Indian Antiquary Vol 40

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 45

JANUARY, 1911.]
CORRESPONDENCE.
mouth a distaste for everything, and yet again in the Sutrasthanam, Chap. 5, Charaka has a regular inventory of the advantage of smokingगौरव शिरसः पीनसानेको । कर्णाक्षिशूलं कासश्व हिक्काश्वासौ गलग्रहः ॥ दन्तशैर्च्चल्यमास्रावः स्रोतोघ्राणाक्षिदोषजः । विधानान्यथ दन्तशूलमरोचकः ॥ हनुमन्यामहः कण्डूः किमयः पाण्डुता मुखे । श्लेष्मप्रसेको वैस्वयै गलशुण्ड्युपजिह्विका || खालित्यं पिञ्जरत्वञ्च केशानां पतनस्तथा । agudara gaiñèrsfafegar 11 धूमपानात् प्रशाम्यन्ति बलं भवति चाधिक। शिरोरुहकपालानामिन्द्रियाणां स्वरस्य च ॥
चरक सूत्रस्थानम् ५ अः ।
Heaviness of the limbs, headache, inflammation of the schneiderian membrane (with loss of sense of smell), hemicrania, otalgia, opthalmalgia, cough, hiccough, asthma, hoarseness (of voice), weakness of the teeth, otorroea, discharge from the nose, discharge from the eyes, ozoena, foetid smell in the mouth, odontalgia anorexia, lock-jaw, stiff-neck, itching, worms, paleness of the face, mucous discharges, discordence of voice, enlarged tonsil, inflammation of the ranula, morbid baldness, reddish yellowness of the hair, falling of the hair, sneezing, sleepiness, dulness of the understanding, long sleep or coma,-all these relieved by inhalation of the smoke of tobacco. Such smoke also enhances the strength of the hair, the forehead, the senses, and the voice's
All the medical works above referred to are certainly pre-Muhammadan and certainly. before the sixteenth century. According to Dr. Hoernle's Studies in the Medicine of Ancient İndia, Charaka flourished between the first
39
century B.C. and the third century A.D. and Suśruta flourished as early as the sixth century B.C. The latter was the court physician of the celebrated Indo-Scythian' king, Kanishka. Vägbhata flourished early in the seventh century or about 625 A.D.
10
The habit of smoking seems to have been so wide-spread as to have been regarded by the authors of the Puranas as a national vice to be severely condemned. Thus we have in the Skanda-Purana, Mathura Khanda, Chap. 52, a long indictment against the practice of smoking
धूम्रपानेन भो प्रेताः प्रेतत्वञ्चैव जायते । कली 'तु कलिरूपं हि तमालमेव जायते ॥ घोरे कलियुगे प्राप्ते सर्व्वे वर्णाश्रमाः नराः । नरकेषु पतिष्यन्ति तमालस्य च पानतः ॥ उपासन्ते तमालं वै कलौ तु पुरुषाधमाः । aflagvar afheasta enderezi i अभक्ष्यभक्षणात् पापमगम्यागमनाच्च यत् । मद्यपानाच यत् पापं धूम्रपानस्य मात्रतः । स्कन्दपुराण, मथुराखण्ड, ५२ अः ।
'Smokers after death will be turned into ghosts. During the Kaliyuga, Kali himself will be incarnated as the tamala leaf. On the advent of the Kaliyuga all the castes will be cast into hell on smoking tobacco. The worst type of men will fall victims to tobacco. Thus, losing their dharma, they will fall into the Maharaurava hell. The eating of forbidden food, illicit intercourse with women, the drinking of wine and the smoking of tobacco cause the same amount of sin'.
As to the antiquity of the Skanda-Purana Mr. V. A. Smith has the following note in his
For those who desire to know the Sanskrit names of the diseases mentioned here, but from want of acquaintance with Sanskrit, are disinclined to consult the original, the Sanskrit names are given below in the order in which their English equivalents occur - Gaurava, Çirabçüla, Pinas, Arddhavabhedaka. Karpaçūla, Akshiçüla, Kasa, Hikka, Cväsa, Galagraha (in verse 19), Dantadaurbalya, Çrota-asrava, Ghräpasrava, Akshisrava, Pütighrana, Asyagandha, Dantaçula, Aroohaka (in verse 20), Hanugraha, Manyagraha, Kandu, Krimi, Mukhapaṇḍuta, Çleshmapraseka, Vaiavaryya, Galaśundi, Upajihvika (in verse 21), Keçakhalitya, Keçapiñjaratva, Kecapatana, davathu, Tandra, Buddhimoha, Atinidrata.
Viie Mr. V. A. Smith, Early History of India, pp. 225-6; Dr. Fleet, in J. R. A. 8., 1906, p, 979 f.; Mr. D. R. Bhandarkar, in J., Bombay Branch R. 4. 8., Vol. xx., p. 259 ff.
5 Hoernle's Medicine of Ancient India, Part 1, 1907, p. 8, 106. Hoernle, Medicine of Ancient India, Part 1, 1907, p. 11.