UNDERSTANDING SAMHITA WITH DRUSHTANTA W.S.
R ORNITHOLOGY Commented [d1]: UNDERSTANDING DRUSHTANTA
TANTRAYUKTI IN CHARAKA SAMHITA WITH ORNITHOLOGY
can be more appropriate
ABSTRACT
In Ayurveda classics, there are few techniques which are very useful to understand Samhita and
their use helps in application of these principles in routine. But these techniques are less and less
utilized while reading Samhita as their meaning of those similar terms cannot be differentiated.
For example: Drushtanta, NidarshanaTantraYukti, NirvachanaTantrayukti and
UpamanaPramana. In order to solve this problem we have to refer text again. Commented [d2]: The abstract is too short to give a
proper outlook of the manuscript. Write the keywords
Drushtanta
Under the context of 44 Vadamarga, one of them is Drushtanta.
, , ,
, ;
./
Drushtanta is that which is used to explain a context with an example which is understood by
Moorkha as well as Vidusha.
Moorkha- (- , - )
Vidusha -
Upamana
- //
; ,
, . /
-
...........
Here a non-popular concept is explained with a popular concept. For example, Medical students
may not have seen a patient having DandakaRoga which has a very rare occurrence. So the
teacher must explain this unfamiliar concept with a simile which is known to all i.e a Danda or
stick. Stick is very familiar to all. But rate of incidence of Dandaka is very less. (0.1 per 1
million population-Tetanus Surveillance-United States, 20012008)
Giving such simile he tries to tell that how a person expert in archery will never miss his aim in
case the aim is clear, big and not too far etc, similarly a doctor with all perfect Chatushpada will
provide health to patient. So here also Drushtanta is given which is popular among the laymen.
Nidarshana and NirvachanaTantrayukti
- . /
.... -
. /
Pandita- - /
Nidarshana Tantrayukti is similar to Drushtanta which is a example given that can be understood
by Moorkha as well as Vidusha. But Nirvachana Tantrayukti is that which can be understood by Commented [d3]: All Sanskrit words in italic font
Pandita only. It can be considered as Nirukti or derivation too which is understood by Pandita.
INTRODUCTION
Drushtanta were given in classics so that they would be understood by the students very easily.
In the routine when they faced similar situations they would remember the Drushtanta and
comparison would help them gain practical knowledge of subject which they had understood in
theory. These Drushtanta were taken from the nature, which were very commonly seen and felt
by the students.
In the present situation the concepts are unclear to us because the change that has taken place
since years (from the time of text till present), lot of difference in the things we see in nature, our
relation with the natureand ourapproach towards nature.
The usual Drushtanta that were given from nature were-
1. Related to Substancesseen aound like Ghata, Pata, Kedara-Kulya, Ksheera-Dadhi etc
2. Related to activities like Yudhabhoomi-Chamu, Paka-kriya, Ishvasa etc
3. Related to living beings like Vruksha, Pakshi, Pashu etc
As we are drifting apart from nature we are unable to understand these concept better. In order to
understand this difference that has aroused in present era, a concept of Ornithology was studied
to understand Bird behavior and their Drushtanta taken in texts.
Ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the study of birds.The origins of the
word ornithology come from the Greek ornithologos and late 17th-century
Latin ornithologia meaning "bird science". Commented [d4]: Write the reference
There are two essentially different kinds of ornithology:
1. Systematic or Scientific
2. Popular
The former deals with the structure and classification of birds, their synonymies and technical
descriptions. The latter deals with their habits, songs, nesting, and other facts pertaining to their
life histories.
In our olden days people were though not interested in classifying them under different species,
they observed their structure (few instruments are named by the structure of these birds, their
beaks, their claws etc.), behavior (birds are capable of flying high in sky compared to any other
living beings), their nesting behavior (they never leave their nestlings for long time) and their
manners with humans (they return to their masters how far they fly).
MATERIALS/ REVIEW OF LITERATURE
1. CharakaSamhita with Ayurveda DeepikaConmmentary
2. CharakaSamhita with GangadharaVyakhya
3. ShabdaKalpaDruma
4. Amarakosha
5. Sanskrit- English dictionary by VamanaShivaramaApte
6. Various internet sources
METHOD OF STUDY
The bird behavior that are commonly observed and are mentioned in Ornithology were listed and
compared to the Drushtanta given in CharakaSamhita to understand few concept of Ayurveda.
OBSERVATION AND DISCUSSION
Bird behaviors that were found similar to the Drushtanta given in CharakaSamhita and found by
bird observers were-
1. | Charaka
Shareera 4/38
|Charaka Shareera
4/40
Among various Kaya- 7 SatvikaKaya, 6 RajasikaKaya, 4 TamasikaKaya are seen.
Among 6 RajasikaKaya, one is ShakunaKaya, which refers the Satva of such people are
similar to bird behavior. They tend to fall to various feelings soon. They also have the
nature of preserving food.
The Researchers of Ornithology found that birdsviolently defend their nest holes. A
scientist in 1889 reported cases of House Sparrows attacking 70 different bird species.
