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Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c6.s1.t3: § 6. Ancient Corruptions

Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c6.s1.t3

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§ 6. Ancient Corruptions

c6.s1.t3.1

There is a further point in which the traditionally transmitted form of the Medical Version of Charaka is almost certainly corrupted. No. 16 *a*, two shoulders (*aṃsa*), is evidently superfluous. By the side of No. 16 *b*, two shoulder-blades (*aṃsa-phalaka*), and No. 17, two collar-bones (*akṣaka*), there is no room left for any ‘shoulders’ (see § 56). The repetition of a word is not at all an uncommon clerical error. Thus the Tübingen MS., No. 458, reads *bāhu*, arms, and *ūru*, thighs, in addition to No. 15, *bāhu-nalaka*, hollow bones of the arms, and No. 14, *ūru-nalaka*, hollow bones of the thighs. Similarly the Deccan College MS., No. 368, and the Bheḍa MS. repeat *ūru* by the side of *ūru-nalaka*; likewise the Alwar Palace MS. and one of the Śāradā MSS. repeat *bāhu* by the side of *bāhu-nalaka*; see the critical notes in § 72. In these cases, there cannot be the smallest doubt that we are simply confronted by clerical errors. But by parity of reasoning, it is as good as certain that in No. 16 *a*, *aṃsa*, shoulder, we have a very ancient false repetition, due to the immediately following No. 16 *b*, *aṃsa-phalaka*, shoulder-blade, which, probably owing to its adoption in the system of Vāgbhaṭa I (§ 38, cl. 2), succeeded in establishing itself permanently in all MSS. In confirmation it may be noted that in the parallel Non-medical Version of the Law-book of Yājñavalkya, the item *aṃsa* is actually omitted (§§ 16 and 17).¹ The omission of No. 16 *a*, *aṃsa*, shoulder, of course, renders the total of 360 short by 2 (viz. 358); but, on the other hand, the probability is that in No. 9 the correct reading should be four wrist-bones (*maṇika*) instead of two. For, as a matter of fact, as will be shown in the sequel (§ 52, cf. pp. 30, 49, 50, 63), there are four wrist-bones, homologous to the four ankle-bones.

c6.s1.t3.2

¹ The omission, here suggested, is also confirmed by the osteological summary which is given in the hymn of the Atharva Veda, see § 43, cl. 6.

c6.s1.t3.3

Another instance of a similar ancient false repetition we have in No. 13, *kapālikā*, elbow-pan, where now all MSS. read *jānu-kapālikā*, falsely duplicating the preceding No. 12, *jānu*, kneecap. Here, again, it may be noted that the parallel Non-medical Version does not exhibit the duplication of jānu. It has simply No. 12, jānu, knee-cap, and No. 13, kapola, elbow-pan, the latter being really a false reading for kapāla (§ 53).

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