Bull· Ind. Inst, Hist. Med. Vol. XXII pp. 83 to 92 VARAHAMIHIRA AND AYURVEOA AJAY MITRA SHASTRY· ABSTRACT Var ah amihir a was not only one of the greatest Indian astronomers- astrologers but a man of varied talents with vast kncwledge of different branches of study and wide observation of public life in its various facets which he deftly and ski lfu lIy wove together in the fabric of popular astrology techni- cally called mundane astrology or Samhita. He flourished in the sixth century A.D. and composed numerous works. He composed his most well-known work, the Br ihat-Samhita towards the middle of the sixth century A. D., which contains a good deal of info.mation of common interest to a heal .h conscious layman. It is proposed to take stock of the allusions of a medical nature, whether detailed or casual here. Varah arnihir a was not only one astronomy, horoscopy and natural of the greatest Indian astronomers- astrology. He composed his most astroloqars but a man of varied well-known work, the brhat-sarnhita", talents with vast knowledge of diffe- towards the middle of~the sixth cen- rent branches of study and wide tury AD (roughly about 545-550 AD) observation of public life in its vari- under the patronage of the Aulikara ous facets which he deftly and skil- king of Avanti, Dravyavardhana who fully wove together 'in the fabric of ru lad after the well- known Yasodhar- popular astrology technically called rnan-Visnuvardhana in c. 540-60 ADs. mundane astrology or sarnhita1• He Natural astrology came to include flourished in the sixth century AD and prac-icallv all the topics of interest to composed numerous works, full as a common man, and Varahamihira well as abridged, on all the branches largely contributed to this enlarge- of jvo ti.a including mathematical ment of its scope as can be inferred "'23. Vrdva vrhar , Rana Pratap Nagar, Nagpur lMaharashtraj, India. 1. For the lOP'CS included in the sarnhit a, see Ajay Mitra Shastri, India as seen in the Brihat- Sarnhit a of Varahamihira, ISBV, Delhi, 1969 pp. 430-33. 2. Sudhak ara Ovivedis edition with Bhat tctpalas gloss (2. Vols. Benares, 1885-87) is referred to. It is he rci nforr II abbreviated as BS, 3. Fur Var aharnihir a/s date, see Ajay MItra Shastri. ISBv'. pp. 4-18; Varahamihira and his Times, .Io c'hpur. 1991. p p. 3G, 43-58. 84 Bull. lnd. inst. Hist . Me d, Vol. XXII by the fact that many of the subjects captioned Kandarpik arn dwells upon are first found included in an astro- erotic remedies which were also cal- logical work composed by him. This led vrsva (8S. CIiI. 63) and vajika- fact has a historical significance in as rana. It is pertinent to note in this much as it evidences the growth of context that chapters dealing with material life and with that man's this subject are incorporated in most growing curiosity about prospects in of the medical texts.! and some of newer and newer undertakings and the prescriptions described by our a correspondir:g growing demand for author tally with those met with in astrologers catering to new needs. the texts on Ayurveda. And health is of prime concern to everyone, and the brhat-samhita of These prescriptions were neces- Varaharnihir a contains a good deal of sitated chiefly by the Indians' hanke- information of common interest to a ring for the male children, which health conscious layman Great value must have been originally due to attached to male progeny and poly- economic necessities of the society gamy, which was rampant in the new which was primarily agricultural, and rich sections of the society, taken to some extent by the fairly common together were responsible for the incidence of polygamy. Varaharni- incorporation of erotic remedies in hir a himself specifies the purpose of medical texts and an astrologer han- these remedies as follows: "If at the kering after popularity could not time of coitus woman's blood avoid questions about them. So also is in excess of man's sperm, a female about some other matters of corn-non child is born, if vice versa, the out- interest. These references not only come is a male, when both the blood indicate commoners' interest in and sperm are equal, an herrnaphro- these matters but also reveal the dite is born. Therefore a man should developed state of Ayurveda or medi- take recipes increasing his sperm". cal science. It is proposed to take (ibid., LXXV.1). Polygamus practice stock of the allusions of a medical is mentioned as a reason for these nature, whether detailed or casual, remedies in verse 5 of the same here. At the outset we shall devote chapter. We are given the following attention to the topics on which ten prescriptions: Varaharnihira gives detailed