Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c7.s4.t7: § 79. The Commentary of Aparārka

Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c7.s4.t7

Language: English

§ 79. The Commentary of Aparārka

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The commentary of Aparārka on the Non-medical Version, edited from the India Office MS., No. 3022, runs as follows:

[Verse 84.] ṣaḍ-aṅgāni ity-ādinā manuṣya-śarīram=eva nirūpayati | . . . . . | śiraḥ pāṇī pādau madhya-kāya iti ṣaḍ-aṅgāni | asthīni ca ṣaṣṭy-adhika-śata-traya-saṁkhyakāni manuṣya-śarīraṁ dhārayanti ||

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[Verse 85.] uktām=asthi-saṁkhyām=upapādayitum=āha | dantā dvātriṁśat | dvātriṁśad=eva teṣāṁ sthālā-saṁkhyāny=āyatanāsthīni | evaṁ sa-sthālā ¹ dantāś=catuḥṣaṣṭir=bhavanti | . . . . . | nakhāś=ca viṁśatiḥ | pāṇyoḥ pādayoś=cāṅguli-mūlāni śalākāḥ tās=ca viṁśatiḥ | tāsāṁ ca śalākānāṁ sthānam=asthi-catuṣṭayam | evam=aṣṭ-ottar-asthi-śatam ||

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¹ MS. sa-sthālāṁ.

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[Verse 86.] ekaikasyām=aṅgulyām=asthi-trayaṁ tataś=ca sarvāsām=aṅgulināṁ ṣaṣṭir=asthīni | pādayoḥ paścimau bhāgau pārṣṇī, tayor=asthi-dvayam | jaṅgha-pārṣṇyoḥ sandhi-pradeśatvaṁ tad-bahir-avasthitau ekatra pāde gulphau, tataś=ca pādayor=gulpheṣu catvāry=asthīni | aratnir=eva aratnikāḥ, yady-apy=aratni-śabdo bāhv-agraha eva vartate tath-āpy=atra asthi-catuṣṭaya-saṁkhyā-sampatty-arthaṁ prayujyamānaḥ, samagram=eva hastam=āha, evam=aratnik-āsthīni bhavanti | jaṅgha-śabdo ’pi tath=aiva samagra-pāda-vacano ² ’tra, tataś=ca jaṅghayor=api catvāry=eva asthīni | eṣāṁ catussaptatiḥ | pūrveṇa aṣṭ-ottara-śatena saha dvyaśītaṁ śatam || kiṁ ca ||

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² MS. pāde vacano.

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[Verse 87.] jānunī jaṅgh-oru-sandhī | kapolau gallau | ūrū sakthinī, te ca phalak-ākāre | aṁśau bāhu-mūle, tat-samudbhave | tathā akṣa-tālūṣake netra-prānt-āsthīnī | śroṇi-phalake jaṅghā-pṛṣṭha-madhya-deśau | praty-abhidhānaṁ dve dve asthinī | evaṁvidhayā saṁkhyayā saha caturnavaty-adhikaṁ śatam || kiṁ ca ||

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[Verse 88.] bhag-āsthi upasth-āsthy=ekam | pṛṣṭhe pañcacatvā-rimśat | grīvāyāṃ pañcadaśa | jatruṇi uro-’msayos=sandhāv=ekam | hanuś=cibukam, tad=apy=ek-āsthi | s=aiṣā triṣaṣṭiḥ | pūrvayā saṃ-khyayā saha śata-dvayaṃ saptapañcāśad-adhikam || kiṃ ca ||

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[Verse 89.] tan-mūle dve asthinī | tathā lalāṭ-āsthy=ekam | tath=ākṣayor=dve | gaṇḍayor=dve | kapol-ākṣi-madhya-pradeśau gaṇḍau | nāsā ghana-saṃjñaken=asthn=apy=uktā¹ veditavyā | tena tad=asthy=ekam || parśukā vaṅkrayaḥ, tāḥ sthalakair=arbuda-saṃjñakaiś=ca asthibhis=sārdhaṃ dvāsaptatiḥ | pūrvair=aṣṭabhiś=sārdham=aśītiḥ | pūrva-saṃkhyayā saha sapta-triṃśad-adhika-śata-trayam || kiṃ ca ||

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¹ MS. saṃjñakenāsthāpukra.

