Medical Wonders In Hindu Scriptures

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Medical Wonders In Hindu Scriptures

Author:

London Swaminathan

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https://www.pustaka.co.in/home/author/london-swaminathan

Table of Contents

Foreword

1. Origin of Ayurveda in Hindu Vedas- Miraculous Kustha Herb

2. Mysterious Medicinal Properties of the Soma Plant in Rig Veda

3. Golden sayings in Ayurveda Books

4. Important Ayurveda Dictums

5. The Story of Parijata Tree

6. Walking Stick in Charaka Samhita!

7. Tulsi Leaf is heavier than Lord Krishna!

8. Tamil Taste and Sanskrit Taste!

9. Qualities of a Doctor and a Quack!

10. Medicine Women and Medicine Men in Gatha Sapta Sati

11. Magic Medicine for Asthma!

12. Differences between Charaka and Susruta

13. Hundred and Seven Miracle Herbs in the Hindu Vedas

14. Ninety Six Diseases in Buddhist Works!

15. Eighty four kinds of Wine in Charaka Samhita

16. Use of Sesame Seeds and Water gives Severe Blow to Max Muller

17. Two Tree Wonders in Karnataka

18. Story of Screw pine (தாழம்பூ) flower and Bena Grass (வெட்டிவேர்)

19. New Stories about Tamarind Tree

20. Story of Banyan Tree in Hinduism

21. The Story of Fig Tree in Hinduism

22. The Story of Indian Gooseberry Tree in Hinduism

23. Cacti Plant worship in Hinduism

24. Coconut tree in Hinduism; Why do we break coconut in temples?

25. Interesting story about Balsam and Apamaarga Plant worship in Hinduism

26. More Information about Plants in Hinduism

27. More Information about Plants in Hinduism - 2

28. More Information about Plants in Hinduism - 3

29. Amazing Medical Information in Hindu Vedas!

30. Brain Surgery in Ancient India: Bhoja and Indus Valley

31. Miracles by the Blind & Oldest Organ Donation

32. AYURVEDA EXHIBITION IN LONDON

33. ANCIENT INDIAN PLASTIC SURGERY!

34. Herbs and Diseases in the Vedas

35.Sandal Wood in Hinduism - 1

36. Sandal Wood in Hinduism - 2

37. Bilva/Vilva Tree in Hinduism

38. Tulsi Plant in Hinduism

Foreword

This book Medical Wonders in Hindu Scriptures contains over 35 articles written over a period of ten years in my blogs. The book is dealing with Ayurveda, herbs and plants in Hinduism. Sacred plants like Bilva, Tulsi, Parijatha, Sandal etc are covered. Herbal references in the Vedas are also touched. Some titbits from Charaka and Susrutha Samhitas are also included. The Ayurvedic Exhibition held in London displayed the replicas of surgical instruments that were used by Sushruta two thousand years ago. I have added the pictures. Hindus not only did artificial nose surgery but also did brain surgery according to a research article and I have added the details. The book will be a guide for future research in the allied subjects. And the book will be an addition to my previous books on trees and herbs. All the books are available in Pustaka.co.in website.

London swaminathan

October 2024

Swami_48@yahoo.com

Swaminathan.santanam@gmail.com

1. Origin of Ayurveda in Hindu Vedas- Miraculous Kustha Herb

Post No. 10,459

Date – 18 DECEMBER 2021

Medicinal Herbs

Rig Veda, the oldest book in the world, dated between 4000 BCE and 2000 BCE is the source of Ayur veda (Life Science). Ayur Veda is the oldest medical system.

I wrote about 107 herbs in Rig Veda (RV) in 2013 (please see the link below); Rig Veda did not provide us the names of 107 herbs. But after studying Atharvana Veda (AV) now, I come to the conclusion that all the names are there in the AV. One has to compile all the names first and then identify them properly with the later works of Susruta and Charaka, dated around 600 BCE.

If you are a student of History and Archaeology, you can draw a very clear line in 850 BCE. Neither Greek nor Tamil had anything written in that period. Hebrew, Chinese, Persian had some materials in writing around that period, but not about medicines. Museum languages or Dead languages such as Babylonian, Sumerian have not much to give us in the filed of medicine.

The amazing thing about the Hindus is that they list over 30 body parts in one hymn. They list a number of diseases in one hymn. All these are dated before 1000 BCE. Not even Bible (old testament) appeared at that time. Hutchinson Encyclopedia date the oldest part of Old Testament around 980 BCE.

Quantitativesly and qualitatively, voluminous Vedic literature occupy a unique place. Atharvana Veda mentioned scores of herbs. Yajur Veda has lot of unidentified plant names! Around 200 things are ‘sacrificed’ in the Asvamedha Yagna (Horse Sacrifice). Many of the names in the list are not identified. So called scholars of Western world give fanciful meanings for many names. It is the duty of all practising Hindus and believers to sit together and categorise everything.

