౯. వాతాభిష్యందప్రతిషేధాధ్యాయః

Meaning of the śloka

Now, therefore, we shall explain the treatment of vātābhiṣyanda. Thus spoke the revered Dhanvantari.

Key terms

वाताभिष्यन्द (vātābhiṣyanda)

The vāta-associated variety of the classical ocular condition abhiṣyanda.

अभिष्यन्द (abhiṣyanda)

A classical category of eye disease regarded by the commentary as the basis of all ocular disorders.

प्रतिषेध (pratiṣedha)

Treatment or therapeutic management in this chapter title.

आवरण (āvaraṇa)

Obstruction or covering, used in the commentary to explain the causal relation of the other doṣas to vāta.

Meaning of the śloka

After persons afflicted by syanda and adhīmantha have been oleated with old ghee and fomented according to the prescribed method, venesection should be employed. Having properly administered oleation and purgation, the physician should treat them with basti procedures, tarpaṇa, puṭapāka, medicinal smoke, āścyotana eye drops, nasal oleation, pouring therapies, and śirobasti.

Key terms

पुराणसर्पिस् (purāṇa-sarpis)

Aged ghee, interpreted as one-year-old by one view and ten-year-old by another.

सिरामोक्ष (sirāmokṣa)

Venesection or bloodletting, a historical procedure prescribed in the passage.

बस्ति (basti)

A classical enema therapy, differentiated here into decoction and unctuous forms.

तर्पण (tarpaṇa)

A classical nourishing ocular procedure whose detailed method is deferred to Kriyākalpa.

पुटपाक (puṭapāka)

A classical ocular preparation and procedure listed among the treatments.

आश्च्योतन (āścyotana)

Instillation of liquid into the eye, described by the commentary here as cool.

साम (sāma)

A state in which āma is associated with the disorder or doṣa.

Meaning of the śloka

The physician should treat these two conditions with pouring and fomentation using decoctions of vāta-pacifying substances and the flesh of animals from marshy and aquatic habitats together with sour substances; with the four unctuous substances used warm; with cloths soaked in them; and with milk, vesavāra, sālvana preparations, pāyasa, and well-regarded warm poultices.

Key terms

वातघ्न (vātaghna)

Pacifying vāta; bhadradāru and similar substances are cited as examples.

अनूपजलजमांस (anūpa-jalaja-māṃsa)

Flesh of animals associated with marshy ground and water, used in the historical formulation.

चतुःस्नेह (catuḥsneha)

The four classical unctuous substances, here used warm and also to soak cloth.

वेसवार (vesavāra)

A named prepared food or paste included among the fomentation materials.

साल्वण (sālvana)

A named compounded preparation used for fomentation.

उपनाह (upanāha)

Application of a warm poultice as a form of fomentation.

Meaning of the śloka

For these two conditions, the recommended diet consists of well-prepared, unctuous meat broths from domestic, marsh-dwelling, and aquatic animals, combined with fruit juices, together with suitably medicated milk.

Key terms

ग्राम्यानूपौदकरस (grāmya-anūpa-audaka-rasa)

Meat broths from domestic, marsh-dwelling, and aquatic animals.

फलरस (phala-rasa)

Fruit juice, explained here as pomegranate and āmalaka juice.

सुसंस्कृत पयस् (susaṃskṛta payas)

Milk suitably processed with specified substances such as śatāvarī and śṛṅgavera.

अधीमन्थ (adhīmantha)

One of the two classical eye-disease categories for which the diet is stated.

Meaning of the śloka

Drinking ghee after food is also commended. The ghee may be prepared in a decoction of triphalā, or it may be plain and aged. Milk prepared with vāta-pacifying substances or with the first group may also be used. Unctuous preparations other than oil, processed with vāta-pacifying substances, are beneficial for tarpaṇa.

Key terms

त्रिफला (triphalā)

The named three-fruit formulation used here to prepare ghee.

जीर्ण (jīrṇa)

Aged or matured, qualifying the plain ghee.

वातहर (vātahara)

Pacifying vāta; interpreted differently as bhadradāru and others or as the group beginning with kākolī.

विदारिगन्धादिगण (Vidārigandhādi-gaṇa)

The plant group identified by the commentary as ‘the first group.’

व्याधिप्रत्यनीक (vyādhi-pratyanīka)

Directed against the disease, as Gayadāsa characterizes triphalā-ghee.

दोषप्रत्यनीक (doṣa-pratyanīka)

Directed against the doṣa, as Gayadāsa characterizes vāta-pacifying ghee.

Meaning of the śloka

The puṭapāka should be of the unctuous type, and the medicinal smoke and nasal therapy should likewise be unctuous. For nasal therapy and the other procedures, oil prepared with sthirā, milk, and sweet substances is recommended.

