Kuṣṭharoga in Gaḍurapurāṇam and Carakasaṁhitā
European Journal of Molecular & Clinical Medicine,
2020, Volume 7, Issue 11, Pages 1420-1424
Abstract
Ayurveda has considered all the skin diseases under a common head known as kuṣṭharoga. The term kuṣṭha, in English known as leprosy, literally means discoloration, disgrace, disfiguration of the normal skin texture. Amarakośa, the lexicographical work defines the term kuṣṭha as vyādhiḥ kuṣṭhaṁ pāribhāvyaṁ vyāpyaṁ pākalamutpalaṁ/ śamkhinī corapuṣpī syātkeśinyatha vitunnakaḥ//[i]Ayurveda states that skin made up of seven layers against the modern thinking of three layers i.e. epidermis, dermis and hypo dermis. According to Śuśrutasaṁhitā, tvacā or skin has seven layers viz. avabhāṣiṇī, lohita, sveta, tāmra, vedinī, rohiṇī and maṁsadhara. These layers, when get affected by imbalanced doṣas i.e. vital energetic forces of body; give rise to different skin diseases.[ii] A number of Ayurvedic treatises deal with the diseases of skin along with its healing system viz. Carakasaṁhitā, Bhaiṣajyaratnāvalī, Ātreyasaṁhitā etc. On the other hand, the second hymn of first anuvāk of first chapter of Atharvaveda has dealt with kuṣṭharoga and discussed regarding its symptoms and ailments. Besides these, Gaḍurapurāṇaṁ also gives us an exhaustive discussion on kuṣṭharoga. The aim of this paper is to discuss about kuṣṭharoga regarding its types, symptoms and ailments on the basis of Carakasaṁhitā and Gaḍurapurāṇaṁ.
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