informa- tion. I. Tablets of a mixture in equal proportions of the mineral com- I. EROTIC REMEDIES pound called mak-ikadhatu, Chapter 75 of the bthat-sarnhita mercury, iron-dust, yellow rnvro- 4 •. E G.SushrUIB, IV. 26, Charaka, Chikit;asthan" II. Cf Vat sv av an as Kamasu·ra. VII, 1 : it i;'- quite netural for an erotic text to describe erotic remedies conducive to sexua: Ilfa. Varahamihira and Av urveae=-Shestrv 85 balan and bitumen, doughed with testicles and then dried uP,. clarified butter and honey and followed by a drink of milk.r? done into globules (gutika), to be taken for twenty-one davs.! VII. An evening meal comprising boiled sastika variety of rice II. Milk boiled with kapikacchu taken with clarified butter and roots." black gram soup, and drinking of milk there atter.u III. Taking six morsels of beans cooked in clarified butter churned VI!!. Cakes made of a compound of from milk (payahsarpis). followed sesamum seeds, roots of asvaq- by a drink of milk." andha and kapikachchhu, vidarika, and the flour of sastika rice, IV. The powder of vidarika boiled in ground in goat's milk, and fried its own sap and then dried up in in clarified butter. U the sun s even times, to be taken with boiled milk sweetened with sugar. This prescription is IX. Drink of milk boiled with gok~u- raka.!" especially meant for a man with many wives. B X. Eating the root of vidarika boiled V. Taking the powder of yellow in rnilk.>' myrobalan, boiled in its own juice and mixed with honey, It is also observed that sexual activity sugar and clarified butter. is adversely affected in the case of a followed by milk in keeping with man who consumes very sour, one's diqestion.s pungent, bitter, salty food as well as a diet full of leafy vegetables grouped VI. Eating sesamum grains boiled as k~arasaka. This kind of food seven times in milk with goat's harms digestion also (BS, LXXV 12). 5. BS LXXv. 3. 6. Ibid LXXV. 4, cf. Kamasutra, Vll. 1 38 for a simila' prescription. 7. BSLXXv.4. 8. Ibid. LXXv 5. Sushruta (IV. 26. 23) a Iso prescribes the use of the powder of Vidar ika boiled in its own sap with clarified butter and honey for a polygamist. 9. BS LXXV. 6 cf. Sushruta, IV. 26.24, for a similar prescription. 10. BS LXXv. 7. cf . Sushruta. rv. 26.18,20, Vatsyayana's Karnasutra (VII. 1. 37). 11. B S LXXV. 8. 12. Ibid. LXXV. 9. 13. Ibid. LXXV. 10. cf. Sushruta, IV. 26.33,35 for a similar staternant , 14. Ibid. LXXv. 10. ct. Sushrut a, rv. 26.28; Kamasutra, vII. 1. 38. 86 Bu/!. Ind. lnst, Hist. Med. Yol, XXII II. POWDER FOR INDIGESTION A woman is advised to eschew Curiously enough, we find a bath, wearing new garments and prescription for an appetiser also in anointing the body on the first three the chapter on erotic remedies. This days of the menses after which on is in all probability as a man with the fourth day she should bathe with weak digestion cannot easily consume water purified and perfumed with and digest the above mentioned erotic various herbs (ibid. LXXVII. 21-22) 17. recipes, and keeping appetite kindled The menstrual blood resembling is absolutely essential J5 A powder hare's blood or lac-dye and fading prepared from ajamoda salt, yellow away at washing is pure; the same, mvrobalans, ginger and long pepper when free from noise and pain and (all in equal quantities), taken with ceasing to flow after three days wine, butter-milk, tarala? (kanji, undoubtedly develops into a foetus according to some) or hot water, is on uniting with a man.18 stated to promote digestion.] 0 Varaharnihir a refers to a sixteen- III. MENSTRUATION AND day period suitable for conception CONCEPTION (ritu) out of which the first three As stated above, birth of children, nights were to be avoided for sexual more especially male children, was union (Ibid. LXXVII. 26). According greatly desired in the then Indian to some medical writers on the other society, and an astrologer was hand, this period consists of twelve naturally cancel ned about menstrua- nights from the commencement of tion and conception. We have a chap- menses, of which the first three nights ter devoted to the consummation of are unfit for coitus.!" As the sixteen- males and females (pum-strisarnpra- day-period is known to the early yog-adhyaya, BS, LXXVII), and in srnrtis like Manu (111.46) and addition to general matters last eight Yajfiavalkya (1.79) also J. Jolly stanzas of this chapter (19-26) give seems to be right in taking it to be us some useful information which is oriqinal.' 0 important from our point of view, as they give us an idea of the then It was believed that a male or prevailing notions and practices reg- female child would be born as the arding menstruation and pregnancy.