Key terms

स्नैहिक पुटपाक (snaihika puṭapāka)

The unctuous type of the classical puṭapāka ocular preparation or procedure.

धूम (dhūma)

Medicinal smoke, specified here as being of the unctuous type.

नस्य (nasya)

Nasal administration of medicine, specified here as unctuous.

स्थिरा (sthirā)

A named medicinal substance used with milk and sweet substances to prepare oil.

मधुर (madhura)

Sweet substances or substances of the sweet category used in preparing the oil.

Meaning of the śloka

Goat's milk boiled with the leaf, root, or bark of eraṇḍa and with the roots of kaṇṭakārī is described as beneficial when used comfortably warm for secana.

Key terms

एरण्ड (eraṇḍa)

The plant whose leaf, root, or bark is used in the described milk preparation.

कण्टकारी (kaṇṭakārī)

A plant whose roots are included in the preparation.

आजं पयः (ājaṃ payaḥ)

Goat's milk.

सेचन (secana)

An external pouring or irrigation procedure described for the eye.

आश्च्योतन (āścyotana)

Application of liquid drops to the eye, supplied by the commentary as an additional use.

Meaning of the śloka

Milk boiled with saindhava, udīcya, yaṣṭyāhva, and pippalī, with water amounting to half the mixture, is described as beneficial for seka and likewise for āścyotana.

Key terms

सैन्धव (saindhava)

Rock salt, one of the ingredients named in the preparation.

उदीच्य (udīcya)

A medicinal substance named as an ingredient; its exact botanical identification should be reviewed.

यष्ट्याह्व (yaṣṭyāhva)

A medicinal plant substance included in the milk preparation.

पिप्पली (pippalī)

Long pepper, included among the named ingredients.

अर्धोदक (ardhodaka)

Having water in half the stated proportion, as explained by the commentary.

Meaning of the śloka

Goat's milk prepared with hrībera, vakra, mañjiṣṭhā, and the bark of udumbara, together with water, is described as an excellent āścyotana for eye pain.

Key terms

ह्रीबेर (hrībera)

An ingredient identified by the commentary as vālaka.

वक्र (vakra)

An ingredient identified by the commentary as tagara.

मञ्जिष्ठा (mañjiṣṭhā)

A medicinal plant substance included in the preparation.

उदुम्बरत्वक् (udumbara-tvak)

The bark of udumbara.

आश्च्योतन (āścyotana)

A liquid eye application, glossed by the commentary as akṣipūraṇa.

Meaning of the śloka

Madhuka, rajanī, pathyā, and devadāru are to be ground with goat's milk; the resulting añjana is described as excellent in abhiṣyanda.

Key terms

मधुक (madhuka)

A medicinal substance named as an ingredient in the añjana.

रजनी (rajanī)

A medicinal substance named as an ingredient; commonly a name for haridrā in this context, subject to review.

पथ्या (pathyā)

A medicinal substance named as an ingredient; commonly a name for harītakī, subject to review.

देवदारु (devadāru)

A medicinal plant substance included in the preparation.

अञ्जन (añjana)

A medicinal collyrium or application to the eye.

अभिष्यन्द (abhiṣyanda)

The classical ocular condition for which the preparation is described.

Meaning of the śloka

Gairika, saindhava, kṛṣṇā, and nāgara are prescribed in successively doubled amounts. Ground with water, they are described as forming a tablet-type añjana.

Key terms

गैरिक (gairika)

A mineral substance, commonly red ochre, named as the first ingredient.

कृष्णा (kṛṣṇā)

A substance commonly understood here as pippalī, though the contextual identification requires review.

नागर (nāgara)

A substance commonly understood as dry ginger; the source also records the rejected variant godanta.

यथोत्तरं द्विगुणम् (yathottaraṃ dviguṇam)

Each succeeding ingredient is twice the quantity of the preceding one.

गुटिकाञ्जन (guṭikāñjana)

A collyrium prepared in tablet or pellet form.

गोदन्त (godanta)

A variant reading in place of nāgara, explicitly rejected by Jejjaṭācārya.

Meaning of the śloka

A lubricating añjana is also considered beneficial here and will be described later according to its proper procedure.

Key terms

स्नेहाञ्जन (snehāñjana)

A lubricating or fatty medicinal collyrium.

यथाविधि (yathāvidhi)

In accordance with the prescribed procedure.

अपतर्पण (apatarpaṇa)

Depleting or reducing therapy referred to as preceding vāta aggravation.

सिराव्यध (sirāvyadha)

Venesection or puncturing a vein, mentioned as a preceding procedure.

