The Compendium of Caraka 2.7

English (machine translation) 2.7

Language: English

2.7.1

Now we shall explain the nidāna of insanity.

2.7.3

Here, indeed, there are five kinds of insanity; namely: those caused by vāta, pitta, kapha, a combination of all three, and exogenous causes.

Among these, the four kinds caused by doshas arise quickly in men of the following sort: namely, those who are timid, whose minds are afflicted, whose doshas are elevated, who consume food articles that are impure, abnormal, infected, and unwholesome, with improper dietary rules, who also practice medical regimens erratically, who engage in other improper bodily activities, whose bodies are exceedingly emaciated, who are agitated by the onset of disease, or whose minds are damaged by desire, anger, greed, joy, fear, delusion, exhaustion, grief, anxiety, agitation, and the like, or who are repeatedly afflicted by trauma—when the mind is damaged and the intellect is shaken, the doshas, having surged and become provoked, approach the heart, obstruct the channels that carry the mind, and produce insanity.

2.7.5

Insanity, moreover, should be known as a wandering of the mind, intellect, consciousness, knowledge, memory, devotion, temperament, activity, and conduct.

2.7.6

Its premonitory symptoms are these; namely: emptiness of the head, cloudiness of the eyes, ringing in the ears, excess of deep respiration, salivation from the mouth, lack of desire for food, anorexia, indigestion, feeling of constriction in the heart, meditation, fatigue, delusion, and agitation at improper occasions, constant goosebumps, frequent fever, distracted state of mind, hives, development of the symptoms of facial paralysis as an affliction, and in dreams frequent seeing of wandering, moving, unstable, and inauspicious forms, ascending an oil-press wheel, being churned by whirlwinds, plunging into an eddy of turbid water, and rolling back of the eyes: these are the premonitory symptoms of the insanities caused by doshas.

2.7.71

Immediately after this, indeed, the insanity manifests. In that regard, this is the diagnosis of its particular types; namely: continuous roaming about; sudden twitching of the eyes, eyebrows, lips, shoulders, jaws, forearms, hands, feet, and limbs; constant uttering of disconnected words; foaming at the mouth; frequent smiling, laughing, dancing, singing, and playing musical instruments at improper times; imitating the sounds of the vīṇā, flute, conch, cymbals, and clap out of tune; riding on non-vehicles; adorning oneself with non-ornamental items; greed for foodstuffs when they are not obtained, and contempt and intense envy when they are obtained; emaciation; roughness; protruding, reddish eyes; and non-suitability resulting from the reverse of what is suitable for vāta. These are the symptoms of vāta-insanity.

2.7.7

Impatience, anger, and agitation at improper times; striking oneself or others with weapons, clods of earth, whips, sticks, and fists; running about; craving for deep shade, cold water, and food; excessive burning heat; coppery, greenish, yellowish, and agitated eyes; and non-suitability resulting from the reverse of what is suitable for pitta. These are the symptoms of pitta-insanity.

2.7.7_2

Staying in one place, silence, walking about very little, running of saliva and nasal discharge, lack of desire for food, love of solitude, repulsive state, hatred of cleanliness, constant sleeping, swelling in the face, eyes that are white, fixed, and smeared with dirt, and non-suitability resulting from the reverse of what is suitable for kapha. These are the symptoms of kapha-insanity.

2.7.7_3

When there is a combination of the symptoms of all three doshas, however, one should know it as born of all three doshas. Skilled physicians declare that to be incurable.

2.7.8

The cures for the three curable ones, however, are: oleation, sudation, emesis, purgation, non-unctuous enema, unctuous enema, pacification therapies, errhines, medicinal smoke, fumigation, collyrium, nasal drops, insufflation, oil-massage, poultices, affusion, ointments, beating, binding, confinement, frightening, surprising, inducing forgetfulness, reducing therapy, and venesection; the proper regimen of diet appropriately adjusted according to each; and whatever other treatment is contrary to the etiology should also be employed.

2.7.9

And here it is said: / The best physician should cure the curable insanities born of the doshas / by means of this treatment endowed with the prescribed procedure that has been proclaimed.

