An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita, Vol. II — trans. Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna (1911)

(large intestine) and the foetus lies in tliis 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 — -foiital bed) is situated at the third posterior involuted turn. The shape of the uterus resembles the mouth of aRohit-fish (narrow at the mouth and expanded in the upper end). The fcetus lies in a crouched or doubled up posture in the uterus and thus naturalh" 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 wc read Mutrcis'aya (bladder) in place of Pillac'aya it ixplains the anatomy beUtr. — Ed.

p. 172

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

IVIOde 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 w'ater 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 eiitireh^ with the outer sheaths of Mwija grass, Kns'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, Kus'a 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.

IVlemorabSe 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-slhanam in the Sus'ruta Samhita w hich treats of the anatomy of the human body.

CHAPTER VI.

Now we shall discourse on the Sariram which specifically treats of the Marmas* or vital parts of the body

(Pratycka-marma-nirdesa Sariram.) i.

Classification of IVIarmas :— There arc

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

Their different numbers : —There are

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

Their Locations :~Of 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 Marmas:

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

Places where veins, arteries, ligaments, joints and mu.clcs unite and an injury to which proves generally fatal.

1^4 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. Chap. VI.]