A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c44.s8.t2: Special features
A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c44.s8.t2
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Special features
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The number of medicinal substances described in the Rājanighaṇṭu and absent from the Dhanvantarinighaṇṭu is too large to be enumerated.
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Some of the more interesting new plants added are: agnidamani (śatāhvādi 59–61),⁶⁰⁸ āhulya (śatāhvādi 167–168),⁶⁰⁹ aparvadaṇḍa (śālmalyādi 77–78),⁶¹⁰ asīśimbī (mūlakādi 183–184),⁶¹¹ aśvakatharā (parpaṭādi 114–115),⁶¹² bheṇḍā (śatāhvādi 26),⁶¹³ bhṛṅgāhvā (mūlakādi 47),⁶¹⁴ brahmadāṇḍī (parpaṭādi 133),⁶¹⁵ cāṇikā (śālmalyādi 147),⁶¹⁶ dharaṇīkaṇḍa (mūlakādi 91–92),⁶¹⁷ dhūmapraṭṭrā (parpaṭādi 34–35),⁶¹⁸ ekavīra (śālmalyādi 17–18),⁶¹⁹ gaṅgāpattrī (karavīrādi 162),⁶²⁰ gomūtrikā (śālmalyādi 128),⁶²¹ gorakṣadugdhī (parpaṭādi 142–143),⁶²² gorakṣī (parpaṭādi 94–95),⁶²³ guṇdāsinī (śālmalyādi 148–149),⁶²⁴ hastikanda (mūlakādi 80–82),⁶²⁵ hastisuṇḍī (parpaṭādi 77),⁶²⁶ hemā (guḍūcyādi 42–44),⁶²⁷ himāvalī (pippalyādi 245–246),⁶²⁸ jambū (parpaṭādi 84–85),⁶²⁹ jaraṇadruma (prabhadrādi 81–82),⁶³⁰ jhaṇḍū (parpaṭādi 141),⁶³¹ jhiñjhirīṭā (śatāhvādi 201–202),⁶³² kaivartikā (guḍūcyādi 119–120),⁶³³ kāmavṛddhi (śatāhvādi 196–197),⁶³⁴ kaṇṭapuṅkhā (śatāhvādi 74),⁶³⁵ karajodī (mūlakādi 121),⁶³⁶ kārī (śālmalyādi 64–65),⁶³⁷ karṇasphoṭā (guḍūcyādi 136–137),⁶³⁸ karuṇī (karavīrādi 105–106),⁶³⁹ kaṭvī (guḍūcyādi 138–139),⁶⁴⁰ kevikā (karavīrādi 115–116),⁶⁴¹ kolakanda (mūlakādi 83–84),⁶⁴² kurī (śalyādi 138),⁶⁴³ kuṭumbinī (parpaṭādi 78–80),⁶⁴⁴ mahāpiṇḍī (prabhadrādi 140–141),⁶⁴⁵ majjara (śālmalyādi 133),⁶⁴⁶ mākaṇdī (mūlakādi 42–43),⁶⁴⁷ mālakanda (mūlakādi 97–98),⁶⁴⁸ manthānaka (śālmalyādi 136),⁶⁴⁹ māyāphala (pippalyādi 259),⁶⁵⁰ mudgara (karavīrādi 77–78),⁶⁵¹ nakhanispāvikā (mūlakādi 192),⁶⁵² niḥśreṇikā (śālmalyādi 130),⁶⁵³ nilāmlī (śatāhvādi 176),⁶⁵⁴ pācī (karavīrādi 163–164),⁶⁵⁵ pakvaṇḍa (śālmalyādi 43),⁶⁵⁶ pallivāha (śālmalyādi 137),⁶⁵⁷ paṇyāndhā (śālmalyādi 139–141),⁶⁵⁸ peū (mūlakādi 48),⁶⁵⁹ putraḍā (śatāhvādi 159–160),⁶⁶⁰ putraḍātrī (guḍūcyādi 142–143),⁶⁶¹ śākuruṇḍa (pippalyādi 243–244),⁶⁶² samudraphala (pippalyādi 216–217),⁶⁶³ sarpiṇī (parpaṭādi 125),⁶⁶⁴ śāśāṇḍulī (mūlakādi 217–218),⁶⁶⁵ śilpikā (śālmalyādi 129),⁶⁶⁶ śimṛḍī (śatāhvādi 164– 165), 667 śolī (mūlakādi 44), 668 śrītala (prabhadrādi 95–96), 669 śrīvalli (śālmalyādi 74–75), 670 śulī (śālmalyādi 150–151), 671 svarṇulī (śatāhvādi 162), 672 śvetā (parpaṭādi 132), 673 śvetāmlī (śatāhvādi 175), 674 tairiṇī (śatāhvādi 127), 675 takrāhvā (śatāhvādi 161), 676 taraṭī (śālmalyādi 73), 677 ukhala (śālmalyādi 125), 678 uṣṭrakaṇḍī (karavīrādi 139–140), 679 viṣṇukanda (mūlakādi 89–90), 680 and vṛścikā (parpaṭādi 126). 681
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⁶⁰⁸ [text of the note]
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⁶⁰⁹ [text of the note]
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⁶¹⁰ [text of the note]
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⁶¹¹ [text of the note]
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⁶¹² [text of the note]
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⁶¹³ [text of the note]
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⁶¹⁴ [text of the note]
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⁶¹⁵ [text of the note]
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⁶¹⁶ [text of the note]
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⁶¹⁷ [text of the note]
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⁶¹⁸ [text of the note]
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⁶¹⁹ [text of the note]
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⁶²⁰ [text of the note]
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⁶²¹ [text of the note]
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⁶²² [text of the note]
