S Religious h a r k a Medicine n s k y The History and Evolution of Indian Medicine R e l i g i o u s M e d i c i n e Kenneth G. Zysk www.routledge.com Religious Medicine Religious Medicine The History and Evolution of Indian Medicine Kenneth G. Zysk With a New Introduction by the Author I~ ~~o~1~~n~~~up LONDON AND NEW YORK Originally published in 1985 by The American Philosophical Society. Published 1993 by Transaction Publishers Published 2017 by Routledge 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN 711 Third Avenue, New York, NY 10017, USA Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business Copyright© 1993 by Taylor & Francis. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers. Notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to infringe. library of Congress Catalog Number: 92-20088 library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Zysk, Kenneth G. [Religious healing in the Veda] Religious medicine : the history and evolution of Indian medicine 1 Kenneth G. Zysk ; with a new introduction by the author. p. em. Originally published: Religious healing in the Veda. Philadelphia, Pa.: Amer- ican Philosophical Society, 1985, in series: Transactions of the American Philosophical Society ; v. 75, pt. 7 (1985). · Includes bibliographical references (p. ) and indexes. ISBN 1-56ooo-076-7 (cloth) 1. Medicine, Ayurvedic. 2. Vedas. 3. Healing-India-Religious aspects. I. Title. R127.2Z997 1992 615.5'3-dc20 92-20088 CIP ISBN 13:978-1-56000-076-1 (hbk) To my mother and my father, Madelein and Stanley Zysk Dl RLCE:'\TLY-E\CA\~TLD SITL / {..._ j \ ·- ·- .- -- - 1,. . I j ' -, f(. Map of India CONTENTS Introduction to the Transaction Edition . ix Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . xiv List of Translated and Annotated Hymns . xix List of Ritual Verses Rendered XX List of Illustrations . . . . . . . . . . .. xxiii Errata ............... . . .. xxiv Introduction to the Original Edition 1 I. INTERNAL DISEASES A. Internal Diseases related to ytik~ma andjor takmtin Chapter 1 ytik~ma (Consumption; Tuberculosis) . . . . . . . 12 Chapter 2 jiiyanya . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Chapter 3 k~etriyti . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Chapter 4 rtipas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Chapter 5 hrddyotti (hrdrogti) (Chest-pain; Angina pectoris?), harimtin Oaundice) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Chapter 6 balasa (Swelling) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Chapter 7 takmtin (Fevers; Malaria, etc.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Chapter 8 kasii (kas) (Cough) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45 Chapter 9 The General Removal of Internal Diseases Re- lated to ytik~ma and takmtin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 B. Internal Diseases not closely related to ytik~ma and/or takmtin Chapter 10 timfvii . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49 Chapter 11 v{~kandha-sti'!lskandha (Tetanus?) . . . . . . . . . . . 54 Chapter 12 Ascites . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59 Chapter 13 Insanity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 Chapter 14 kr{mi (Worms) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64 Chapter 15 Urine-Retention (and Constipation) . . . . . . . . . 70 II. EXTERNAL DISEASES Chapter 16 Broken Limbs and Flesh Wounds . . . . . . . . . . 72 Broken Bones, Fractures and Wounds . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72 Flesh Wounds Characterized by Bleeding . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75 Chapter 17 Blood-Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Chapter 18 Skin Disorders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81 kilasa (Discoloration of the Skin; Leukoderma) . . . . . . . . . 81 apadts (Rash with Pustules) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 82 Hair-Loss . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86 vii viii RELIGIOUS MEDICINE III. MEDICINES Chapter 19 Water (tip) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90 Chapter 20 jala~ti, Rudra's Medicine against Rudra's Disease 93 Chapter 21 Simples . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96 Textual Annotations ...................................... 103 Appendix I: Sanskrit Names of Plants with Botanical Equivalents 257 Appendix II: Bibliographical Essay .......................... 261 Specialized Bibliography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277 Indices Index of Sanskrit Text-Places . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 291 Index of Sanskrit Words . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300 General Index . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 308 INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSACTION EDITION S even years have passed since this book appeared with the title Religious Healing in the Veda, as part of the Transactions of the American Philosophical Society, vol. 75, part 7. The monograph received good, sometimes excellent, reviews, and is now out of print. On the whole, I was very pleased with the work, and especially with the beautiful text produced by the American Philosophical Society, which is here reproduced. My only regret is that it remains largely unknown by many who would find it interesting and important to their own work. Fortunately, this reprinted edition will now have an opportunity of coming to the notice of those who previously missed it and who might well fmd it useful and informative. Although my studies have moved me into later time frames and literary genres in order to fill in the gap between Vedic and classical ayurvedic medicine, and more recently even into the related tradition of Kima5astra, I have occasionally returned to the Veda when new ideas and insights arose. Anyone who has embarked upon a study ofthe Veda can testify that it is a vast and fascinating subject that constantly beckons one to plunge ever deeper into its texts in an attempt to unlock certain mysteries of the archaic mind. It is a lifelong pursuit in which I shall always be engaged, reading and rereading the enigmatic and often clever hymns of the .f.!.gveda and Atharvaveda. Although the fundamental aspects of what for lack of a better descrip- tion is called Vedic medicine are contained in the present monograph, there remain several points requiring further exploration. One important part of this healing tradition, only briefly mentioned in this work, is Vedic toxicology. Several hymns of the Atharvaveda and a few of the Q.gveda concern themselves with poisoning, usually caused by animals, and with the remedies for it. It is almost certain that India's long and renowned tradition of toxicology derives from a basic knowledge of poisons and poisonous animals found in the Veda. I have collected and examined the relevant hymns and passages from the early texts and hope to publish the results of my study in the near future. My subsequent research and investigation have taken me to time periods not covered by the material in this book and have provided certain fresh ideas and a radically different interpretation of the origins of the ayurvedic system of healing. It might therefore be useful to outline here the development of the Indian healing arts from Vedic medicine to classical ayurveda, based on my more recent studies. A distinctive part of Vedic medicine is its pharmacopoeia, especially its rich description and knowledge of the local flora. This botanical wisdom occurs largely in the hymns of theAtharvaveda and is connected to a tradition of healing plant goddesses. The hymns of the Q.gveda reveal less of a familiarity with indigenous plant life, and what is found there ix