A decoction o^ B/iadras^'rifam'^ and Chandanam is indica- ted in the case when the menstrual fluid would smell like fetid pus, or contain marrow. The remedies described under the head of seminal disorders, should be likewise prescribed in cases of menstrual anomalies caused by the action of the deranged Vdyu, Pittam and Kaphah according to the requirements of each individual case under treatment. Sdli-rice, barley, wine and meat with cholagogue properties should be deemed as a wholesome diet in these cases. 13 — 16.
Traits of pure and healthy semen and menstrual blood : — Semen which is
transparent like crystal, fluid, glossy, sweet and emits
the smell of honey ; or like oil or honey in appearance
according to others, should be considered as healthy.
The catamenial blood (Artava) which is red like the
blood of a hare, or the washings of shellac and leaves
no stains on cloths (which may be washed off by
simply soaking them in water) should be considered as
healthy. 17—18.
Asrig'dara (Menorrhagia) :— An abnormal or excessive discharge of the menstrual blood (Artava), or its long persistence even after the wonted time, or its appearance at a premature or unnatural period (as well as contrarity in its colour or properties) is called Asrigdara. All types of the disease (Asrigdara) are attended with an aching in the limbs and a painful flow (of the catamenial fluid). In case of excessive hoemorrhage (from the uterus), symptoms such as weak- ness, vertigo, loss of consciousness, darkness of vision, or difficult breathing, thirst, burning (sensation of the body), delirium, palour, somnolence and other Vataja
* Bhadras'riyam is 8'richandanam according to Dallana or white Sandal \vood according Gayadasj^.
126 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. II.
troubles (convulsion, hysteria etc.) may set in. A
physician should treat a case of Asrigdara with
measures and remedies as laid down under the head of
R^kta-pittam (hoemorrhage) in a case when the
patient is young (of sixteen years), careful in her diet,
and the disease unattended with severe complica-
tions. 19 -2t.
Amcnorrhoe : -In a case of suppression of
menstruation (Amenorrhoe) caused by the obstruction
of the deranged Doshas (Vayu and Kapham) in the
passage, the patient should be advised to take fish,
Kulattha pulse, Masha pulse, Kanjikam fermented sour
gru 1 etc.), Tila, wine (Sura), cow's urine, whey, half
diluted Takra, curd and S^uktam for her diet. The
symptoms and treatment of thin and scanty menstrua-
tion have been described before. Still in such a case
measures laid down for the treatment of Nashta-Rakta
(amenorrhoe) may be adopted. Under a course of
treatment described as before, the semen or the cata-
menial blood of a person would be resorted to their
healthy and normal condition. 22 — 23.
A woman with (healthy) catamenial flow should
forego the bed of her husband during the first three
days of her uncleanness, as well as day sleep and
colly rium. S'le shall not shed tears nor bathe, nor
smear her person (with sandal paste etc.\ nor anoint
her body, nor pare her nail, nor run, nor indulge in
loud and excessive laughter and talk, nor should she
hear loud noise, nor comb her hiir, nor expose herself
to droughts, nor do any fatiguing work at all ; because
if a woman sleeps in the day time (during the first three
days of her period) her child of subsequent conception
becomes sleepy or somnolent. The woman who applies
collyrium along her eyelids (during those days), giv^es
Cliap. il.] SARIRA STHANAM. 1 27
birth to a blind child ; by shedding tears (during her
period) a woman gives birth to a child of defective eye-
sight ; by bathing or smearing her body (with sandal
paste etc.) a miserable one ; by anointing her body
a leper (Kushthi) ; by paring her nails a child with bad
nails ; by running a restless one ; by indulging in ex-
cessive laughter, a child with brown (S>ava) teeth or
palate or tongue ; by excessive talking a garrulous
child or one of incoherent speech ; by hearing loud
sounds, a deaf child ; by combing her hair, a bald one ;
whereas by exposure to the wind or by doing
fatiguing work (during the first three days of her
period) she gives birth to an insane child (conceived
immediately after it >. Hence these acts (day sleep etc)
arc to be avoided. 24
Regimen to be observed in her
menses : —A woman in her menses should lie down
on a matress made of Kits' a blades (during the first three
days of her uncleanness), should take her food from, her
own blended palms or from earthen sauces, or from trays
made of leaves. She shonld live on a course of Habishya
diet and forswear during the time, even the sight of her
husband. After this period, on the fourth day she should
take a ceremonial ablution, put on a new (untorn)
garment and ornaments and then visit her husband after
having uttered the words of necessary benediction 25.
Metrical Text :— A child conceived after the
period resembles the man whom she first sees after
ablution on the fourth day of her menses ; hence she
should see none but her husband* at that time (so that
the child may resemble his father). After that the
priest shall perform the rites (Garbhadhana ceremony),
* In the case of the hubband being absent at the time, she should look at the sun.
128. THE SUSHRUTA SAMKtlTA. [Chap. it.
to help the conception of a male child and after the
ceremony a wise husband should observe the following
rules of conduct. 26 — 27.