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⁶²³ [text of the note]
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⁶²⁴ [text of the note]
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⁶²⁵ [text of the note]
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⁶²⁶ [text of the note]
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⁶²⁷ [text of the note]
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⁶²⁸ [text of the note]
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⁶²⁹ [text of the note]
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⁶³⁰ [text of the note]
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⁶³¹ [text of the note]
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⁶³² [text of the note]
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⁶³³ [text of the note]
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⁶³⁴ [text of the note]
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⁶³⁵ [text of the note]
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⁶³⁶ [text of the note]
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⁶³⁷ [text of the note]
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⁶³⁸ [text of the note]
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⁶³⁹ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴⁰ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴¹ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴² [text of the note]
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⁶⁴³ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴⁴ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴⁵ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴⁶ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴⁷ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴⁸ [text of the note]
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⁶⁴⁹ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵⁰ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵¹ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵² [text of the note]
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⁶⁵³ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵⁴ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵⁵ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵⁶ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵⁷ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵⁸ [text of the note]
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⁶⁵⁹ [text of the note]
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⁶⁶⁰ [text of the note]
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⁶⁶¹ [text of the note]
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⁶⁶² [text of the note]
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⁶⁶³ [text of the note]
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⁶⁶⁴ [text of the note]
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⁶⁶⁵ [text of the note]
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⁶⁶⁶ [text of the note]
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New varieties, added by the author of the Rājanighaṇṭu to those described in the Dhanvantariyanighaṇṭu, are also rather numerous. Some of these are: ari (a variety of khadira; śālmalyādi 30), 682 bhūtumbī (a variety of alāmbunī; mūlakādi 167–168), 683 bṛhajjīvantī (a variety of jīvantī; guḍūcyādi 40–41), 684 catuṣpattrī (a variety of pāṣāṇabhedaka; parpaṭādi 45–46), 685 cīṇākarṇatikā (a variety of trapuṣa; mūlakādi 213–214), 686 gorakṣatumbī (a variety of alāmbunī; mūlakādi 162–163), 687 kaidarya (a variety of nimba; prabhadrādi 13–14), 688 kaliṅga (a variety of trapuṣa; mūlakādi 169–170), 689 karkaṭa (a variety of vayasthā; āmrādi 198–199), 690 karkaṭī (a variety of trapuṣa; mūlakādi 202–204), 691 kāṣṭhadhātrī (a variety of vayasthā; āmrādi 160–161), 692 kṣīratumbī (a variety of alāmbunī; mūlakādi 164–166), 693 mahānīlī (a variety of nīlī; śatāhvādi 84–85), 694 mṛgākṣī (a variety of trapuṣa; mūlakādi 178–180), 695 nīlapunarnavā (a variety of punarnavā; parpaṭādi 121–122), 696 sarpaṭanu (a variety of bṛhatī; śatāhvādi 26–27), 697 śīlavalkā (a variety of pāṣāṇabhedaka; parpaṭādi 43–44), 698 śvetabṛhatī (a variety of bṛhatī; śatāhvādi 28–29), 699 tāmrakaṇṭaka (a variety of khadira; śālmalyādi 26–27), 700 vaṭapattrī (a variety of pāṣāṇabhedaka; parpaṭādi 41–42), 701 and viṭkhadira (a variety of khadira; śālmalyādi 28–29). 702
