The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c8.156

c8.156

We may also remark that the *dāsī*, literally the “woman-slave”, is the woman belonging to stranger people, hostile to the Vedic society and that the Mujavants are particularly despised. The Merchant of soma, who brings the plant from the mount Mujavant, is a being who is chased away by being beaten with batons, once the soma has been delivered.² It is, therefore, natural that in Vedic ideas, fever is sought to be discharged on such persons. The word *takmán*, for its formation, is attached either to the roots *tañc* or *tak*. The former denotes “to contract, to coagulate” and is found only in the texts on grammar; it is, however, represented in usage by the forms *ātañcana*, “that which makes the milk curdle”, *abhyātañc*, “curdling for another”, *upātaṅkya* (that which makes the milk curdle). It is difficult to see the possibility of the semantic passage. *Takmán* shows itself as an agent-name and a word denoting “Coagulator” is not well-suited for designating fever. On the other hand, *takmán* could, more probably, be derived from *tak*, which indicates a rapid movement, the passage in the sense of “provoking a dash” in one “which causes a fit.” This will explain that the word has been used to denote fever.³ Although this etymology is plausible, one may as well ask if it is not a loan-word. In fact, it can be observed that the *Atharvaveda*, (V-22—we have summarised its contents above) declares: “The Mujavants are its abode, the Mahāvṛṣas are its abode; from the moment of your birth, O