On Two Medical Verses In Yuktidipika

SR No.: 269652
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: A Wezler
Publisher: A Wezler
Total Pages: 11
Language: English
Classification: Article
File Size: 2 MB

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Journal of the European Ayurvedic Society I (1990)
A. Wezler. On Two Medical Verses in the Yuklipika
135
the idea normally connected with the word when used in the meaning of food, but on the other hand it cannot be disputed that the interpretation offered by Jayaditya is equally possible in terms of Sanskrit word formation.
The next question which arises is whether or not ahdra - a yate is semantically identical with food' as defined c.g. in The New Penguin English Dictionary: (minerals, vitamins, etc. together with) material consisting essentially of protein, carbo-hydrate, and fat taken into the body of a living organism and used to provide energy and sustain processes (eg growth and repair) essential for life'. In this connection it is important to take note of a remark found in the Sabdastomamahanidhi. viz. nidhdraf cayelvditi smpiau jalapdne py aharafabdah, according to which the word ahara is also used with reference to the drinking of water, and the sloka pada quoted as an example - albeit from a text which I was not able to identify-contains a compound which indeed bears witness to this assertion, for nirahdra can only mean one whose thdra consists of water (only) and thus quite clearly demonstrates that water and other liquids can be subsumed under dhara.
This observation is confirmed c.g. by Sarvajnanarayana who in his commentary on the Manu verse referred to already above, viz. 5.105, explains ahdra by brahmasuva cala panddir dustajaladipdne, or by Ramacandra who (on the same versc) similarly equales dharah to jalapdnddir. In the light of this evidence food' seems to be too narrow a concept, a more correct equivalent being what is taken, i.c. received into one's body through the mouth.
3.1.2. The second expression to be examined, viz. vihara, is likewise used as an illustration in a grammatical work, or at least a grammatical context, viz. in a karika which
Kaundabhatta quotes in his Vaiyakaranabhūşanasara (on verse 46 of the mulu), qualifying it as a wrddhok and which reads thus:
upasargena dharvatho balad urtyara nyare
pralidráhärasarphdraviharapariharuvar The commentators obviously deemed this so clear that they unfortunately thought they could do without an explanation, and Kaundabhatja confines himself to demonstrating that this verse indeed supports the point he wants to make in discussing the various theories about pasargas and nipdtas. But this does not really matter; for, what the primary nouns pralara, ahdra, etc. are meant to illustrate is the semantic difference caused by the preverbs, therefore a commentator could only be expected to make clear this aspect, but not to discuss the various meanings each of these words has.
After all vihdra, in the verses from the YD. poses a problem in so far as none of the meanings listed in the dictionaries really seems to fit, cxcept perhaps for that of walking for pleasure or amusement, wandering, roaming: sport, play, pastime, diversion, enjoy ment, pleasure' (Monier Williams). However, this clearly calls for a critical examination, and in this regard it is certainly useful to look for explanations of vihara in commentaries of other works.
In as much as vihdra, too, can be used as a verbal noun, it is legitimate to take into account also another derivative, viz. viharana, which is attested in Särrkhyakarika 28 in an enumeration of the functions (vtt) of the five karmenriyas, i.e. faculties which serve action'. Since Isvarakosoa also follows the yathasankhya-principle, there cannot be the least doubt that viharana (no. 3 in karika 28cd) refers to pada (no. 3 in karika 26 cd), i.e. that it denotes the function of the feet. Now the author of the YD explains viharana as follows (p. 1041.2): visistam haranan viharanam atas ca yad eva samani samanimnonnatacankramanaparivartanandyavydydmddih sa indriyantho ndryuh. That is to say that the word denotes different kinds of what one does with one's feet, viz. walking circumambulating (?), dancing, doing physical exercises, etc, on the various kinds of ground. Hence the aspect of pleasure is not totally absent, but is quite evidently not dominant, being merely one among many others. A semantic development ce from walking to walking for pleasure, and even to enjoyment, pleasure is therefore
to say thaornatacarikramanade plus am haranayev
17 See also the passage quoted below on p.136 from Sankara's Glabhaya.
Harmondsworth 1986.
Note that this definition is also primarily based on (the) science (of medicine) and not on common understanding of what food is
In the Vaiyakaranabhosana the quotation is simply followed by all canyah in order to make clear that it is so also a verse of Kumarilabhalta's like the two quoted before it (which are taken from the Tamiravartika on MS 13.3), ASS editikoa Il 250).
(A Sanskrit Dictionary) compiled by Srl Taranatha Bhatjacarya, Varanasi 1967. It is quite remarkable tha Bhalfacaryl coalincs himself to adding Islaw to this quotation akhough, according to Prafulla Mitra's 'Memoir' (p.XII) heeg 'had the entire Mahabharata committed to memory which was so extraordinaryły retcntive that he could tell anybody offhand the contents of any Sanskrit book and particular pages there of wherein the subjects occurred.
It should be noted that the locative can, in a case like the prescalone, not be rendered by a the canine/case of
Ordrink of water, since jalapina need not be anomen actions. Not listed in the dictionaries (as far as I can see)
» Note the variant anyah prutiyale.
This remark holds good for the compilers of the K andarupamala ( 25 above) to, al Upodgbata p.IX.
CI. karmarthanindriyani karmendrini (YD 99.15) in contradistinction to budulher indriydi bud dhindrydni, 99.61.
Oa which soc H. Brinkhaus "Yathasarkhya und versus rapportati", Sall 7, 1981, 21-10
"Unless this latter meaning is derived from the elliptic use of whdra "passing wway the time lo any case it is important to take into account the barrower or wider coated in the Arthalara e thara always means "(place of recreation' (1.10.13, L19.142.133, 2.2.3, 5.1.23 and 28: 7.15 22; 12.5.47, 13.2.45) or "sportive) amusement, pleasure' (2.26.5, 33.21; 5.5.7, 13.5.8).
See also la 56 and in 81 below.
1 c. in this regard also the common translation 'eat' for verbs seeming rather to bean take ia' in modern Indian languages; seg RP Das, 'Dravidischer Einfluß bei der Bildung muindoarischer periphrastischer Passive? Sull 11/12, 1986, 151.