A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c42.s2.58

v3.c42.s2.58

A noteworthy feature of part I is this laśunakalpa,¹⁰² which occurs separately from the three kalpas in part II. Kalpas of the type found in the Bower MS constitute an essential part of Sanskrit medical lore. They usually describe the mythical origin of a particular medicinal plant, its names, properties, actions, and a variety of recipes in which the plant is an important ingredient. The laśunakalpa of the Bower MS has parallels in other medical treatises, for example the Aṣṭāṅgahṛdayasaṃhitā (U.39.111–129), Aṣṭāṅgasamgraha (U.49.161–213), Kāśyapasaṃhitā (Kalpasthāna, laśunakalpādhyāya), and Hāritasamhitā (Kalpa 4).¹⁰³ The stories about the origin of garlic vary in these texts, but all the versions connect it with the rape of the amṛta at the churning of the ocean.¹⁰⁴ The account of the Bower MS on the properties and uses of garlic shows some peculiarities which are absent from or disagreeing with other medical texts.¹⁰⁵ A garlic-festival (laśunotsava) is described (I.17–18), and a procedure which circumvents the interdiction for brāhmaṇas to make use of garlic, by making it pass through a cow (I.34).¹⁰⁶