For depleted retas, measures stated earlier and later are directed. For retas resembling urine or feces, ghee prepared with citraka, ushIra, and hi~ggu is given. After oleation, emesis, purgation, decoction enema, and oil enema, the person affected by shukra disorder is to receive properly administered uttara-basti.
The commentary presents treatment for disturbed shukra. 'Other procedures' includes emesis, purgation, decoction and oil enemas, uttara-basti, and doSha-specific pacifying measures; uttara-basti is repeated to emphasize its importance. The herbal ghees are prepared using both paste and decoction. For the palAsha-ash preparation it supplies detailed historical proportions and repeated straining. ParUShaka is combined with the nyagrodha group. Depleted retas is treated with substances previously described as increasing one's own reproductive tissue and with measures later taught in the Vajikarana chapter. In the urine- or feces-like form, viT includes both feces and urine and ghee is understood to continue from the earlier sentence. Although that form was declared incurable, the preparation is said to remove distressing odor rather than cure it, since an incurable condition does not thereby become curable. The final procedural sequence is described as common treatment for the corpse-odor and related forms.
Key terms
sneha-sveda
Oleation and sudation used as preparatory classical procedures.
uttarabasti
A specialized genitourinary administration emphasized in the passage.
shaTI (shati)
An herbal ingredient prescribed for the nodular form.
palAshabhasma (palashabhasma)
Ash of palAsha used in a historically specified preparation.
vAjIkaraNa (vajikarana)
The later section on reproductive vitality to which the commentary refers.
स्फटिकाभं द्रवं स्निग्धं मधुरं मधुगन्धि च ||११||
शुक्रमिच्छन्ति, केचित्तु तैलक्षौद्रनिभं तथा |१२|
Meaning of the śloka
Unimpaired shukra is described as crystal-like, fluid, unctuous, sweet, and honey-scented. Some authorities instead describe it as resembling oil and honey.
The commentary introduces the signs of shukra considered free from disturbance, then explicitly presents the oil-and-honey comparison as the opinion of some authorities.
Key terms
sphaTikAbha (sphatikabha)
Crystal-like in appearance.
snigdha
Unctuous or smooth.
madhugandhin
Described as having a honey-like odor.
tailakShaudranibha (tailakshaudranibha)
Resembling oil and honey, according to an alternative view.
Adhikarana 7 (12-16) · Śloka 16
vidhimuttarabastyantaṁ kuryādārtavaśuddhayē ||12||
strīṇāṁ snēhādiyuktānāṁ catasr̥ṣvārtavārtiṣu |
kuryātkalkān picūṁścāpi pathyānyācamanāni ca ||13||
granthibhūtē pibēt pāṭhāṁ tryūṣaṇaṁ vr̥kṣakāṇi ca |
durgandhipūyasaṅkāśē majjatulyē tathā''rtavē ||14||
pibēdbhadraśriyaḥ kvāthaṁ candanakvāthamēva ca |
śukradōṣaharāṇāṁ ca yathāsvamavacāraṇam ||15||
yōgānāṁ śuddhikaraṇaṁ śēṣāsvapyārtavārtiṣu |
annaṁ śāliyavaṁ madyaṁ hitaṁ māṁsaṁ ca pittalam ||16||
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विधिमुत्तरबस्त्यन्तं कुर्यादार्तवशुद्धये ||१२||
स्त्रीणां स्नेहादियुक्तानां चतसृष्वार्तवार्तिषु |
कुर्यात्कल्कान् पिचूंश्चापि पथ्यान्याचमनानि च ||१३||
ग्रन्थिभूते पिबेत् पाठां त्र्यूषणं वृक्षकाणि च |
दुर्गन्धिपूयसङ्काशे मज्जतुल्ये तथाऽऽर्तवे ||१४||
पिबेद्भद्रश्रियः क्वाथं चन्दनक्वाथमेव च |
शुक्रदोषहराणां च यथास्वमवचारणम् ||१५||
योगानां शुद्धिकरणं शेषास्वप्यार्तवार्तिषु |
अन्नं शालियवं मद्यं हितं मांसं च पित्तलम् ||१६||
Meaning of the śloka
For purification of artava, the procedural sequence through uttara-basti is prescribed. In four kinds of artava disorder, after oleation and related preparation, herbal pastes, vaginal tampons, suitable washes, and drinks are directed. For the nodular form, pAThA, tryUShaNa, and vRkShaka are taken. For foul, pus-like, marrow-like, or related forms, decoctions of bhadrashrI and candana are prescribed. Measures said to remove the corresponding shukra disorders and other purifying formulations are to be applied according to the particular artava disorder. Rice and barley as food, alcoholic drink, and foods regarded as pitta-promoting, including meat, are called suitable.