King of Herbs is Soma; Dharba grass and Soma are mentioned throughout the Four Vedas. All orthodox Brahmins use Dharbha grass in all rituals. In South India every brahmin house has it. So do Asvatta (Pipal or Peepul or Bodhi Tree; Ficus Religiosa); We find this name from Rig Veda to Atharva Veda. Brahmins use it as fire stick/ Samithu in daily fire rituals.

***

Dr Gauri Mahulikar has given a short list of herbs in his article Medicinal Herbs in Atharvaveda (page 277, Facets of Vedic Studies, Kaveri Books, New Delhi, Year 2000)

Here is the list (botanical names are not given)

1. Apaamaarga

2. Arundhati (also known as Silaaci, Rohini, Laksa)- AV. VI-59-2

3. Karira – AV V.23

4. Kustha – AV XIX-39

5. Guggulu – AV XIX -38

(see my research article on Guggulu; even Panini mentioned it in grammatical rules!)

6. Paathaa – AV II-27

7. Prsniparni – AV II-25, 7 (also VI-85)

8. Bhrngaraaja – AV VI-136

9. Sankhapuapi – AV VI-129, VI-139; VII-38

10. Sarsapa – AV. VIII-6

Though a lot of books have come out about Indian Medicinal Herbs, there are some drawbacks; Some mention only vernacular or Sanskrit names and not botanical names. Some mentioned only botanical/ Latin names but not Sanskrit names;

Same herb having several local names also add to confusion; a conference of scholars could solve most of these problems.

***

My Comments

I would like to draw the attention of scholars on the following points:-

RV 1-112 -10 and 1-116- 15 tell us that Asvins cured a lady named Vispalaa, who was injured in a battle. She lost her leg and Asvins fixed her an Iron leg. This anecdote is repeated in many more hymns. Thousands of years later we come across a Pandya getting a Golden hand (see my article on Por Kai Pandya- golden hand Pandya); Susruta lists lot of surgicaal instruments and fixing plastic nose.

***

Power of Kustha Plant (Costus root of Kashmir)

AV- Book 6- Hymn XCV/95- Sukta 268

HYMN XCV Scroll Up

A charm to remove disease

1.In the third heaven above us stands the Asvattha tree, the seat of Gods.

There the Gods gained the Kushtha plant, embodiment of endless life.

2 There moved through heaven a golden ship, a ship with cordage wrought of gold.

There Gods obtained the Kushtha plant, the flower of immortality.

Thou art the infant of the plants, the infant of the Snowy Hills:

The germ of every thing that is: free this my friend from his disease.

This hymn praised both Asvatta Tree annd Kustha plant

it is grown in snowy hills. The Golden ship is not explained by the commentators; but yet we see a positive, wealthy picture of Vedic period; third heaven is Svarga.

***

About this plant Kustha, Dr Gauri Mahulikar adds this information:-

This is born of mountain; it effaces takman/fever.

This is Flower of Immortality, reliever of head ache, eye diseases; it gives divine virility (equal to modern Viagra??)

It is regarded as the highest of herbs, as the tiger of beasts of prey.

It is an ‘all healing medicine’ (Visvabesaja).

It stands along with Soma (see AV-XIX. 39-5-8)

It is generally identified with Costus root of Kashmir; an imporatnt export in the spice trade.

It is considred equal to Soma of RV and Arndhati herb of AV.

This is used in other medical systems too.

Later medical works give this plant to several diseases.

Word Kushta means leprosy; so it is considered a treatment for leprosy as well.

Ointment of Kustha is recommended to women.

it is used as incense in the houses of new born babies. The aromatic smoke is believed to drive away all the evils. (Tamils used Aiyavi- white mustard smoke in the rooms of new mothers)

***

What is Costus?

Dolomiaea costus

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Family: Asteraceae

Genus: Dolomiaea

Species: D. costus

Dolomiaea costus

Dolomiaea costus,[3] formerly known as Saussurea costus, commonly known as costus, Indian costus, kuth, or putchuk,[4] is a species of thistle in the genus Dolomiaea native to South Asia and China. Rishi (Hindu) mystics of Kashmir especially ate this plant. Essential oils extracted from the root have been used in traditional medicine and in perfumes since ancient times.[5][6]

Costus is the root of this plant. The root of the plant is the key part used for medicinal or homeopathic purposes.[7] The root is also called by its Latin name radix aucklandiae (root of aucklandia).[8]

It has a large number of names in other languages, including kuṣṭha in Sanskrit; kust or qust in Arabic and Persian; kut, kur, and pachak in Hindi and Bengali, kostum, gostham, and potchuk in Tamil; upaleta and kur in Gujarati; kot or kust in Punjabi; changala in Telugu; sepuddy in Malayalam; kostha in Kannada; kuth or postkhai in Kashmiri; and kosht (קשט) in Hebrew; koto