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Chapter nineteen is about the names and their synonyms of forty-eight animals. Interesting among these are, for example: brāhmaṇī (8), 703 jāhaka (10), 704 karṇajalū-kā (13), 705 kīṭikā (46), 706 kokaḍa (5), 707 maṅkora (47), matkuṇa (17), 708 pakṣmayūkā (44), 709 pallī (11), 710 three kinds of pipīlikā (14–16), 711 ṣaḍbindukīṭa (48), śvetayūkā (45), 712 tailakīṭa (39), and yūkā (43). 713
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Chapter twenty mentions two series of the eight divisions (aṣṭāṅga) of āyurveda: (1) dravyābhidhāna, gadaniscaya, kāya, saukhya, śalyādi, bhūtanigraha, viṣaṇigraha, bālavaidya (20.42); (2) śalya, śalākya, kāya, bhūta, viṣa, bāla, rasāyana, vṛṣya (20.43). Noteworthy names of disorders from the same chapter are, for example: hṛdgranthi = hṛdvrana (24), jātharagranthi = gulma (10), kṣudrasphoṭa = kañcikā (7), lūtā = carmavraṇa = vṛkka (11), pītasphoṭa = pāmā (7), pramilā = taṇḍrā (28), pṛṣṭhagranthi = gaḍu (10), śākhāpitta (27), sacivāmaya = visarpa (3), śikhin = śvāsa (6), sūkṣmasphoṭa = vicarcikā (7), śuṇṭhikāsphoṭa = samcārī (7), tuṇḍa = sthaviṣṭha (22), udanyā = tṛṣṇā (17), utprāṇa = śvāsa (14).
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Chapter twenty-two enumerates three groups of lohas (metals): the three lohas: suvarṇa (gold), rajata (silver), tāmra (copper) (22.11); the five lohas: the three lohas, to which vaṅga (tin) and nāga (lead) are added (22.11); the eight lohas: the five lohas, to which kānta, muṇḍaka and tīkṣṇaka (varieties of iron) are added (22.14). The eight mahārasas are: darada, pārāda, sasya, vaikrānta, kānta, abhraka, mākṣika, and vimala (22.15). The eight uparasas are: khecara, añjana, kaṅkuṣṭha, gandha, āla, gairika, kṣiti, and śaileyañjana (22.16). The sāmnyarasas (= sādhāraṇarasas) are: kampilla, gaurī, capala, kaparda, śaila, sindūraka, vahnijāra, and bodaraśṛṅga (22.17). The ten kinds of kṣāra derive from śigru, mūlaka, palāśa, cukrikā, citraka, ārdraka, nimba, ikṣu,
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śaīkharika, 714 and mocikā (22.18).
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The author The author introduces himself as Narahari, Narasimha, Nṛhari and Nṛsimha, 715 son of Īśvara. 716 He was a resident of Kaśmīr, 717 of royal blood, 718 and took part in warlike activities. 719 His favourite deities were Śiva and Pārvatī. 720 Additional, but questionable, 721 information is found in the colophons of some MSS. 722 This information is as follows: Narahari was the son of Īśvarasūri, 723 a physician who was also called Caṇḍeśvara, 724 and the disciple of Amṛteśānanda 725 who belonged to the śiṣyaparamparā of Somānanda; 726 he was a resident of Simhapura in Kaśmīr. 727
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Narahari is sometimes credited with two more medical works, the Guṇasārasamuccaya and the Vāgbhaṭamaṇḍana. 728 The latter is by a different Narahari. 729
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Date The terminus post quem of the Rājanighaṇṭu can be deduced from the sources mentioned by the author. The latest of these sources being the Madanapālanighaṇṭu, composed in 1375, the Rājanighaṇṭu cannot be earlier than the fifteenth century. 730 The terminus ante quem is provided by quotations in two works dating from the seventeenth century, Bhānuji Dīkṣita's commentary on the Amarakoṣa (first half of the seventeenth century) 731 and Raghunātha's Bhojanakutūhala.