The commentary explains that the sequence ends with uttara-basti and includes doSha-specific emesis and related procedures. Uttara-basti is described in both decoction and oil forms for all categories. The four treatable conditions are attributed to vAta, pitta, shleShma, and shoNita; Gayi instead takes the fourth as a naturally blood-smelling artava condition, not the incurable corpse-odor form. Pastes, tampons, and washing liquids are made from substances said elsewhere to oppose the relevant doSha. The pus-like form is attributed to kapha and pitta, and the marrow-like form to all three doShas. The wording may also include foul or urine-and-feces odor. Gayi separately distinguishes corpse-odor, pus-like, and marrow-like categories. Treatment of five forms already labeled incurable is presented only to remove foul odor, not to cure them. BhadrashrI is interpreted as shrIcandana and candana as red sandalwood; Gayi instead identifies them as white sandalwood and a superior goshIrSha variety. Measures for corresponding shukra disorders, rejuvenation, vajIkaraNa, and urinary disorders are extended to the remaining single-doSha artava disorders. The final foods are described as generally suitable for all artava disturbances.
Key terms
Artavashuddhi (artavashuddhi)
Purification of artava within the text's classical therapeutic framework.
picu (pichu)
A medicated tampon or pledget used in a historical local procedure.
Acamana (achamana)
A medicated liquid interpreted here as a vaginal wash.
tryUShaNa (tryushana)
A three-pungent herbal combination named in the prescription.
bhadrashrI (bhadrashri)
A sandalwood ingredient whose exact identification varies in the commentary.
Artava is praised when it resembles the blood of a hare or the liquid dye of lAkShA and does not permanently stain cloth.
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aduṣṭārtavasya lakṣaṇamāha- śaśāsr̥gityādi| yadārtavaṁ vāsaḥ- sthitaṁ śuṣkamudakaprakṣālitaṁ vāsō na virañjayēt rāgōpētaṁ vastraṁ na kuryāt tat praśaṁsanti, ‘garbhajananāya’ iti śēṣaḥ||17||-
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary presents these as signs of artava considered free from disturbance. It explains that cloth on which the artava has rested, whether dried or subsequently washed with water, should not remain colored. The unstated purpose supplied by the commentator is suitability for generating pregnancy.
When that artava flows excessively, for too long, or outside its expected time, and differs from the previously stated character of menstrual blood, it is identified as asRgdara. Every form is accompanied by bodily aching and pain. With excessive loss there may be weakness, dizziness, fainting, darkness before the eyes or possibly breathlessness, thirst, burning, confused speech, pallor, drowsiness, and disorders attributed to vAta. In a young person who follows a suitable regimen and has few complications, the physician is instructed to treat it according to the method for raktapitta.
The commentary emphasizes that this is excessive artava rather than raktapitta itself. Excess may mean very great quantity or prolonged flow; outside the expected period, even a small or brief flow qualifies in this scheme. Its blood has qualities other than the hare-blood or lac comparisons, instead resembling the general descriptions of blood given elsewhere, such as foamy, rapidly flowing, or clear. A~ggamarda is a particular bodily ache and savedana includes colicky pain. With severe loss, tamas may mean seeing darkness or, alternatively, breathlessness; pralApa means incoherent speech, and tandrA a drowsy state. The final instruction is specifically framed for a person who has reached sixteen years, follows a wholesome regimen, and has few complications.
Key terms
asRugdara (asrigdara)
Excessive, prolonged, or untimely uterine or menstrual bleeding in this classical description.
a~ggamarda (angamarda)
Generalized bodily aching.
tamas
Darkness before the eyes or, in an alternative gloss, breathlessness.
raktapitta
A separate bleeding-disorder framework whose treatment method is extended here.
Artava is said to cease from obstruction of its pathways by doShas. The passage then calls fish, kulattha, sour foods, sesame, mASha, and surA suitable, along with urine, diluted buttermilk, curd, fermented sour liquid, and related foods or drinks. Although depleted blood and its treatment were described earlier, the regimen for absent blood is also to be applied here as for naShTarakta.
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atipravr̥ttilakṣaṇāmārtavasya vikr̥tiṁ nirdiśyāpravr̥ttilakṣaṇāṁ sacikitsitāṁ nirdiśannāha- dōṣairityādi| atra dōṣāḥ kaphō vāyurvātakaphau ca; na tu pittaṁ, pittavr̥ddhau tasyātipravr̥ttivr̥ddhyōruktatvāt, kulatthādivātakaphaharadravyāvacāraṇācca| naśyatīti pravartamānaṁ na dr̥śyatē, na tu sarvathā kṣayaṁ yāti| amlaṁ kāñjikaṁ, mūtraṁ gōmūtram| udaśvit ardhōdakaṁ takram| śuktaṁ cukram| punaruktiśaṅkāṁ nirasyannāha- kṣīṇamityādi| yadyapi prāgdōṣadhātumalakṣayavr̥ddhivijñānīyē kṣīṇalakṣaṇaṁ sacikitsitamabhihitaṁ, tathā'pyatrōpādānānnaṣṭaraktavannaṣṭārtavavidhānaṁ kartavyam| raktamārtavaraktam||21-23||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary contrasts absent flow with the excessive flow just discussed. The obstructing doShas are taken as kapha, vAta, or both, not pitta, because increased pitta was associated with excessive flow and because the named substances are considered to oppose vAta and kapha. 'Ceases' means that a previously occurring flow is no longer seen, not that artava is completely destroyed. Amla means sour fermented rice water, mUtra specifically cow urine, udashvit buttermilk mixed with half water, and shukta a fermented sour liquid. Although depletion and its treatment were addressed earlier, the explicit inclusion here directs use of the regimen for absent menstrual blood; rakta in this sentence means menstrual blood.
