The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c8.75

c8.75

The denomination of rājayakṣma is explained by the Vedic legend which says that Soma, the Moon, the king of plants, of heavenly bodies and of the Brahmins, had been attacked by decay, wasting away. This legend is found in the Yajurveda (Taitt., II, 3, 5, 2; Maitr., II, 2, 7; Kāṭh., XI, 3). Prajāpati had given his daughters to the king Soma. The Taittirīya-saṃhitā states more precisely that they were thirty-three in number and others say that they were the nakṣatras. But Soma was interested only in Rohiṇī. Others left him and he was attacked by rājayakṣma.