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The evidence collected by P.V. Sharma 732 in order to establish that the Rājanighaṇṭu is posterior to the Bhāvaprakāśanighaṇṭu and may date from the seventeenth century is invalid in my view. His first argument, the description of the plant called pītakaravīra 733 by the author of the Rājanighaṇṭu (karavīrādi 16), while the plant is absent from Bhāvamiśra's work, can be discarded because this plant was already known to Kaiyadeva. 734 His second argument, the presence of kulañja(na) 735 in the Rājanighaṇṭu (pippalyādi 55), known as ugragandhā sugandhā to Bhāvamiśra (harītakyadivarga 105), does not carry much weight, since kuliñja(na), a synonym of kulañja(na), was already prescribed by Śārṅgadhara in his Triśatī (168) and Soḍhala in his Gadanigraha (lehādhikāra 342). 736 His third argument, the presence in the Rājanighaṇṭu of a series of drugs, such as kālāñjanī (śatāhvādi 186–187), 737 kāmavṛddhi (śatāhvādi 196–197), karpūrataila (kṣīrādi 125) and sarvakṣāra (pippalyādi 257–258), whereas these are not described in the Bhāvaprakāśanighaṇṭu, is inconclusive, because the Rājanighaṇṭu contains a large number of medicinal substances which are not found in any other nighaṇṭu. His fourth argument, the description of jhaṇḍū (parpaṭādi 141), 738 may be important as a clue to the date of the Rājanighaṇṭu, provided that P.V. Sharma is right in his identification and his claim that it was introduced into India at the end of the sixteenth century. 739 The same applies to the plant called himāvalī (pippalyādi 245–246), but only if it is actually the same as the dvīpāntaravacā of the Bhāvaprakāśanighaṇṭu (harītakyadivarga 107–108), i.e., cobacīnī or sarsaparilla, as suggested by P.V. Sharma. 740
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P. Hymavathi 741 developed his own views regarding the date of the author of the Rājanighaṇṭu, basing himself on the (erroneous) conviction that he was a disciple of Śrīkaṇṭhapaṇḍita, the śuddha Śaiva and medical author. He asserts that Narahari or Narasimha hailed from a brāhmaṇa family adhering to the Kaśmīr school of Śaivism, which was introduced in the southern part of India after the establishment of Mohammedan rule in the North. ⁷⁴² The date of Śrīkaṇṭha (A.D. 1300-1360) and the fact that the Rājanighaṇṭu is later than the Madanapālanighaṇṭu made him conclude that the former work must have been written shortly after the latter, towards the end of the fourteenth century. P. Hymavathi identifies Naraharī’s patron as Narasimha IV, who ruled in Kaliṅga between A.D. 1378 and 1409.
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⁷⁴² ...
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The evidence available, however, points to the fifteenth or sixteenth century as the period of composition of the Rājanighaṇṭu. The identity of jhaṇḍū and himāvalī, and the date of their introduction into India, may prove to be clues enabling us to narrow the limits.
Linked texts (5)
- Rājanighaṇṭu (Nighaṇṭurāja, Abhidhānacūḍāmaṇi) — Narahari Paṇḍita, Sanskrit
- Śārṅgadharasaṃhitā — Śārṅgadhara (physician), Sanskrit
- Bhāvaprakāśanighaṇṭu — Bhāvamiśra 1550, Sanskrit
- Gadanigraha — Soḍhala, Sanskrit
- Madanapālanighaṇṭu (Madanavinoda) — Madanapāla (Ṭāka), Sanskrit