The Sushruta Samhita — trans. Bhishagratna

40.

Metrical Text :~The ligaments, veins, bones and joints etc., of a human body, derive their strength from the fact of their being supported by or covered over by the muscles. 41.

Extra IVIuscIes in Women :— Females

have twenty extra muscles ; ten muscles are to be found about the two breasts, five in each, which (muscles) attain their full growth during puberty ; four muscles are present about the parturient passage ; and of these (four) two are about the external and two in the internal orifices (of the vagina) ; three about the region of the OS, and three along the passages of the ovum and sperm. The Garbhasaya or uterus is situated in the space bounded by the Pittas'aya (small intestine) and Pakv^s'aya

Cliap. V.j SARIRA STHANAM. I^I

(large intestine) and the foetus lies in this during the period of gestation.* 42-43.

According to their position in the system, these muscles are found to be thick, slender, small, expanded, circular, short, long, hard, soft, smooth or rough. The muscles cover the veins, ligaments, bones and joints; hence their shape and size are determined by the exigencies (organic structures) of their positions. 44.

Memorable Verses : -The muscles which

are found in the penis and scrotum of a man as described before correspond to the covering of the uterus in the case of a woman owing to the absence of those organs in her body. The positions and classifications of the veins, channels, Marmas and arteries will be dealt with in a separate chapter. 45-46.

The vagina of a woman resembles the navel of a conch-shell in shape and is possessed of three involuted turns (Avartas) like the interior of mollusc. The uterus (Garbhas'aya — foetal bed) is situated at the third posterior involuted turn. The shape of the uterus resembles the mouth of a Rohit-fish (narrow at the mouth and expanded in the upper end). The foetus lies in a crouched or doubled up posture in the uterus and thus naturally at the time of parturition its head is presented at the entrance to the vagina. 47-48.

Superiority of ^alya-Tantram :-The

different parts or members of the body as mentioned before including even the skin cannot be correctly described by any one who is not versed in Anatomy. Hence, any one desirous of acquiring a thorough knowledge of anatomy should prepare a dead body and carefully observe (by dissecting it) and examine

* If we read Mutras.'aya (bladder) in place of Piltda'aya it explains the anatomy better.— Ed,

-iJ2 THE StJSHRUTA SAMHITA. Chap. V.]

Chap. V.]

its different parts. For a thorough knowledge can only be acquired by comparing the accounts given in the SAstras' (books on the subject) by direct personal observation. 49.

IVlode of dissection :— A dead body selected for this purpose should not be wanting in any of its parts, should not be a person who had lived up to a hundred years (i. e. too old age) or ol one who died from any protracted disease or of poison. The excrementa should be first removed from the entrails and the body should be left to decompose in the water of a solitary and still pool, and securely placed in a cage (so that it may not be eaten away by fish nor drift away), after having covered it entirely with the outer sheaths of Munja grass, Ktis'a grass, hemp or with rope etc. After seven days the body would be thoroughly decomposed, when the observer should slowly scrape off' the decomposed skin etc. with a whisk made of grass-roots, hair, Kusa blade or with a strip of split bamboo and carefully observe with his own eyes all the various different organs, external and internal, beginning with the skin as described before, 50 — 56.

IVlemorabIc Verses :— The Self, the occult or invisible Lord of the body cannot be detected except with the psychic eye or with that of the mind. He, who has observed the internal mechanism of the human body and is well read in the works bearing on these subjects and has thus all his doubts expelled from his mind is alone qualified in the science of Ayurveda and has a rightful claim to practise the art of healing. 57.

Thus ends the fifth Chapter of the S'arira-sthanam in the Sus'rula
Samhitii w hich treats of the anatomy of the human body.

CHAPTER VI.

Now vvc shall discourse on the Sdrlram which specifically treats of the Mannas* or vital parts of the body

(Pratyeka-marma-nirdcsa Sariram.) i.
Classification of IVI arm as :— There are

one hundred and seven Marmas (^in the human organism), which may be divided into five classes, such as the Mcinsa-Marmas, Sira-Marmas, Sndyu-Marmas, Asthi- Marmas and the Sandhi-Marmas. Indeed there are no other Marmas (vulnerable or vital parts) to be fuund in the body than the preceding ones. 2.

Their different numbers :— There are

eleven Mansa-Marmas (vulnerable muscle-joints) ; fortyone Sird-Marmas (similar veins, anastomosis) ; twentyseven Snayu-Marmas (vital ligament-unions) ; eight Asthi-Marmas (bone-unions) and twenty Sandhi-Marmas (^vulnerable joints). 3.

3.

Their Locations :~0f these, eleven are in one leg, thus making twenty-two in the two lower extremities, The same number counts in the two hands. There are twelve Marmas in the regions of the chest and the abdomen (Udara) ; fourteen in the back ; and thirty-seven in the region of the neck (Griva) and above it. 4.

Names and distributions of IVIarmas :

— The Marmas which are situated in each leg are known as Kshipra, Tala-Hridaya, Kurchcha, Kurchcha-Sirah, Gulpha, Indravasti, Janu, Ani, Urvi, Lohitaksha and Vitapa. The twelve Marmas which are situated in the

Places where veins, arteries, ligaments, joints and mu.cles unite and an injury to which proves j^encrally fatal.

ii;?'4 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHItA. Chap. Vl.] thorax and the abdomen (Udara) are Guda (anus), Vast! (bladdery, xN^abhi (umbilicus), Hridaya (heart), Stanamula (the roots of two breasts), the Stana-Rohita, (muscles of the breasts\ the two Apalaps and the two Apastambhas. The fourteen Marmas to be found in the back are the Katika-tarunas (Taruna-bones of the waist', the two Kukundaras, the two Nitamvas (hips), Pars va-Sandhis (the two side-joints), the two Vrihatis, the two Ansa-phalnkas (shoulder-blades) and the two Ansas (shoulders). The eleven Marmas to be found in an arm are known as the Kshipra, Tala-Hridaya, Kurchcha, Kurchcha-Sirah, Manivandha, Indravasti, Kurpara, Ani, Urvi, Lohitaksha and Kakshadhara. What is said of the one arm holds good of the other. The Marmas situated above the clavicle regions are known as the four Dhamanis, the eight Matrikas,the twoKrikatikas, the two Vidhuras, the two Phanas, the two Apangas, the two Avartas, the two Utkshepas, the two Sankhas, one Sthapani five Simantas, four Sringatakas and one Adhipati. 5—9.

The different heads of IVIarmas:— Of

the aforesaid Marmas, those known as the Tala- Hridaya, Indravasti, Guda and Stana-rohita, are Mayas a- Marmas. Those known as Nila-dhamani, Matrika, Sringataka, Apanga, Sthapani, Phana, Stanamula, Apalapa, Apastambha, Hridaya, Nabhi, Pars'va- Sandhi, Vrihati, Lohitaksha and Urvi, are Sirat-Marmas. Those known as the Ani, Vitapa, Kakshadhara, Kurchcha, Kurchcha-Sirah, Vasti, Kshipra, Ansas, (shoulders), Vidhura and Utkshepa, are Snaiyu-Marmas. Those known as the Katika-taruna, Nitamva, Ansaphalaka, Sankha, are Asthi-Marmas. The Janu, the Kurpara, the Simanta, the Adhipati, the Gulpha, the Manivandha, the Kukundara, the Avarta and the Krikatika arc Saudhi-Marmas. 10—14.

Chap. VI.] SARIRA ST HAN AM. 1/5