Key terms
AvRtamArga (avritamarga)
A pathway described as obstructed by doShas.
naShTArtava (nashtartava)
Previously present menstrual flow that is no longer observed.
kulattha
Horse gram, one of the foods prescribed historically.
udashvit
Buttermilk diluted with an equal proportion of water, according to the commentary.
shukta
A fermented sour liquid.
Adhikarana 11 (24) · Śloka 24
ēvamaduṣṭaśukraḥ śuddhārtavā ca ||24||
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एवमदुष्टशुक्रः शुद्धार्तवा च ||२४||
Meaning of the śloka
In this way, the person with shukra free from disturbance and the person with purified artava are described.
The commentary says this sentence concludes the purpose of the section: through the methods stated previously, a man is said to have unimpaired shukra and a woman purified artava. The verb 'becomes' is understood though not written.
Key terms
aduShTashukra (adushtashukra)
Shukra considered free from the disturbances defined in this chapter.
shuddhArtava (shuddhartava)
Artava considered purified or free from the defined disturbances.
From the first day of menstruation, the text instructs the menstruating person to observe sexual abstinence and avoid daytime sleep, eye cosmetic, crying, bathing, anointing, oil massage, nail cutting, running, laughing, excessive talking, loud sounds, combing the hair, wind, and exertion. It attributes various undesirable traits in a future child to these activities. For three days the person is instructed to sleep on darbha, eat prescribed simple food from the hand, an earthen dish, or a leaf, and remain apart from the spouse. On the fourth day, after the old blood has ceased and bathing, the person is dressed in clean clothing, adorned, given auspicious rites, and shown the spouse. The text states that the child will resemble the person first seen after the menstrual bath, hence the spouse should be seen. A teacher then performs a rite intended for offspring. After the rite, the man, having observed a month of abstinence and eaten rice with ghee and milk, approaches at night a consenting partner who has likewise observed abstinence and eaten a diet emphasizing oil and mASha, first reassuring the partner with gentle words. The text designates even-numbered nights beginning with the fourth for one desiring a son and claims progressively greater longevity, health, fortune, prosperity, and strength on later such nights. Odd-numbered nights beginning with the fifth are designated for one desiring a daughter, while nights from the thirteenth onward are disapproved.
The commentary explains these as conduct rules during the fertile period. It defines excessive talking, combing, and exertion, and repeats the source's claimed links between activities during menstruation and traits of offspring. HaviShya is explained as rice with ghee and milk, though some say barley food. A physician is understood as the person who keeps the spouse from being seen for three days and later arranges the meeting. Purification is linked to cessation of the old menstrual blood. The explanation includes a lengthy alternative ritual transmitted by Gayi, with different seats by social class, an altar, offerings, fire ritual, prayers for the desired child, circumambulation, blessings, and the couple consuming the remaining ghee. After that ritual the stated sequence begins. The man's month of abstinence implies the same for the woman, but her abstinence is restated to exclude even mental intention. The couple's union is framed after reassurance with conciliatory words. The commentary presents the even- and odd-night scheme as timing thought capable of influencing the child's sex and qualities.
Key terms
Rtu (ritu)
The menstrual or classically conceived fertile period in this passage.
brahmacarya (brahmacharya)
Sexual abstinence observed for the specified period.
haviShya (havishya)
A simple ritual diet, explained as rice with ghee and milk or, alternatively, barley food.
putrIyavidhi (putriyavidhi)
A historical rite intended to obtain desired offspring.
sAma (sama)
Gentle, reassuring, conciliatory speech before sexual union.
The text claims that sexual intercourse on the first day of menstruation shortens the man's life and that a conception then will be lost at birth. It makes similar claims for the second day or within the early postpartum period, and says conception on the third day results in incomplete development or short life, whereas the fourth day produces a fully formed, long-lived child. It argues that reproductive seed entering while blood is flowing cannot have a beneficial effect, comparing it to a floating object placed against a river's current and carried back rather than upstream. It therefore instructs avoidance for three nights and then says intercourse may occur until a month has passed.
The commentary supplies 'life' after the statement that the fetus is released and extends that claimed loss to a conception on the second day or within ten days after childbirth. It explains the river comparison: pratisrotas means facing the current, a floating object is carried back, and similarly the text imagines seed being opposed by menstrual flow. Gayi places the passage through the three-night restriction in the following chapter, immediately before its statement about a twelve-night fertile period. The phrase after this is read as permitting intercourse up to one month. The commentary adds the historical belief that earlier intercourse may disturb an existing conception. It also reports another reading: after menstruation appears and non-pregnancy is certain, one may approach, but one should not approach a person known to be pregnant.
