A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c24.78

v1.c24.78

Chapter five (vikṛtivijñānīya)¹²¹ deals with the following subjects: the importance of knowledge concerning signs foreboding death (riṣṭa); the definition of a riṣṭa as a change (vikṛti) of a person's prakṛti;¹²² a patient's death is always preceded by the appearance of riṣṭas (5.1–2 and some additional verses);¹²³ some distinguish two types of riṣṭa: permanent (sthāyin) and temporary (asthāyin);¹²⁴ the latter type only resembles a riṣṭa (riṣṭābhāsa) and disappears again when a serious disorder of the doṣas subsides (5.3–4ab);¹²⁵ changes, occurring without any apparent reason, with respect to a patient's outward appearance (rūpa), sense organs (indriya), voice (svara), chāyā and praticchāyā, functions and activities (kriyā), etc., should be regarded as riṣṭas (5.4cd–5);¹²⁶ fatal signs relating to rūpa (5.6–21ab),¹²⁷ the indriyas (5.21cd–38ab), svara (5.38cd–41ab); the characteristics of chāyā and praticchāyā (5.41cd–43);¹²⁸ fatal signs relating to praticchāyā (5.44–45); the five varieties of chāyā (5.46–48);¹²⁹ the vāyavī chāyā is inauspicious, the other varieties are auspicious (5.49ab);¹³⁰ the seven varieties of prabhā; the auspicious and inauspicious varieties (5.49cd–51ab);¹³¹ the distinctive characteristics of varṇa, chāyā and prabhā (5.51cd–53ab);¹³² fatal signs relating to kriyā (5.53cd–70ab);¹³³ fatal signs in particular diseases (5.70cd–116);¹³⁴ various fatal signs (5.117–128);¹³⁵ a physician should, even when questioned, not inform relatives and friends of the approaching death of a patient (5.129); concluding verses (5.130–132).