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[Verse 90.] bhrū-karṇa-madhya-pradeśau śaṅkhau | asthīni śiras-sambandhīni kapāl-ākārāṇi catvāri | . . . . . | uro vakṣas=tasya saptadaśa | tataḥ trayoviṃśatiḥ | pūrva-saṃkhy-opetā ṣaṣṭy-adhikaṃ śata-trayam | eṣa puruṣasya manuṣya-śarīrasya asthi-saṃkhyā-saṃgrahaḥ ||

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*Translation.*

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[Verse 84.] With the words ‘six parts, &c.’ the author describes the human body . . . . . the head, the two hands, the two feet, and the trunk : these are the six parts; and the bones, which number three hundred and sixty, support the body of man.

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[Verse 85.] Detailing the said number of bones the author says: the teeth (danta) are thirty-two; thirty-two are also their socket-bones, termed sthāla; hence the teeth, together with their sockets, amount to sixty-four . . . . . The nails (nakha) number twenty. The long bones (śalākā) form the bases of the fingers of the hands and feet; they also number twenty. The bases (sthāna) of the long bones number four². Thus we have altogether one hundred and eight bones.

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² See the Exegetical Note in § 83.

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[Verse 86.] In each digit (aṅguli) there are three bones; hence in all the digits together there are sixty bones. The heels (pārṣṇi) are the posterior parts of the two feet. They contain two bones. At the place where the leg and heel join there are, externally, in each foot, two ankle-bones (gulpha); and hence the ankle-bones of the two feet number four. *Aratnikā* is a synonym of *aratni*, forearm: though the word 'forearm' (*aratni*) does not really include the arm (*bāhu*), yet here, for the sake of obtaining the number four of the bones, it is employed in that sense [i.e. as including the arms]. The author is speaking really of the whole upper limb; hence the bones of the 'forearms' (*aratni*) number four. Similarly the word 'leg' (*jaṅgha*) here signifies the whole lower limb; and hence the bones of the two legs also number four. These items together number seventy; and these, together with the aforementioned one hundred and eight, amount to one hundred and eighty-two bones. Further:

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[Verse 87.] The two knees (*jānu*) are the two joints between the leg and the thigh. By the two *kapola* the two cheeks are meant; and by the two *ūru* the two thighs, which are shaped like boards. The two shoulders (or shoulder-summits, *aṃsa*) are the bases from which the arms spring. Next, by the two *akṣa-tālūṣaka*, the two bones are meant which lie on the edge of the eye. The two hip-blades (*śroṇi-phalaka*) are the two places between the two lower limbs and the back. Each item consists of two bones. Together with the number (twelve) thus obtained, the total of the bones amounts to one hundred and ninety-four. Further:

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[Verse 88.] The pubic (*bhagāsthi*) or private bone is one. In the back (*pṛṣṭha*) there are forty-five bones; in the neck (*grīvā*) fifteen; in the windpipe (*jatru*), at the joint of the breast and shoulder, one. *Hanu* signifies the chin; that also consists of one bone. This makes sixty-three bones; and with the aforesaid number (194) the total amounts to two hundred and fifty-seven. Further:

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[Verse 89.] At the back of that bone [i.e. of the chin] there are two bones. Next, the brow contains one bone. Next, in the two eyes, there are two bones; so also there are two in the two *gaṇḍa*, by which term the two places intermediate between the cheeks and the eyes are meant. The nose must be understood to be expressed also by the term *ghana*-bone. *Parśuka* denotes the ribs; these, together with their sockets (*sthālaka*) and the so-called tubercles (*arbuda*), number seventy-two. With the previous eight bones they amount to eighty; and these, together with the previously stated number (257), amount to three hundred and thirty-seven. Further:

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[Verse 90.] The two temples (*śaṅkha*) are the two places intermediate between the eyebrows and the ears. The pan-shaped bones (*kapāla*) which constitute the cranium number four . . . *Uras* signifies the breast; it contains seventeen bones. Hence we have altogether twenty-three; and these, together with the previously numbered (337), amount to a total of three hundred and sixty. This makes up the aggregate number of bones of the human skeleton.