An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita (Bhishagratna ed.)

three muscles in each of the toes, thus making .fifteen in the toes of one leg ; ten in the anterior part of the foot and the same number (ten") attached to the Kurchcha ; ten in the sole and the ankle-bone (Gulpha, — malledi) ; twenty in the region between the Gulpha and the knee- joint ; five in the knee-joint (Janu) ; twenty in the thigh (Uru) ; and ten in the groin (Vankshana) ; thus making one hundred muscles in all in each leg. The same number is found in each of the other three extremities ; (thus making four hundred in all). 2^.

Muscles in the Koshtha : -(Of the sixty- six muscles in the trunk), three are in the region of the

* Gayadasa reads sixty in the trunks and forty above the clavicles,

170 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. Chap. V.]

anus (Pa/u) ; one In the penis; one in the perineum
(Sevan i) ; two in the scrotum ; five in each of the
haunches (Sphik) ; two in the top or head of the
bladder ; five in the abdomen (Udara) ; one about the
umbilicus ; five along each side (of the spinal column),
on the upper part of the back (making ten in all) ; six
in the sides ; ten in the chest ; seven around the armpits
and shoulders (Akshaka-Ansa) ; two in the region of
heart and stomach (Amas'aya) ; and six in the region
of the liver, spleen and colon (Unduka). 39.

IVIuscIesof the Head and Neck :— (Of

the thirty-four muscles found in this region), four are in the throat (Grivd) ; eight in the two jaw-bones (Hanu) ; one each in the regions of the throat (Kakalaka and Gala) ; two in the palate ; one in the tongue ; two in the lips : two in the nose ; two in the eyes ; four in the cheeks ; two in the ears ; four in the forehead ; and one in the head. Thus the positions and distribu- tions of the five hundred muscles (Pesis) have been described. 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 des-
cribed 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.]

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.

Now vvc shall discourse on the Sdrlram which speci- fically 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 organ-
ism), 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) ; forty-
one Sird-Marmas (similar veins, anastomosis) ; twenty-
seven Snayu-Marmas (vital ligament-unions) ; eight
Asthi-Marmas (bone-unions) and twenty Sandhi-Marmas
(^vulnerable joints). 3.

Their Locations :~0f these, eleven are in
one leg, thus making twenty-two in the two lower ex-
tremities, 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.

i;?'4 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHItA. Chap. Vl.]

thorax and the abdomen (Udara) are Guda (anus), Vast!
(bladdery, xN^abhi (umbilicus), Hridaya (heart), Stana-
mula (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, Stana-
mula, 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, Ansa-
phalaka, 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

Qualitative classes :— Again these Marmas
(vital unions of the body) are under five distinct heads,
namely, Sadya-Pranahara, (fatal within twenty-four
hours), Kalantara-Pranahara, (fatal within a fortnight
or a month), Visalyaghna (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-Prdnahara group ; thirty-three to
the Kalantara-Pranahara group ; three to the Visalya-
ghna group; forty-four to the Vaikalyakara group ; and
eight to the Rujcikara group. 15.

Memorable Verses :— To the Sadya-Praina-

hara group (fatal in the course of a day if anywa\' hurt)
belong the four Sring^takas, one Adhipati, the two
Sankhas, the eight Kantha-Sirds, the Guda, the
Hridaya, the Vasti and the Nabhi. To the Kailadltara-
Pranahara 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
Parsva-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 Kaksha-
dharas, the two Vidhuras, the two Krikatikas, the two
Ansas (shoulder), the two Ansa-phalaka.s, (shoulder-
blades), the two Apangas (tips of eyes), the two Nials,
the two Manyas, the two Phanas and the two Avartas.
A learned physician should know that the two Gulphas,

176 THE SUSHRUTA SAMIIITA. [Chap. VI.

the two Mani-vandhas and the four Kurchcha-S'irah (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 time. 16-2 t.

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 specifi- cally form the seats of life (Pratna), and hence a hurt to any one of the Marmas invariably produces such symp- toms 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 Kalantara-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.

Chap. VI.] SARIRA STHANAM. IJJ

in the event of their being hurt, instead of bringing
on death. The Ruj^kara Marmas of fiery and Vataja
properties become extremely painful inasmuch as both
of them are pain-generating in their properties.
Others, on the contrary, hold the pain to be the result
of the properties of the five material components of
the body (Pancha-bhautika). 23.