Nervous birds flick their tails. Aggravated birds crouch with the body horizontal, shove
their head forward and partially spread and roll forward their wings, and hold the tail
erect. This can intensify to a display with wings lifted, crown and throat feathers standing
on end, tail fanned, and beak open1. Especially during fall and winter, many birds hide
food to retrieve and eat at a later time. This behavior is called "caching". Caching helps
birds survive during bad weather and when food sources are low. These birds store
hundreds of seeds a day. Each seed is placed in a different location and they remember
where each one is, even a month later2.
2. ..... ...Charaka Chikitsa 2/4/3-6
....
|... Gangadhara
The sparrows are considered to be very famous for frequent copulation, similar nature is
seen in few men.While in elephants time duration of copulation is more, not the
frequency of copulation.So similar synonyms were found in Shabda Kalpa Druma for the
Chatakatoo. Commented [d5]: In italic font
..., ...Shabda Kalpa Druma
One of the reasons that sparrows have been popular as food as given by experts of
Ornithology, is that they have been thought of as an aphrodisiac, because of their frequent
and visible copulating. House sparrows have a reputation for lecherousness that can be
traced back as far as Aristotle (384-322BC), and Chaucer, Shakespeare and John Donne
all associated the bird with sexual behavior. According to Nicholas Culpeper, the
medieval herbalist and dietician, "the brain of sparrows when eaten provokes the lust
exceedingly". The tree sparrow has the same reputation in the East3.
3. ||
Charaka Chikitsa 15/4
...
, ....
| Chakrapani
- - | Shabda
Kalpa Druma.
In the formation of Dhatu, various Nyaya are mentioned like Ksheera- Dadhi Nyaya,
Kedara-Kulya Nyaya, Khale Kapota Nyaya. Under Khale Kapota Nyaya- its mentioned
that pegions after collecting its nutrition from a particular sites, goes to its own destiny.
The time taken to reachits destiny depends on thedistance it has to travel. similarly each
Dhatu gets nourished at particulartime based on the distance of the nutrition and site of
Dhatu.Like the nourishment is target specific, similar to the Kapota or pegion is also Commented [d6]: Spell check
target specific.
There are many theories about how pigeons manage to return home when released
100s of miles from their loft. A champion racing pigeon can be released 400-600 miles
away from its home and still return within the day. This amazing feat does not just apply
to racing or homing pigeons, all pigeons have the ability to return to their roost. A 10-
year study carried out by Oxford University concluded that pigeons use roads and
freeways to navigate, in some cases even changing direction at freeway junctions. Other
theories include navigation by use of the earths magnetic field, visual clues such as
landmarks, the sun and even infrasound's (low frequency seismic waves). Whatever the
truth, this unique ability makes the pigeon a very special bird4.
4.
| Charaka Chikitsa 28/56-57
| Amarakosha
-speed, Rapid motion. Sanskrit-English dictionary by VamanaShivaramApte
Gridhrasi is a disease which is having a similar gait of Gridhra i.e. Vulture. The gait will Commented [d7]: Italic font
be abnormal in Gridhrasi, which is simulated with gait of Vulture. Since Gridhra was
commonly seen by the students, it was easy for the teacher to explain about the disease.
This was observed by the various experts of Ornithology. It is noticed that at leisure the
Black Vulture walks with a peculiar gait, on the ground, they walk with a waddling gait,
the rear bouncing with each step. When more hurried the bird gallops, with the tail
angled up, the head lowered and the body held more horizontally5.
RESULTS
Based on the observation done in this study, it is found that there is a necessity to understand our
Shastra with the help of the Nature. The rapidity with which we are drifting away from nature, it
appears that it will be difficult to understand Shastra in upcoming years, as our science is found
very close to nature and it is derived from nature. So it can be stressed that study of other
sciences which are related to nature like Ornithology should be done, i.eParatantravalokana
(one of the Buddhi-medhakaroGana) to enhance our intelligence in understanding the Shastra.
CONCLUSION
These are the few examples taken from classics to understand the concept of Drushtanta. Such
deep analysis of each Drushtanta will give us better knowledge of our science. This effort is
needed at present since we have already drifted apart from nature. Any Drushtanta given from
the nature is very less grasped by us.
References
1. Birding.about.com (Bird Behavior/ Bird Emotions) Commented [d8]: Write reference according to desired
2. Wildbirdsunlimited.typepad.com journal guidelines
3. www.independent.co.uk
(Journal of Avian Biology-32:120-126. Copenhagen 2001)-Pair copulation frequency
correlated with female reproductive performance in tree Sparrows Passer montanus.
4. www.deterapigeon.com
Pigeons reveal map-reading secret- BBC News
By Jane J. Lee-New Theory on How Homing Pigeons Find Home -National
Geographic News
5. TheRaptors of Arizona (1998, Richard L. Glinski, Arizona. Game and Fish Dept.)
Handbook of the birds of India and Pakistan, Volume 1 (2 Ed.) (1978, Ali Salim, Ripley,
Sidney Dillon) Oxford University Press.
