Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c7.s4.t12: § 84. The Non-medical Version in the Institutes of Vishnu

Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c7.s4.t12

Language: English

§ 84. The Non-medical Version in the Institutes of Vishnu

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The recension of the Non-medical Version in the Institutes of Vishnu is edited from the following sources:

1. ASB¹ = Asiatic Society of Bengal, MS. No. II A 10.
2. ASB² = ,, ,, ,, MS. No. II A 11.
3. ASB³ = ,, ,, ,, MS. No. I B 25.
4. C¹ = Calcutta, Sanskrit College, MS. No. 5.
5. C² = ,, ,, ,, MS. No. 62.
6. D¹ = Deccan College, MS. No. 19.
7. D² = ,, ,, MS. No. 20.
8. D³ = ,, ,, MS. No. 155.
9. E¹ = Elphinstone College, Bombay, MS. No. 162.
10. E² = ,, ,, ,, MS. No. 174.
11. IO¹ = India Office, MS. No. 200.
12. IO² = ,, ,, MS. No. 540.
13. IO³ = ,, ,, MS. No. 913.
14. IO⁴ = ,, ,, MS. No. 915.
15. IO⁵ = ,, ,, MS. No. 1545.
16. IO⁶ = ,, ,, MS. No. 1247.
17. M = Madras, Oriental Library, MS. No. 87.
18. Y = Professor Jolly’s Edition, pp. 196, 197.

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It runs as follows:

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55 | Asthnāṁ tribhiḥ śataiḥ ṣaṣṭy-adhikair-dharyamāṇam | 56 | teṣāṁ vibhāgaḥ | 57 sūkṣmaiḥ saha catuḥṣaṣṭir-daśanāḥ | 58 | viṁśatir-nakhāḥ | 59 |¹ pāṇi-pāda-śalākāś-ca | 60 | ṣaṣṭir-aṅgulīnāṁ parvāṇi | 61 | dve pārṣṇyoḥ | 62 | catuṣṭayaṁ gulpheṣu | 63 | catvāry-aratnyoḥ | 64 | catvāry-jaṅghayoḥ | 65 | dve dve jānu-kapolayoḥ ² | 66 |¹ ūrv-aṁsayoḥ | 67 | akṣa-tālūṣaka-śroṇiphalakeṣu | 68³ | bhag-āsthy-ekam | 69 | pṛṣṭh-asthi pañcacatvāriṁśad-bhāgam

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¹ C¹ IO³ read No. 59, dvau bāhūḍaka (or ṭaka) -dvayam; IO² M, dve bāhū dve prabāhū ūru-dvayam. Also all four omit No. 66. ASB¹ also omits No. 66, though it has No. 59.

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² IO² kapālayoḥ.

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³ C¹ IO².³ read No. 68 evaṁ adhaḥ; E¹ reads bhagākhekaṁ pṛṣṭhākhekam.

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| 70 | pañcadaśāsthīni grīvā | 71 | jatrv=ekam | 72 | tathā hanuḥ | 73 | tan-mūle ca dve | 74 | dve lalāṭ-ākṣi-gaṇḍe | 75 | nāsā ghana-asthikā | 76 | arbudaiḥ sthalakaiś=ca sārdham dvāsaptatiḥ pārśvakāḥ | 77 | uraḥ saptadaśa | 78 | dvau śaṅkhakau | 79 | catvāri kapālāni śirasaś=ceti ||

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| 55 | The body is sustained by three hundred and sixty bones. | 56 | Their detail is as follows. | 57 | Together with the minute (sockets) there are sixty-four teeth (daśana). | 58 | The nails number twenty. | 59 | So also the long bones of the hands and feet (number twenty). | 60 | In the digits there are sixty joints. | 61 | There are two bones in the two heels; | 62 | Four, in the ankles; | 63 | Four, in the two forearms; | 64 | Four, in the two legs; | 65 | Two each, in the knees and elbows; | 66 | And in the thighs and shoulders; | 67 | And in the collar-bones, palate, and hip-blades. | 68 | There is one pubic bone. | 69 | The backbone consists of forty-five parts. | 70 | The neck has fifteen bones. | 71 | The windpipe has one bone; | 72 | So also the chin. | 73 | Its bases number two. | 74 | So do the brows, eyes, and cheeks. | 75 | The nose consists of the ghana-bone. | 76 | Together with the tubercles and sockets the ribs number seventy-two. | 77 | The breast has seventeen bones. | 78 | There are two temples. | 79 | And there are four pan-shaped bones in the cranium.

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§ 85. The Commentary of Nanda Paṇḍita

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The commentary of Nanda Paṇḍita, called *Vaijayantī*, is edited from the following manuscripts:
1. ASB³ = Asiatic Society of Bengal, No. I B 25.
2. C² = Calcutta Sanskrit College, No. 62.
3. E² = Elphinstone College, Bombay, No. 174.