Key terms
RtumatI (ritumati)
A menstruating person in this passage.
pratisrotas
Against or facing the current, used in the river analogy.
plAvidravya (plavidravya)
A floating object used to illustrate the argument.
niyamavatI (niyamavati)
A person observing the stated restraint or regimen.
sUtikAgRha (sutikagriha)
The postpartum or lying-in setting referenced by the commentary.
Adhikarana 14 (32) · Śloka 32
labdhagarbhāyāścaitēṣvahaḥsu lakṣmaṇāvaṭaśuṅgasahadēvāviśvadēvānāmanyatamāṁ kṣīrēṇābhiṣutya trīṁścaturō vā bindūn dadyāddakṣiṇē nāsāpuṭē putrakāmāyai , na ca tānniṣṭhīvēt ||32||
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लब्धगर्भायाश्चैतेष्वहःसु लक्ष्मणावटशुङ्गसहदेवाविश्वदेवानामन्यतमां क्षीरेणाभिषुत्य त्रींश्चतुरो वा बिन्दून् दद्याद्दक्षिणे नासापुटे पुत्रकामायै , न च तान्निष्ठीवेत् ||३२||
Meaning of the śloka
For a pregnant person desiring a son, the text directs grinding one of lakShmaNA, a young shoot of vaTa, sahadevA, or vishvadevA with milk and placing three or four drops in the right nostril, with an instruction not to spit them out.
The commentary describes lakShmaNA by its leaf markings and odor and gives a detailed historical method for gathering it at an astrologically selected time, then preparing it with milk from a similarly colored cow for nasal administration. VaTashu~gga is a young banyan shoot. SahadevA is identified as a yellow-flowered variety of balA with a vernacular name, while vishvadevA is identified by some as gA~ggerukI and by others as white-flowered balA. AbhiShutya means grinding. The drops are not to be spat out after reaching the throat. By implication, the commentary also extends a consecrated version of the nasal preparation to a person not yet pregnant before intercourse, for conception. For someone already pregnant it is said to stabilize the pregnancy, or, within roughly the first three months, to produce a male child.
Key terms
nasya
Administration of a substance through the nostril.
lakShmaNA (lakshmana)
A plant named in the formula and described by leaf markings; exact identification requires review.
vaTashu~gga (vatashunga)
A young shoot of the banyan tree.
sahadevA (sahadeva)
A yellow-flowered plant identified as a variety of bala in the commentary.
vishvadevA (vishvadeva)
A plant with disputed identification, described as gangeruki or white-flowered bala.
The text says that conception reliably occurs through the proper conjunction of four factors—ritu, kshetra, ambu, and bija—just as a sprout arises when season, field, water, and seed come together without impairment.
The commentary stresses that reproductive material alone is not presented as sufficient; all four factors must be appropriately combined. Ritu is the fertile or menstrual period, kshetra is the uterus, ambu is the widely circulating rasa-dhatu produced from digested food, and bija is the reproductive contribution of both partners, identified as artava and shukra. The agricultural comparison emphasizes the completeness and unimpaired conjunction of the factors.
Key terms
Rutu (ritu)
The fertile or menstrual period in this classical conception model.
kShetra (kshetra)
The reproductive field, glossed as the uterus.
ambu
Nourishing fluid, explained as circulating rasa-dhatu derived from food.
bIja (bija)
The reproductive contributions called artava and shukra.
garbha
The embryo or pregnancy arising from the stated conjunction.
एवं जाता रूपवन्तः सत्त्ववन्तश्चिरायुषः |
भवन्त्यृणस्य मोक्तारः सत्पुत्राः पुत्रिणे हिताः ||३४||
Meaning of the śloka
Children conceived in the manner just described are said to be well formed, strong in sattva, and long-lived. The verse praises such virtuous children as beneficial to their parent and as releasing the ancestral obligations described by the tradition.
The commentary presents this as the result of conception undertaken according to the preceding procedure. Rupa means a pleasing arrangement of bodily parts; sattvavant means not overcome by rajas and tamas. 'Releasers from debt' refers to freeing the ancestors from the traditional three debts, and satputra means a virtuous child.
Key terms
rUpavanta (rupavant)
Well formed or having a pleasing bodily arrangement in the commentary.
sattvavanta (sattvavant)
Possessing sattva without being overcome by rajas and tamas.
cirAyuSha (chirayusha)
Long-lived.
RuNa (rina)
Traditional ancestral or religious debt referred to by the commentary.
satputra
A virtuous child; literally expressed in the source with a male-gendered term.
Tejas is described as the source of complexion. At conception, predominance of water with tejas is said to produce a fair complexion, predominance of earth a dark complexion, earth with space a dark-brown complexion, and water with space a fair-brown complexion. Some say that a pregnant person's diet influences the child's complexion. If tejas does not reach the developing seat of sight, congenital blindness is said to result; association of tejas with blood, pitta, kapha, or vata is respectively associated with red, tawny, pale, or irregular eyes.
