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

thorax and the abdomen (Udara) are Guda (anus), Vast! (bladder;, Nabhi (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-phal:ikas (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, Lohitakshaand 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,thc twoKrikatikas, the two Vidhuras, the two Phanas, the two Apingas, 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 TalaHridaya, Indravasti, Guda and Stana-rohita, are Mans a- Marmas. Those known as Nila-dhamani, Matrika, Sringataka, Apanga, Sthapani, Phana, Stanamula, Apalapa, Apastambha, Hridaya, Nabhi, Pars'vaSandhi, Vrihati, LohitAksha and Urvi, are Sira-Marmas. Those known as the Ani, Vitapa, Kakshadhara, Kurchcha, Kurchcha-Sirah, Vasti, Kshipra, Ansas, (shoulders), Vidhura and Utkshepa, are Snayu-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.

Chip. VI.] SARIRA STIIANAM. 1 75

Qualitative classes : — Again these Marmas (vital unions of the body) arc under five distinct heads, namel}', Sadya-Pranahara, (fatal within twenty-four hours), Kalantara-Pranahara, (fatal within a fortnight or a month), Vis'alyaghna (fatal as soon as a dart or any other imbedded foreign matter is extracted therefrom), Vaikalyakara, (maiming or deforming) and Rujakar (painful) [according as an injury respectively produces the aforesaid effects]. Of these, nineteen Marmas belong to the Sadya-Pranahara group ; thirty-three to the Kalantara-Pranahara group ; three to the Vis'alyaghna group; forty-four to the Vaikalyakara group ; and eight to the Rujakara group. 15.

IVIemorable Verses :— To the Sadya-Pranahara group (fatal in the course of a day if anywa}' hurt) belong the four Sringatakas, one Adhipati, the two Sankhas, the eight Kantha-Siras, the Guda, the Hridaya, the Vasti and the Nabhi. To the KalsintaraPranahara group (fatal later on, if any way hurt) belong the eight Vaksha-Marmas, the five Simantas, the four Tala-Marmas, the four Kshipra-Marmas, the four Indra-vastis, the two Katika-tarunas, the two Pars'va-Sandhis, the two Vrihatis, and the two Nitamvas. To the Visalyaghna class belong the two Utkshepas and the one Sthapani. To the Vaikalyakara (deforming) group belong the Marmas, known as the four Lohitakshas, the four An is, the two Jdnus, the four Urvis, the four Kurchchas, the two Vitapas, the two Kurparas, the two Kukundaras, the two Kakshadharas, the two Vidhuras, the two Krikatikas, the two Ansas (shoulder), the two Ansa-phalakas, (shoulderblades), the two Apangas (tips of eyes), the two Nials, the two Man}'as, the two Phanas and the two Avartas. A learned physician should know that the two Gulphas,

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the two Mani-vandhas and the four Kurchcha-Sirah (of the hands and legs) belong to the Rujakara group (painful if hurt). A piercing of the Kshipra-Marma ends in an instantaneous death ; or death may follow at a later tinic. 16-2 f.

Firm unions of Mdnsa (muscles), Sira (veins), Snayu (ligaments), bones or bone-joints are called Marmas (or vital parts of the body) which naturally and specifically form the seats of life (Praina), and hence a hurt to any one of the Marmas invariably produces such symptoms as arise from the hurt of a certain Marma * 22.

The Marmas belonging to the Sadya-Pranahara group are possessed of fiery virtues (thermogenetic) ; as fiery virtues are easily enfeebled, so they prove fatal to life (in the event of being any way hurt) ; while those belonging to the Kdlantara-Pranahara group are fiery and lunar (cool) in their properties. And as the fiery virtues are enfeebled easily and the cooling virtues take a considerable time in being so, the Marmas of this group prove fatal in the long run (in the event of being any way hurt, if not instantaneously like the preceding ones). The Vis'alyaghna Marmas are possessed of Vataja properties (that is, they arrest the escape of the vital Vayu) ; so long as the dart does not allow the Vayu to escape from their injured interior, the life prolongs ; but as soon as the dart is extricated, the Vayu escapes from the inside of the hurt and necessarily proves fatal. The Vaikalyakaras are possessed of Saumya (lunar properties) and they retain the vital fluid owing to their steady and cooling virtues, and hence tend only to deform the organism

* Some are of opinion that hallucination, delirium, death, stupor and coma as described in the Sutrast anam are the results of injuries to thes Mar as.