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¹ ASB¹⁻³ jānv=ekam ; C¹ jānukam ; IO³ jatrukam.

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² C¹ lalāṭākṣiṇī mate ; IO² lalakṣitāṇigate ; IO³ lalāṭākṣiṇīgate ; M lalakṣiyaṇigate.

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³ ASB³ nāsā sthānasthikā ; C¹ nāsāyām=asthikā ; IO² nāsā gramasthikā ; IO³ nāsā vāmasthikā ; M nāsā gnamasthikā.

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⁴ C¹ etakāḍakyaḥ ; IO² M kā uraḥ ; IO³ eḍakāḍakyaḥ.

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4. IO¹ = India Office, No. 200.
5. IO⁴ = ,, ,, No. 915.
6. IO⁵ = ,, ,, No. 1545.

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It runs as follows:

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[55] Aṅga-pratyaṅga-saṃsthitānāṃ sthūla-sūkṣmāṇām=asthīnāṃ trīṇi śatāni ṣaṣṭiś=ca saṃkhyā | taiḥ śarīraṃ dhāryate | nanv=anyāny=apy=agre gaṇanīyāni, tat=katham=iyaṃ saṃkhyā, ity=atra āha ||

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[56] vakṣyamāṇo vibhāgas=teṣām=eva avadheyo nātiriktānām ||

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[57] Sūkṣmāṇi danta-mūla-bhūtāny=asthīni sthāl-ākhyāni dvātriṃśat | tavanta eva tad-utpannā dantās=taiḥ saha catuḥṣaṣṭir=bhavanti | sthalaiḥ saha catuḥṣaṣṭir=dantā iti Yogi-smaraṇāt ||

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[58] hasta-pāda-sthā nakhā viṃśatiḥ ||

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[59] kara-pādayoḥ pṛṣṭhe śalāk-ākārāny=aṅguli-mūla-bhūtāni viṃśatir=eva asthīni ||

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[60] pratyekaṃ viṃśaty=aṅgulīnāṃ trīṇi trīṇi parvāṇi | ity=evaṃ ṣaṣṭiḥ parv-āsthīni ||

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[61] pārṣṇiḥ pāṇi-pāda-paścādbhāgas=tayor=asthinī dve ||

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[62] gulphau ghuṭike, jaṅghā-pāda-granthitau ca | pratyekaṃ pādayor=dvau dvāv=ity=evaṃ catvāro gulphās=teṣu catvāry=asthīni ||

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[63] aratnir=aratnimān bāhus=tatra pratyekaṃ dve dve ity=evaṃ catvāri ||

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[64] jaṅghā jaṅghāvān pādah | tayoḥ pratyekaṃ dve dve ity=evaṃ catvāri ||

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[65] jaṅgh-oru-sandhir=jānuḥ | kapolo gaṇḍas=tayoḥ pratyekaṃ dve dve ity=evaṃ catvāri ||

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[66] ūrū sakthinī | aṃsau bhuja-śirasī | tayoḥ pratyekaṃ dve dve ity=evaṃ catvāri ||

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[67] akṣaḥ karṇa-netrayor=madhya-bhavaḥ śaṅkh-ādhobhāgaḥ | tālūsakaṃ kākudam | śroṇiphalakaṃ kaṭiḥ | eteṣu triṣv=api pratyekaṃ dve dve ity=evaṃ ṣaṭ ||

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[68] bhaga upasthas=tatr=aikam=asthi ||

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[69] pṛṣṭha-āsthi pṛṣṭha-vaṃśo 'pi pañcacatvāriṃśad-asthikaḥ ||

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[70] grīvā śiro-dharā | tasyāṃ pañcadaś=āsthīni ||

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[71] vakṣo-'ṃsayoḥ sandhir=jatru | tayoḥ pratyekam=ekaikam=evaṃ dve jatruṇī || [72] hanuś=cibukam | tatr=aikam=asthi || [73] tasyā hanor=mūla-bhūte dve asthinī || [74] lalāṭaṃ bhālam | akṣi cakṣuḥ | gaṇḍaḥ kapol-ākṣayor=madhya-bhāgas=teṣāṃ samāhāro lalāṭ-ākṣi-gaṇḍam | tatra pratyekaṃ dve dve asthinī ity=evaṃ ṣaṭ || [75] nāsā nāsikā | sā ca ghana-saṃjñ=aik-āsthimatī || [76] pārśvakāḥ vaṅkrayaḥ | pratyekaṃ pārśvayos=trayodaśa trayodaśa iti ṣaḍviṃśatiḥ | tāsāṃ vakṣasi sandhy-asthīny=arbudāny=ubhayato dāśa dāśa iti viṃśatiḥ | saṇṇāṃ pārśvakāṇāṃ paraspar-ādhāratayā ev=āvasthānena=arbud-ānapekṣatvāt | tāsām=eva pṛṣṭhataḥ sandhy-asthīnī sthālakā ubhayatas=trayodaśa iti ṣaḍviṃśatir=ity=evaṃ sthālak-ārbuda-saṃhitāḥ pārśvakā dvisaptatiḥ || [77] uro vakṣas=tat=saptadaś-āsthikam || [78] bhrū-karṇayor=antarvartinī asthinī śaṅkhakau dvau || [79] śirasaś=catvāri kapālāni | ca-kāraḥ samuccitānām=ukta-saṃkhyā-pūrakatva-dyotan-ārthaḥ | iti vibhāga-samāsau ||