The commentary introduces an elemental explanation for complexion and eye appearance after discussing bodily form. It identifies tejo-dhatu with the fire element and understands its predominance during conception in combination with other elements as producing the stated complexions. The dietary claim is explicitly marked as the opinion of some. It further says that, in the fourth month and under the influence of prior karma, failure of tejas to reach the developing organ of sight results in blindness from birth; its association with particular doshas or blood accounts for the listed eye appearances.
Key terms
tejodhAtu (tejo-dhatu)
The fire element, treated here as the source of complexion and visual development.
varNa (varna)
Complexion or bodily coloration in this passage.
jAtyandha (jatyandha)
Blind from birth.
dRuShTibhAga (drishti-bhaga)
The developing seat or organ of sight.
ityeke bhAShante (ity eke bhashante)
'Thus some say,' marking the dietary-complexion claim as one opinion.
The commentary addresses how newly formed artava, considered scant and somewhat congealed after the preceding menstrual flow has ceased, can circulate. It says that warmth produced by contact during intercourse liquefies it; after mingling with shukra, reaching the uterus, and being joined by the living self, it becomes a cause of embryonic formation. Here artava means reproductive blood associated with the fertile period. The commentary also cites Vriddha Vagbhata for the view that women release a substance called shukra during intercourse but that it has no role in forming the embryo, and therefore does not require discussion here.
Key terms
Artava (artava)
The reproductive or menstrual substance associated here with the fertile period.
shukra
Reproductive substance that mingles with artava in the classical account.
garbhAshaya (garbhashaya)
The uterus or receptacle of the embryo.
jIvopagata (jivopagata)
Joined or entered by the living self in the commentary's account.
When the reproductive seed is divided internally by vayu and two living selves enter the uterus, they are called twins; the verse associates their arrival with dharma and its opposite.
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garbhadvayōtpattihētumāha- bījē ityādi| dharmētarapuraḥsarau dharmādharmapurōgāminau| gayī tu, dharmētarō'dharmaḥ, tatpuraḥsarau adharmapurōgāminau; na tu dharmādharmapuraḥsarau; yataḥ śrutismr̥tiṣvadharmādēva yamōtpattiriṣṭā; ata ēva tadutpattau prāyaścittamapyupadiṣṭamiti vyākhyāti||37||
Meaning of the commentary
The passage offers a classical cause for twin gestation: division of bija by vayu and the entry of two jivas. The primary gloss understands the pair as preceded by dharma and adharma. Gayi instead takes dharmetara specifically as adharma and says both are preceded by adharma, citing scriptural and traditional authorities that attribute twin birth to it and prescribe expiation.
Key terms
bIja (bija)
Reproductive seed in the classical account.
vAyu (vayu)
The principle said to divide the reproductive seed internally.
yamau
Twins.
jIva (jiva)
A living self said to enter the uterus.
dharmetara
The opposite of dharma; its precise construction is interpreted differently in the commentary.
Adhikarana 20 (38) · Śloka 38
pitrōratyalpabījatvādāsēkyaḥ puruṣō bhavēt |
sa śukraṁ prāśya labhatē dhvajōcchrāyamasaṁśayam ||38||
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पित्रोरत्यल्पबीजत्वादासेक्यः पुरुषो भवेत् |
स शुक्रं प्राश्य लभते ध्वजोच्छ्रायमसंशयम् ||३८||
Meaning of the śloka
The text says that when the reproductive contributions of the parents are extremely scant, a person classified as asekya may be born. It states that this person achieves penile erection after tasting another man's semen.
The commentary defines asekya as one of the historical categories called shandha, arising from very scant parental bija. It explicitly describes oral sexual activity with another man and the tasting of ejaculated semen as the stimulus for erection. It also gives mukhayoni as an alternative name for this category.
Key terms
Asekya (asekya)
A historical category defined here by a particular condition for sexual arousal.
atyalpabIjatva (atyalpa-bijatva)
Extreme scantiness of the parents' reproductive contributions in the source's causal account.
shukra
Semen in this passage.
dhvajocchrAya (dhvajocchraya)
Penile erection.
mukhayoni
An alternative historical label supplied by the commentary.
Adhikarana 21 (39) · Śloka 39
yaḥ pūtiyōnau jāyēta sa saugandhikasañjñitaḥ |
sa yōniśēphasōrgandhamāghrāya labhatē balam ||39||
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यः पूतियोनौ जायेत स सौगन्धिकसञ्ज्ञितः |
स योनिशेफसोर्गन्धमाघ्राय लभते बलम् ||३९||
Meaning of the śloka
A person said to be born from a reproductive tract described as having an unpleasant odor is called saugandhika. The text says that this person gains sexual potency by smelling the genital scent of a woman or man.
The commentary explains that the genital scent is inhaled or sniffed. It classifies saugandhika among the historical shandha categories and supplies nasayoni as an alternative name.
Key terms
saugandhika
A historical category in which genital scent is described as the stimulus for sexual potency.
pUtiyoni (puti-yoni)
A reproductive tract described by the source as having an unpleasant odor.
yonishephasorgandha (yoni-shephasor gandha)
The scent of female or male genitalia.
nAsAyoni (nasayoni)
An alternative historical label supplied by the commentary.
