Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c7.s4.t8: § 80. The Commentary of Vijñāneśvara

Studies in the Medicine of Ancient India, Part I: Osteology, or the Bones of the Human Body c7.s4.t8

Language: English

§ 80. The Commentary of Vijñāneśvara

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In the Mitākṣarā commentary of Vijñāneśvara, the passages on the Non-medical Version, edited from the India Office MSS., Nos. 1079, 2035, 2060, run as follows:

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[Verse 84.] Tath=āṅgāni ṣaḍ=eva kara-yugmaṁ caraṇa-yugalam=uttamāṅgaṁ gātram=iti | asthnāṁ tu ṣaṣṭi-sahitaṁ śata-trayam=uparitana-ṣaṭ-śloka-vakṣyamāṇam=avagantavyam || kiṁ ca ||

[Verse 85.] sthālāni danta-mūla-pradeśa-sthāny=asthīni dvātriṁśat | tais=saha dvātriṁśad=dantāś=catuḥṣaṣṭir=bhavanti | nakhāḥ kara-ruhā viṁśatiḥ | hasta-pāda-sthitāni śalāk-ākārāny=asthīni maṇibandhasy=opari-vartiny=aṅguli-mūla-sthāni viṁśatir=eva | teṣāṁ nakhānāṁ śalāk-asthnāṁ ca sthāna-catuṣṭayaṁ dvau caraṇau karau ca | ity=evam=asthnāṁ catur-uttara-śatam || kiṁ ca ||

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[Verse 86.] viṁśatir=aṅgulayas=tāsām=ekaikasya trīṇi trīṇi, ity=evam=aṅguli-sambaddhāny=asthīni ṣaṣṭir=bhavanti | pādayoḥ paścimau bhāgau pārṣṇī, tayor=asthinī dve | ekaikasmin pāde gulphau dvāv=ity=evaṁ caturṣu gulpheṣu catvāry=asthīni | bāhvor=aratni-pramāṇāni catvāry=asthīni | jaṅghayoś=ca tāvad=eva catvāri | ity=evaṁ catuḥsaptatiḥ || kiṁ ca ||

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[Verse 88.] guhy-asthye-kam । pṛṣṭhe paścima-bhāge pañca-catvāriṃśad=asthīni bhavanti । grīvā kandharā, sā pañcadaś=asthiḥ syāt । vakṣo-'ṃsayoḥ sandhir=jatru, prati-jatrv=ekaikam । hanuś=cibukam, tatr=āpy=ekam=asthi । ity=evaṃ catuḥṣaṣṭiḥ ॥ kiṃ ca ॥

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[Verse 89.] tasya hanor=mūle 'sthinī dve । lalāṭaṃ bhālam । akṣi cakṣuḥ । gaṇḍaḥ kapol-ākṣayor=madhya-pradeśaḥ । teṣāṃ samāhāro lalāṭ-ākṣi-gaṇḍam, tatra pratyekam=asthi-yugalam । nāsā ghana-saṃjñak-āsthimatī । pārśvakāḥ kakṣ-ādhahpradeśa-sambaddhāny=asthīni, tad-ādhāra-bhūtāni sthalakāni, taiḥ sthalakaiḥ arbudaiś=c=asthi-viśeṣaiḥ saha pārśvakā dvisaptatiḥ । pūrv-oktaiś=ca navabhiḥ sārdham=ekāśītir=bhavanti ॥ kiṃ ca ॥

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[Verse 90.] bhrū-karṇayor=madhya-pradeśāv=asthi-viśeṣau śaṅkhakau । śirasaḥ sambandhinī catvāri kapālāni । uro vakṣaḥ, tat=saptadaś-āsthikam । ity=evaṃ trayoviṃśatiḥ । pūrv-oktaiś=ca saha ṣaṣṭy-adhikaṃ śata-trayam=ity=evaṃ puruṣasy=asthi-saṃgrahaḥ kathitaḥ ॥

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*Translation.*

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[Verse 84.] The six parts of the body are the following: the pair of hands, the pair of feet, the head, and the trunk. As to the three hundred and sixty bones, they must be understood to be detailed in the ensuing six verses; as thus:

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[Verse 85.] The sockets (*sthāla*), i. e. the bones which hold the roots of the teeth, number thirty-two. Together with them the thirty-two teeth (*danta*) amount to sixty-four. The nails (*nakha*) which grow on the hands [and feet] number twenty. The pencil-like (*śalākā*) bones, occurring in the hands and feet, situated above the wrist-bones [and ankle-bones] and at the roots of the digits, number also twenty. These nails and long bones have four places (*sthāna*), namely, the two feet and the two hands.¹ So far, the bones amount to one hundred and four. Further,

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¹ See the Exegetical Note in § 83.

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[Verse 86.] The digits (*aṅguli*) number twenty; in each of them there are three bones; thus the bones which make up the digits amount to sixty. The heels (*pārṣṇi*) are the posterior parts of the two feet; their bones number two. In each foot there are two ankle-bones (gulpha); thus in the four ankles there are four bones. The bones of the two arms (bāhu), being implied in the term forearm (aratni), number four. Those of the two legs (jaṅgha) likewise number four. Further,

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[Verse 87.] The knee (jānu) is the joint of the leg and thigh. The term kapola signifies the cheek. The thigh (ūru) is the broad bone (phalaka) of the lower limb. The shoulder (aṃsa) signifies the head of the arm (i. e. the summit of the shoulder). By the term akṣa is meant that part which lies below the temple between the ear and the eye. The term tālūṣaka denotes the hard palate. The hip (śroṇi) is the broad bone (phalaka) in the loins. In each of these organs one should recognize two bones. Thus we have altogether fourteen bones. Further,

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[Verse 88.] The private part (guhya) consists of one bone. In the back (pṛṣṭha), or posterior part of the body, there are forty-five bones. The term grīvā signifies the neck; it consists of fifteen bones. The collar-bone (jatru) is the junction of breast and shoulder [i. e. head of the arm, or summit of the shoulder: see verse 87]; either collar-bone contains one bone. The term hanu signifies the chin; it also contains one bone. Thus we have altogether sixty-four bones. Further,

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[Verse 89.] At the back of the chin (hanu) there are two bones. The term lalāṭa signifies the brow; akṣi, the eye; gaṇḍa, the spot between the cheek and the eye. The aggregate of these (three organs) is indicated by the compound of the three terms lalāṭa, akṣi, gaṇḍa; each of the three component parts consists of a pair of bones. The nose (nāsā) is the bone termed ghana. The ribs (pārśvaka) are the bones which make up the part of the body situated below the armpits; the sockets (sthālaka) are their supporters; with these supporters, and with the peculiar bones termed tubercles (arbuda), the ribs number seventy-two. Thus, together with the previously mentioned nine, we have eighty-one bones. Further,

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[Verse 90.] In the space intermediate between the eyebrow and the ear there are the two peculiar bones termed temples (śaṅkha). The pan-shaped bones which constitute the cranium (śiraḥ-kapāla) number four. The term uras denotes the breast;

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it contains seventeen bones. Thus we have altogether twenty-three bones; and these, together with all the afore-mentioned, make up the total of three hundred and sixty bones which constitute the skeleton of man.