A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c42.s15.99

v3.c42.s15.99

Chapter thirty-nine is devoted to kuṣṭha. As usual in āyurvedic treatises, eighteen types are referred to (39.3), but these are not divided into two large groups. 358 The list with the types of kuṣṭha comprises only fourteen items: kapālaka, 359 udumbara, dadrumaṇḍala(ka), visarpa(ka), hastibala, 360 kiṇa, gojihvaka, (lohita)maṇḍala, vaipādika, 361 carmadala, visphoṭaka, bahuvraṇa, kaṇḍū, and vicarcī 362 (39.5–6). Two more types are referred to in the verses on treatment: citrakuṣṭha (39.59) or citraka (39.54), and pāmā (39.47 and 49); the two remaining types are not mentioned in the chapter. Hārīta's visarpaka, hastibala or gajacarman, kiṇa, gojihvaka and kaṇḍū do not occur in the lists found in other works; the nature of visarpaka remains unclear, but gajacarman is the equivalent of what is commonly called carmakuṣṭha, 363 kind of kiṭima, 364 gojihvaka of ṛṣyajihvaka, 365 bahuvraṇa of śatāruṣka, 366 kaṇḍū of alasaka. 367 Kuṣṭha types mentioned in many āyurvedic texts and absent from the Hārītasamhitā are ekakuṣṭha, kākaṇaka, puṇḍarīka, rakasā, sidhma, sthūlāruṣka, and śvitra. 368