Adhikarana 22 (40) · Śloka 40
svē gudē'brahmacaryādyaḥ strīṣu puṁvat pravartatē |
kumbhīkaḥ sa tu vijñēyaḥ... |40|
A person who first engages in receptive anal intercourse and later engages sexually with women in the role the text assigns to a man is called kumbhika.
The primary explanation describes a man receiving anal intercourse from another man and subsequently having intercourse with women. Another interpretation says that he initially has anal intercourse with women while his penis is not erect; after arousal and erection arise through that atypical activity, he proceeds in the conventionally male role. The category is also called gudayoni. A cited passage attributes it to obstruction during the mother's intercourse and weakness of the father's bija. Gayi cites Kashyapa for a different account involving intercourse during the fertile period with a woman who is not menstruating, semen characterized by kapha, and desire directed toward another person.
Key terms
kumbhIka (kumbhika)
A historical category described through particular patterns of sexual activity.
abrahmacarya (abrahmacharya)
Sexual activity outside celibacy; interpreted here as receptive intercourse.
gudayoni
An alternative historical label referring to the anus.
bIjadaurbalya (bija-daurbalya)
Weakness of the reproductive seed in a cited causal account.
Adhikarana 23 (40-41) · Śloka 41
...īrṣyakaṁ śr̥ṇu cāparam ||40||
dr̥ṣṭvā vyavāyamanyēṣāṁ vyavāyē yaḥ pravartatē |
īrṣyakaḥ sa tu vijñēyaḥ,... |41|
The commentary also calls this category drigyoni, linking it with visual observation. It cites another text that attributes its origin to both parents being overcome by jealousy or agitation and experiencing weak sexual excitement.
Key terms
IrShyaka (irshyaka)
A historical category in which observing intercourse is described as prompting sexual activity.
dRugyoni (drigyoni)
An alternative name emphasizing sight as the stimulus.
vyavAya (vyavaya)
Sexual intercourse.
mandaharSha (manda-harsha)
Weak or limited sexual excitement in the cited causal account.
The fifth category is called shandhaka. The verse says that if a husband, through confusion, assumes what the text regards as the woman's position during intercourse with his wife in her fertile period, a child may be born whose manner and sexual behavior the text characterizes as feminine.
The commentary explains the position as the man lying beneath his wife during intercourse in the fertile period. It then describes the resulting person, in the source's gendered terms, as male in bodily form but with feminine appearance and conduct, receiving another man's ejaculation against the upper surface of the penis while positioned underneath. This is presented as the fifth historical shandha classification.
Key terms
ShaNDhaka (shandhaka)
The fifth historical shandha category described in this sequence.
strIceShTitAkAra (stri-cheshtita-akara)
Having conduct or manner characterized by the source as feminine.
Rutu (ritu)
The wife's fertile period in the verse's account.
mohAt (mohat)
Through confusion or delusion, as the source characterizes the act.
ऋतौ पुरुषवद्वाऽपि प्रवर्तेताङ्गना यदि |
तत्र कन्या यदि भवेत् सा भवेन्नरचेष्टिता ||४३||
Meaning of the śloka
If a woman assumes what the verse regards as the man's role during intercourse in the fertile period and a girl is conceived, the text says that the daughter may later display behavior it characterizes as masculine.
After describing a male shandha category, the commentary introduces a corresponding female category. It explains the act as the woman placing the man beneath her during intercourse. The resulting person is described as female in bodily form but behaving in a conventionally male sexual role, mounting a woman and rubbing their genitals together.
Key terms
puruShavat pravarteta (purushavat pravarteta)
Acting in the role the source conventionally assigns to a man.
naraceShTitA (nara-cheshtita)
Having conduct characterized by the source as masculine.
kanyA (kanya)
A girl or daughter.
Rutu (ritu)
The fertile period in the classical account.
Adhikarana 26 (44) · Śloka 44
āsēkyaśca sugandhī ca kumbhīkaścērṣyakastathā |
sarētasastvamī jñēyā aśukraḥ ṣaṇḍhasañjñitaḥ ||44||
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आसेक्यश्च सुगन्धी च कुम्भीकश्चेर्ष्यकस्तथा |
सरेतसस्त्वमी ज्ञेया अशुक्रः षण्ढसञ्ज्ञितः ||४४||
Meaning of the śloka
Asekya, saugandhika, kumbhika, and irshyaka are said to possess retas. The category called shandha is said to lack shukra.
The commentary answers why the preceding people are called shandha even when shukra is present. Viprakriti may mean a contrary disposition or simply a distinctive disposition. Arousal is said to cause expansion of the shukra-carrying vessels and therefore erection. The commentator adds that these descriptions concern male categories but should be understood as having counterparts among women, citing Charaka's expression 'male and female shandha.'
Key terms
viprakRuti (viprakriti)
A contrary or distinctive disposition; both senses are preserved by the commentary.
shukravahAH sirAH (shukravaha sirah)
Vessels said to carry shukra in the classical account.
harSha (harsha)
Sexual arousal in this context.
dhvajocchrAya (dhvajocchraya)
Penile erection.
naranArIShaNDha (nara-nari-shandha)
A cited phrase indicating male and female counterparts within the historical classification.