2.7.10

That insanity, however, which is characterized by a distinctive origin, premonitory symptom, symptom, pain, and therapeutic suitability distinct from those caused by doshas, is declared to be exogenous. Some, moreover, consider deeds performed in a past life that are blameworthy to be its etiology. And its cause is intellectual blasphemy alone, so says the venerable Punarvasu Ātreya. For out of intellectual blasphemy, this person, having shown disrespect to the gods, ṛṣis, pitṛs, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, piśācas, gurus, elders, siddhas, ācāryas, and venerable persons, commits unwholesome deeds, or undertakes some other blameworthy action of such kind; striking down that person who has already struck himself down, the gods and others make him insane.

2.7.11

In that regard, these are the premonitory symptoms of one who is confronted by exogenous insanity caused by the wrath of the gods and others; namely: a taste for harming gods, cows, brāhmaṇas, and ascetics; irritability; cruel intentions; discontent; impairment of vital vigor, complexion, radiance, strength, and body; and in dreams, threatening and incitement by gods and others; immediately after that, the insanity manifests.

2.7.12

In that regard, this is the particular manner of onset of the spirits that produce insanity when they are about to drive one insane; namely: the gods cause insanity by gazing, gurus, elders, siddhas, and great sages by cursing, the pitṛs by showing themselves, the gandharvas by touching, the yakṣas by entering into, the rākṣasas by making one smell their own odor, and the piśācas by mounting and riding.

2.7.13

Its symptoms are these; namely: superhuman strength, virility, prowess, courage, comprehension, retention, memory, knowledge, speech, and understanding; and an irregular time of insanity.

2.7.14

Moreover, men become vulnerable to assault by gods, sages, pitṛs, gandharvas, yakṣas, rākṣasas, or piśācas, or by gurus, elders, and siddhas who intend to drive them insane, on these occasions; namely: at the commencement of a sinful act; at the time of fruition of an act done in a past life; living alone in a deserted house; standing at a crossroads; being impure at twilight; engaging in sexual intercourse during the joints of the lunar phases; approaching a menstruating woman; reciting, offering oblations, performing auspicious rites, or making burnt offerings improperly; breaching observances, vows, or celibacy; during a great battle; during the ruin of a country, family, or city; during an eclipse by a great planet; at the time of a woman giving birth; touching unclean things belonging to various spirits; during emesis, purgation, or bleeding; entering a caitya or temple while unclean or impure; remaining smeared with remnants of meat, honey, sesame, jaggery, or alcohol; being naked; walking at night in a city, market town, crossroads, park, cremation ground, or place of execution; assailing brāhmaṇas, gurus, gods, ascetics, or those worthy of reverence; transgression of moral discourses; or at the commencement of any other unwholesome act—in this way the times of assault are explained.

2.7.15

The spirits that produce insanity have three kinds of motives in causing insanity; namely: violence, pleasure, and worship. One should recognize their specific motive by the specific signs of the insane person’s behavior. In that regard, one who is driven insane by a spirit seeking violence enters fire, drowns in water, falls from a cliff into an abyss, strikes himself with weapons, whips, sticks, stones, or fists, or undertakes some other act to destroy his own life—one should know him to be incurable. The other two, however, are curable.

2.7.16

The treatments for these two are: incantations, herbal remedies, gems, auspicious rites, offerings, gifts, burnt offerings, observances, vows, expiations, fasts, blessings, prostrations, pilgrimages, and the like.

2.7.17

Thus these five kinds of insanity have been explained.

2.7.18

Though being five, they are divided into only two by the distinction of innate and exogenous, and by the distinction of curable and incurable. And these two sometimes combine with one another due to the combination of their aforesaid causes. In their case, the premonitory symptom is indeed combined, and the symptom is combined as well. In that regard, one should know a combination of incurable types or a combination of curable and incurable types to be incurable; but a combination of curable types is curable. Its treatment should be understood as a combination of treatments.

Commentaries (1)

Jalpakalpataru — Gaṅgādhara Kaviratna 1860, Sanskrit

Linked texts (1)

Carakasaṃhitā — Agniveśa (Āyurveda) & Caraka, Sanskrit