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*Translation.*

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[55] The number of the bones, large and minute, which constitute the major and minor limbs, is three hundred and sixty. They uphold the body. In the following clauses the author shows how they are to be counted.

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[56] The details given below refer to them only, and not to any others.

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[57] The minute bones (*sūkṣma*) which form the bases of the teeth, and which are called sockets (*sthāla*), number thirty-two. The teeth (*danta*), set in them, number as many. Both together number sixty-four. ‘Together with the sockets the teeth number sixty-four’—such is the traditional teaching of the Yogin¹ (see § 77).

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¹ Yogin is one of the names of Yājñavalkya.

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[58] The nails (*nakha*), set in the hands and feet, number twenty.

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[59] The pencil-like (*śalākā*) bones in the back of the hands and feet, which form the bases of the digits, number twenty.

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[60] In each of the twenty digits (*aṅguli*) there are three joints; thus we have sixty joint-bones.

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[61] The heel (*pārṣṇi*) is the posterior portion of the hands and feet. Their bones number two.

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[62] *Gulpha* signifies the two ankles which knit together the leg and the foot. In each foot there are two of these. Thus there are four ankles, and in them there are four bones.

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[63] *Aratni* signifies the whole arm (*bāhu*) or upper limb, inclusive of the forearm. In each of these there are two bones; hence there are altogether four bones.

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[64] *Jaṅghā* signifies the whole foot (*pāda*), or lower limb. In each of these there are two bones; hence there are altogether four bones.

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[65] The knee (*jānu*) is the joint of the leg and thigh. *Kapola* signifies the cheek. In each there are two bones. Hence there are altogether four bones.

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[66] *Ūru* signifies the thigh; the shoulder (*aṃsa*) is the head of the arm. In each of these there are two bones. Hence there are altogether four bones.

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[67] *Akṣa* signifies the lower portion of the temples, situated between the ear and the eye. *Tālūṣaka* signifies the hard palate, and *śroṇiphalaka*, the hip. In each of these three there are two bones. Hence there are altogether six bones.

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[68] *Bhaga* signifies the generative organ. In this there is one bone.

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[69] The back (*pṛṣṭha*) or vertebral column is composed of forty-five bones.

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[70] The neck (*grīvā*) is the organ which supports the head. In it there are fifteen bones.

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[71] *Jatru* signifies the junction of the breast and the shoulder. In either of the two (junctions) there is one bone. Hence there are two *jatru*, or collar-bones.

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[72] *Hanu* signifies the chin. In it there is one bone.

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[73] At the base of the chin (*hanu-mūla*) there are two bones.

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[74] *Lalāṭa* signifies the forehead or brow; *akṣi*, the eye; and *gaṇḍa*, the part intermediate between the cheek and the eye. Their combination is expressed by the compound term *lalāṭ-*.

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*aksi-gaṇḍa*. In each of them there are two bones. Hence there are altogether six bones.

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[75] *Nāsā* signifies the nose. It is also termed the *ghana*-bone, and it contains one bone.

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[76] *Pārśvaka* signifies the ribs. On either of the two sides of the body there are thirteen ribs, that is, altogether twenty-six. On either side are ten *arbuda*, or bones which join them to the breast-bone, that is, altogether twenty. As to six ribs, they mutually support one another without any reference to any *arbuda*. On either side, also, there are thirteen *sthālaka*, or bones which connect the ribs with the back-bone, that is, altogether twenty-six. In this way, the ribs, together with the *sthālaka* and *arbuda*, number seventy-two.

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[77] *Uras* signifies the breast; that consists of seventeen bones.

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[78] The temples (*śaṅkhaka*), or the bones which are situated between the eyebrows and the ears, number two.

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[79] In the cranium there are four pan-shaped (*kapāla*) bones. The object of the word 'and' is to make clear that the bones, when added together, make up the total number (360) previously stated. Thus the bones have now been stated both in detail and in the aggregate.

Cites (2)

Vaiṣṇava Dharmaśāstra — Viṣṇu, Sanskrit
Yājñavalkyasmṛti — Yājñavalkya, Sanskrit