The text states that when two prospective parents come together while following particular patterns of diet, conduct, and activity, their child will show corresponding qualities.
The commentary presents this as an explanation for differences in body, speech, and mind that had not yet been discussed. It glosses 'samupeyatam' as the two partners coming together in sexual union.
The passage says that when two sexually desirous women unite and each releases reproductive fluid, an offspring described as having little or soft bone may arise.
The commentary introduces this within an explicitly condemnatory historical account of atypical offspring, attributing it to grave wrongdoing. It explains 'upeyatam' as engaging in sexual union, 'vrishasyantyau' as two women desiring intercourse, and interprets 'anasthi' with the negation in a diminutive sense, meaning one with scant or soft bone rather than literally no bone.
Key terms
vRuShasyantyau (vrishasyantyau)
Two women desiring sexual union.
shukra
Reproductive fluid in this passage.
anasthi
Interpreted by the commentary as having little or soft bone.
The text claims that if a woman in her fertile period experiences sexual intercourse in a dream, vayu may carry her artava into the abdomen and form a pregnancy. It says the pregnancy-like signs then increase month by month and a kalala develops without qualities attributed to a father.
The commentary defines artava here as purified blood associated with the fertile period and compares the kalala to nasal mucus in appearance. It lists hair of the head and beard, body hair, nails, teeth, vessels, ligaments, channels, and reproductive fluid among the qualities it regards as paternal. It also records that the teacher Jejjhata did not include either of these two verses.
Key terms
RutusnAtA (ritusnata)
A woman considered to be in the fertile period after the prescribed bath.
Artava (artava)
The reproductive substance described by the commentary as purified cyclical blood.
kalala
An early, gelatinous embryonic form in the classical description.
paitRukaguNa (paitrika guna)
Features the commentary classifies as contributed by a father.
JejjhaTa (Jejjhata)
An earlier authority whose recension reportedly omitted verses 48–49.
सर्पवृश्चिककूष्माण्डविकृताकृतयश्च ये |
गर्भास्त्वेते स्त्रियाश्चैव ज्ञेयाः पापकृतो भृशम् ||५०||
Meaning of the śloka
The passage describes pregnancies or fetal forms likened to snakes, scorpions, kushmanda gourds, or other unusual shapes, and attributes them to grave wrongdoing by the pregnant woman.
The commentary repeats that offspring with snake-like and other forms are to be understood as produced by the woman's wrongdoing. In response to the question of how such forms could arise from a human body, it explains the variation as caused by karma.
Key terms
vikRutAkRuti (vikritakriti)
An atypical or altered bodily form in the source's description.
garbha
Pregnancy, embryo, or fetus according to context.
pApakRuta (papakrita)
Attributed by the text to wrongdoing or its result.
The text claims that aggravation of vata, or failure to honor a pregnant person's dauhrida wishes, may result in a child with spinal curvature, impaired hands or mobility, absence of speech, or indistinct speech.
The commentary says that this passage gives dosha disturbance and its perceived cause for such conditions present before birth. It explains disregarding dauhrida as frustrating the pregnant person's desire and defines kuni as impairment of the hand.
Key terms
dauhRuda (dauhrida)
A pregnant person's wishes or longings in this context.
vAtaprakopa (vataprakopa)
Aggravation of vata, given as a classical cause.
kubja
A person with spinal curvature in the source's classification.
kuNi (kuni)
A person with an impaired hand, according to the commentary.
minmiNa (minmina)
A person with indistinct or impaired speech; the precise nuance needs review.
The commentary asks whether such fetal characteristics arise only from the developing being's own past harmful karma or also from another person's fault. It answers by invoking the parents and defines nastikya as the outlook that denies another world, the effects of giving, and related doctrines.
Key terms
nAstikya (nastikya)
Disbelief in an afterlife, the efficacy of giving, and related doctrines in the commentary.
ashubha
A harmful or inauspicious act.
purAkRuta (purakrita)
Performed previously; linked here with past action.
garbhavaikRuta (garbhavaikrita)
Variation or atypical development of the embryo or fetus.
doShaprakopa (doshaprakopa)
Aggravation of the doshas in the classical causal account.
Adhikarana 34 (53) · Śloka 53
malālpatvādayōgācca vāyōḥ pakvāśayasya ca |
vātamūtrapurīṣāṇi na garbhasthaḥ karōti hi ||53||
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मलाल्पत्वादयोगाच्च वायोः पक्वाशयस्य च |
वातमूत्रपुरीषाणि न गर्भस्थः करोति हि ||५३||
Meaning of the śloka
The text says that a fetus in the womb does not pass flatus, urine, or stool because waste is scant, vayu has little functional connection, and the pakvashaya is not functioning in the usual way.
