Sambodhi 1998 Vol 21

Author(s): J B Shah, N M Kansara
Publisher: L D Indology Ahmedabad

Page 57

52
SUBHASH CHANDRA DASH
SAMBODHI
the benefit of the person who is in disease. So the natural forces like Sun, Air, Water are personified and invoked many a times. They are expected to bestow good health to the suffering person and this is recorded several times. For instance, it is mentioned that, water and plants are the universal remedies. In AV.VIII. 7, the poet-priest invokes to all magic and medicinal plants of different colours to protect a sick man. In the 3rd mantra it is said : the waters and the heavenly plants are the foremost among healers they have driven our from every limb your disease14. 2.0. Ways of Curing : Now let us discuss how water is applied or taken as a medicine. Generally, water is sprinkled or poured on the patient or given to him for drinking.
Kșetriya disease :
When there is ksetriya disease, the priest consecrates water with AV. II. 8.4 in a vessel and sprinkles it on the head of the patient. In another case, Av. III. 11, the medicine man sprinkles water upon the patient which is earlier consecrated with the mantra III. 11 and heated on fire in which forest sesamums, cow-dung or pacificatory plants are put's. Eye and ENT. diseases :
When somebody is suffering from disease of eye or ear or nose or throat, the medicine-man-priest sprinkles water from a water pot in which he has put the remnants of an offering, performed with AV. II.33 and Kausū. 27-28.
2.1. Infections : When a man is having infections, there is the prescription of sprinkling of water on him. In this water, the priest previously puts the powder of twenty-one roots of Uśīra, and remnants of the offering performed with AV. V. 23.13 and the water is also consecrated with AV. V. 23.13 by effects perfect cure in such cases.
Hair-fall : To stop hair-fall, the priest puts burning herbs of pacificatory (śānta) class grown upon another tree in to water and then consecrates the water with AV., VI. 21 and sprinkles it on the person who suffers from this defect16.
Hair-grow: For hair-grow the poet-priest heats sīrsa and nuts of Aksa (bibhitaka) then he consecrates them with AV. VI. 21 and puts them in water. Then he sprinkles the water on the person who wants to have hair-growth. This sprinkling should take place in the morning after all the stars have