A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c25.883

v1.c25.883

The subjects are: places suitable for a bath (5.2–3); ⁸⁷ suitable times are the parvan days of particular months (5.4); ⁸⁸ prescriptions for the drawing of a maṇḍala (5.5–6); ⁸⁹ deities and their attributes, to be placed within the maṇḍala (5.7–12); ⁹⁰ instructions for making fifteen objects called kīla or śaṅku (a pointed stake): six made of iron, seven made of three (other) metals (loha), and two of khadira wood, sprinkled over with sandal water (5.13); the requirements for eight, sixteen or thirty-two pitchers (ghaṭa),⁹¹ painted in diverse colours, to be placed at the four doors (dvāra) of the maṇḍala (5.14–15);⁹² substances to be put inside these pitchers (5.16);⁹³ earth from a number of particular places should be collected; a kindled fire should be fetched; other items necessary consist of firewood from kṣīrivṛkṣa trees, fragrant substances, ghee, honey, etc. (5.17–19); the child and the nurse are made to sit down in the centre of the maṇḍala on a particular type of seat (pīṭha), made of udumbara or palāśa wood, on which darbha grass has been scattered (5.20);⁹⁴ the physician should then make an offering into the fire, which is placed in the northern part of the maṇḍala;⁹⁵ this sacrifice has to be accompanied by a mantra belonging to the bali for Skanda (5.21); requirements for the physician in charge of the ritual; he should wash the child, with the water contained in the several pitchers successively⁹⁶ and with the kinds of earth collected, mixed with other substances (5.22–23c); the mantras which accompany these actions;⁹⁷ four pitchers are mentioned, associated with a particular deity: (1) Vijaya, associated with Indra (5.24–28), (2) Vaijayanta, associated with Yama (5.29–34), (3) Jayanta, associated with Varuṇa (5.35–40), (4) Aparājita, associated with Dhanada (= Kubera) (5.41–45); Brahmā and the waters are invoked (5.46); a series of mantras follow, invoking numerous deities, etc.(5.47–60);⁹⁸ rules for the child's conduct and diet after the bath (5.61); the effects of the ritual (5.62–63).