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atha kasmādgarbhāśayasthō vātādikaṁ na karōtītyāha- malālpatvādityādi| vāyōrayōgāditi nañayamiṣadarthē, tēnēṣadyōgāt||53||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary introduces the verse as an answer to why a fetus in the uterus does not pass vata and the other wastes. It interprets the negation in 'vayor ayoga' in a qualified sense: there is a slight connection with vayu rather than its total absence.
Key terms
garbhastha
Situated in the womb; the fetus.
mala
Waste material, described here as scant.
vAta (vata)
Flatus or bodily wind in the list of excretions.
pakvAshaya (pakvashaya)
The lower digestive receptacle in the classical anatomical account.
ayoga
Interpreted here as only slight connection, not absolute absence.
Adhikarana 35 (54) · Śloka 54
jarāyuṇā mukhē cchannē kaṇṭhē ca kaphavēṣṭitē |
vāyōrmārganirōdhācca na garbhasthaḥ prarōditi ||54||
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जरायुणा मुखे च्छन्ने कण्ठे च कफवेष्टिते |
वायोर्मार्गनिरोधाच्च न गर्भस्थः प्ररोदिति ||५४||
Meaning of the śloka
The text says that the fetus does not cry in the womb because its mouth is covered by the jarayu, its throat is enveloped by kapha, and the pathway of the voice-producing vayu is obstructed.
The commentary specifies that the obstructed vayu is the one that produces audible sound. It says that the movement or emergence of vayu involved in breathing will be discussed later, since without that function the fetus could not remain alive.
Key terms
jarAyu (jarayu)
A fetal covering or membrane said here to cover the mouth.
kaphaveShTita (kaphaveshtita)
Enveloped by kapha in the throat.
vAyumArga (vayumarga)
The pathway of vayu, specifically the voice-producing current in the commentary.
praroditi
Cries out audibly.
niHshvAsa (nihshvasa)
Breathing out, distinguished from voice production by the commentary.
The passage states that a fetus experiences inhalation and exhalation, movement, and sleep corresponding to the pregnant person's breathing, movement, and sleep.
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niḥśvāsētyādi| saṅkṣōbhaḥ sañcalanam| mātā yāścēṣṭā niḥśvāsādikāḥ kurutē tā garbhō'pi karōtītyarthaḥ||55||
Meaning of the commentary
The commentary defines samkshobha as movement. Its explanation is that the fetus also performs actions such as breathing in correspondence with those performed by the pregnant person.
The arrangement of body parts, the falling and eruption of teeth, and the absence of hair on the palms and soles are said to occur by svabhava, their inherent nature.
The commentary says the verse explains the cause of the arrangement of limbs and related features. It defines sannivesha as a particular structural arrangement, 'bodies' here as body parts such as the feet, and 'surfaces' as the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Key terms
sannivesha
A particular arrangement or formation of body parts.
dantapatanodbhava
The falling and subsequent eruption or appearance of teeth.
tala
The palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
roman
Body hair, described as absent on palms and soles.
svabhAva (svabhava)
Inherent nature, offered here as the cause of these regular features.
According to the text, people whose understanding was continually cultivated through study in previous lives become knowledgeable in the shastras; those in whom sattva predominates may remember a previous birth.
After explaining distinctions of the body, the commentary describes a distinction in understanding, treated as a quality of the self and strengthened by repeated cultivation. Those whose inner faculties were continually formed by contemplation of the shastras in former bodies become learned in them. Among such people, those rich in sattva are said to remember a former birth because the obscuring effects of rajas and tamas are absent.
Key terms
bhAvanA (bhavana)
Repeated cultivation or contemplation that forms the inner faculty.
shAstrabuddhi (shastrabuddhi)
Understanding or knowledge of authoritative texts.
sattvabhUyiShTha (sattvabhuyishtha)
Having a predominance of sattva.
pUrvajAtismara (purvajatismara)
Remembering a previous birth in the text's doctrine.
antaHkaraNa (antahkarana)
The inner mental faculty shaped by repeated contemplation.
The commentary gathers the chapter's examples: bodily arrangement and bodily differences attributed to disturbed doshas, differences of speech, and mental qualities such as scriptural knowledge and memory of former births. Although some were described as arising through inherent nature and related causes, it says that all are ultimately governed by karma. The second half explains why: qualities practiced in a former body are acquired again.
Key terms
karma
Action and its continuing consequence, presented here as the ultimate cause of acquired qualities.
punarbhava
Future or renewed existence; rebirth.
abhyasta
Repeatedly practiced or cultivated.
guNa (guna)
A quality or characteristic carried into future existence in this account.
svabhAva (svabhava)
Inherent nature, one proximate explanation subordinated here to karma.
This marks the end of the second chapter of the Sharirasthana in Dalhana's commentary on Sushruta entitled Nibandhasangraha. The transmitted spelling of Dalhana's name is shown with a textual variation.
Key terms
shukra
One of the reproductive substances discussed in the chapter.
shoNita (shonita)
Blood or the reproductive substance associated with the female partner in this chapter's classical framework.
shuddhi
Purity or healthy condition in the chapter title.
shArIrasthAna (Sharirasthana)
The division concerned with embodiment, development, and related doctrines.