अनूपजलज वसा (anūpa-jalaja vasā)

Fat from animals associated with marshy and aquatic habitats, in one commentator's interpretation of the later formula.

Meaning of the śloka

The physician should treat both the disorder called Anyatovāta and the condition called Mārutaparyaya by this same method.

Key terms

अन्यतोवात (anyatovāta)

A named vāta-related ocular disorder to which the preceding treatment is extended.

मारुतपर्यय (mārutaparyaya)

A named ocular disorder associated with māruta or vāta.

वाताभिष्यन्दक्रिया (vātābhiṣyanda-kriyā)

The treatment regimen previously stated for Vātābhiṣyanda.

Meaning of the śloka

Ghee taken before food, or milk taken with the meal, is said to be beneficial. One may drink ghee prepared with milk in a decoction of Vṛkṣādanī, kapittha, Mahat Pañcamūla, and karkaṭa juice. Ghee prepared with milk and Pattūra, Ārtagala, and Agnika is also said to be beneficial, as is ghee prepared with milk using Meṣaśṛṅgī or Vīratara.

Key terms

पूर्वभक्त (pūrvabhakta)

Taken before the meal.

वृक्षादनी (vṛkṣādanī)

A plant ingredient identified as bandāka, with Vṛkṣakalambukā preserved as an alternative identification.

पत्तूर (pattūra)

A plant identified by the commentary as sitivāra and popularly known as sirivālī.

आर्तगल (ārtagala)

A thorny-fruited plant, with kakubha recorded as an alternative identification.

मेषशृङ्गी (meṣaśṛṅgī)

A named plant whose decoction is used with milk for preparing ghee.

वीरतर (vīratara)

A plant interpreted as śara or, alternatively, vellantara.

अगर्भ घृत (agarbha ghṛta)

Ghee prepared without an internal herbal paste component.

Meaning of the śloka

For Śuṣkapāka, an añjana is described using rock salt, dāru, dry ginger, citron juice, ghee, breast milk, and water. Drinking ghee and performing ocular tarpaṇa are commended. Nasal administration is described with ghee prepared using the Jīvanīya group or with Aṇutaila. For pouring over the eye, cooled milk with a small amount of rock salt is said to be beneficial, or milk prepared with rajanī and dāru and combined with rock salt. Another añjana is described from Mahauṣadha rubbed on stone with ghee and breast milk. Alternatively, fat from marsh-dwelling or aquatic animals, combined with rock salt and a little nāgara, is described as an añjana for Śuṣkapāka.

Key terms

शुष्कपाक (śuṣkapāka)

The named ocular condition for which these measures are described.

अञ्जन (añjana)

A substance applied to the eye; here several historical preparations are described.

रसक्रिया (rasakriyā)

A concentrated preparation, classified here as a form of añjana.

तर्पण (tarpaṇa)

A classical ocular procedure involving retention of a preparation around the eye.

नस्य (nasya)

Nasal administration of a medicinal preparation.

अणुतैल (aṇutaila)

A named medicated oil; the commentary specifies the Śālākya-tantra formulation.

परिषेक (pariṣeka)

Pouring or irrigating a liquid over the affected area.

महौषध (mahauṣadha)

A substance identified contextually in this formula and used after grinding with ghee and breast milk.

Meaning of the śloka

For any disorders arising from pavana that destroy vision, a discerning physician should apply treatment by using this regimen as the guiding basis.

Key terms

पवनप्रभव (pavana-prabhava)

Arising from pavana or vāta.

दृष्टिनाशन (dṛṣṭināśana)

Destructive of sight or vision.

तिमिर (timira)

A classical ocular disorder named among the conditions affecting vision.

काच (kāca)

A classical ocular disorder named among the conditions affecting vision.

बीज (bīja)

A foundational pattern or guiding basis, here referring to the Vātābhiṣyanda regimen.

ऊहापोहवित् (ūhāpohavit)

One skilled in reasoning about what is applicable and what should be excluded.

Meaning of the śloka

Thus ends the ninth chapter of the Śālākya-tantra within the Uttaratantra of the Suśruta Saṃhitā, entitled 'Prevention and Treatment of Vātābhiṣyanda.'

Key terms

वाताभिष्यन्दप्रतिषेध (vātābhiṣyanda-pratiṣedha)

The chapter title, concerning the prevention and treatment of Vātābhiṣyanda.

उत्तर तन्त्र (uttaratantra)

The division of the Suśruta Saṃhitā containing this chapter.

शालाक्यतन्त्र (śālākya-tantra)

The specialized subject division named in the colophon.

निबन्धसङ्ग्रह (nibandhasaṅgraha)

The title of Dalhaṇa's commentary.

नवमोऽध्यायः (navamo 'dhyāyaḥ)

The ninth chapter.