Conduct of Husband :— A husbaud wish- ing to beget a son by his wife, should not visit her bed for a month (before the day of the next flow). Then on the fourth day of her uncleanness, he should anoint or lubricate his body with Ghrita, should partake of a food in the afternoon or evening composed of boiled S^ctli rice, milk and clarified butter, and then visit the bed of his wife The wife also, in her tern, should observe a similar vow of sexual abstinence (Brahma-charini) for a month before that day on which she should anoint or lubricate her body with oil, partake of food largely composed of oil and Masha pulse, and then meet her husband at night. The husband then having uttered the appro- priate Veda Mantras and having awakened confidence in the wife, should go unto her on the fourth, sixth, eighth, tenth or on the twelfth night of her menses for the progenation of a male child. 28.
IVIetrical Text ;— A visit to the wife on any
of these nights leads to the continual increase of the
wealth, progeny, and the duration of the husband's life.
On the other hand, a visit to one's wife on the fifth,
seventh, ninth, or eleventh day of her flow leads to the
conception of a female child The thirteenth and the
remaining days (till the next course) are condemned
as regards intercourse. 29—30
Prohibited Period etc. :— A going unto
one's wife on the first day of her monthly course tends to shorten one's life and a child born of the act dies imme- diately after its delivery. The same result is produced by a visit on the secontl day, or the child dies lying-in locm i.e. ten days of its birth ; A visit on the third day
Chap, n.j SARIRA STHANAM. 1 29
leads to the child's being deformed and short-lived. A child which is the fruit of a visit on the fourth day lives long, will be well developed and remain in the full vigour of health. The semen cast in the womb of a woman during the continuance of her monthly flow does not become fruitful because it is carried back and flows out in the same manner as a thing thrown into a stream does not go against but is carried away with the current. Hence a husband should foreswear the company of his wife during the first three days of her uncleanness, when she also should observe a vow of sexual abstinence ; the husband should not visit his wife within the month 'after the twelfth day of her menses). 31.
After the impregnation on any of these nights, three
or four drops (of the expressed juice) of any of the
following drugs such as Lakshand, Vata-S'unga! ,
S'ahadevd or Vis'vadevd, mixed with milk should be
poured into the right nostril of the enceinte for the
conception of a male child and care should be taken
that she does not spit it away. 32,
lYIetrical Text :— A co-ordination of the four factors of menstrual period (Ritu), healthy womb (Kshetra), nutrient liquid le. chyle of digested food (Ambu), healthy semen (Vija) and the proper observance of the rules is necessary for the conception and develop- ment of a healthy child just as the proper season (Ritu), good soil (Kshetra), water (containing nutrient matter) and vigorous seeds (Vija) together with proper care, help the germination of strong and undiseased sprouts. A child which is the fruit of such conception is destined to be beautiful, of vigorous health, generous, long-lived, virtuous, attached to the good of its parents and capable of discharging its parental obliga- tions. 33.
130 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHItA. [Chap. tl.
Causes of different colours of the Child:— The fiery principle (Teja-dhaitu) of the
organism, which is the originator of all colours of the
skin (complexion), happening to mix largely with the
watery principle of the body at the time of conception,
serves to make the child a fair complexioned one
(Gaura-varna) ; mixed with a large quantity of the
earth principle (Kshiti) of the body, it makes the chiid a
dark complexioned one (Krishna-varna). In combi-
nation with a large quantity of earth and ethereal
principles of the organism, it imparts a dusky (Krishna-
syama) complexion (to the full developed fcetus). A
similar combination of watery and ethereal principles
serves to make the child dusky yellow (Gaura-syama).
Others on the contrary aver that the complexion of the
child is determined by the colours of the food taken
by its mother during the period of gestation. 34.
A child is born blind in the failure of the fiery
principle (Teja-dhatu) of the organism in reaching the
region of its still undeveloped eyes (part — where the
eyes would be) ; so also a penetration by the same
(Teja-dhatu) into its blood accounts for the blood-shot
eyes of the child. Entered into the Pittam it makes
the child a yellow-pupiled one (Pingalaksha). Entered
into its bodily Kapham it makes it a white-eyed body
and mixed with its bodily Viyu, a child of defective
eyesight. 35.
Memorable verses:— As a lump of con-
densed clarified butter melts and expands if placed by
the side of a fire, so the ovum (Artava) of a woman is dis-
lodged and glides away in contact with an adult male*.
* Sus'iula's theory is that ovulation occurs about the same time as menstruation and rather initiates the latter, and the shed ova are washed out wiih the menstrual flow, hence there is a possibility of conception on
Chap. II.] SARIRA STHANAM. I31
A seed divided into two by the deranged Vayu within
the (cavity of the) uterus (Kukshi) gives rise to the birth
of twins, conditioned by the good or evil deeds of their
prior existence * A child born of scanty paternal
sperm becomes an Asekya and feels no sexual desire
(erection) without previously (sucking the genitals and)
drinking the semen of another man. A child begotten
in a sordid vagina is called a Sougandhika, whose
organ does not respond to the sexual desire without
smelling the genitals of others. The man who first be-
comes a passive member of an act of sodomy and then
again commits sodomy with the woman (he visits) is
called a Kumbhika (or Guda-yoni and is included
within the category of a Kliva). 2>^ — 40.
The man who cannot copulate with a woman without
previously seeing the sexual intercourse of another couple
is called Irshaka. A child born of an act of fecund-
ation foolishly or ignorantly effected during the menses
of its mother by its progenitor by holding her on his
bosom during the act is called a Shanda and invariably
exhibits effeminate traits in his character. A daughter
born of a woman riding on her husband during the act
of sexual intercourse will develop masculine traits in
her character. 41 — 43.
