The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c8.190

c8.190

Generally the verse has been interpreted a little differently. Mr. Reinhold Müller, latest of all (*Asia Major*, Vol. VI, p.343) understands the term just translated by us as "one who is about to descend" as denoting "hurrying itself" (*eilenden*) because the root *pat*, from where the term of the text *patáyantam* is derived, denotes "to fly" (in the Ṛgveda). But right from the *Atharvaveda* itself, *pat* takes the sense of "to fall" (hence the translation given)¹ and the present hymn can be considered as belonging to an epoch neighbouring that of the *Atharvanic* incantations of the same type. It is true that, in the *Atharvaveda*, *patay* continues, as a general rule, to denote "to fly". But since the sense of a Vedic word can be determined essentially according to the conformity with the context and the accord with later tradition, it should be possible to admit that the meaning of "to fall down" is already attested in the Ṛgveda (our hymn), because it is the only plausible meaning. "To fly" in the literal sense, would be absurd. "To hurry" or "to precipitate" are secondary senses in the same way as "to fall down" and cannot be preferred to the latter. Moreover, regardless of the understanding that the foetus is descending or that it is hurrying, it should be recognised that, in the two cases, an allusion is made to the first period of parturition. It is, therefore, righ that we have