Basic Module 3 - Lesson 3

SVEDANA KARMA

EXPLANATORY NOTES

SAṄKARA SVEDA

तत्र वस्त्रान्तरितैरवस्त्रान्तरितैर्वा पिण्डैर्यथोक्तैरुपस्वेदनं सङ्करस्वेद इति विद्यात्||(Cha. Su. 14/41)

The process of thermal sudation by means of a bolus  with or without wrapping cloth is known as Saṅkara  Sveda or Piṇda Sveda.

तिलमाषकुलत्थाम्लघृततैलामिषौदनैः|

पायसैः कृशरैर्मांसैः पिण्डस्वेदं प्रयोजयेत्||||

गोखरोष्ट्रवराहाश्वशकृद्भिः सतुषैर्यवैः|

सिकतापांशुपाषाणकरीषायसपूटकैः||||

श्लैष्मिकान् स्वेदयेत् पूर्वैर्वातिकान् समुपाचरेत्|

द्रव्याण्येतानि शस्यन्ते यथास्वं प्रस्तरेष्वपि | (Cha. Su. 14/25)

  • This is is of two types- Rūkṣa  and Snigdha. Sudation done with boluses of sesamum, blackgram, horsegram, sour preparations, ghee, oil cooked rice, rice cooked with milk, preparation of rice and pulse, meat is called as Snigdha  Piṇda Sveda. It is specifically indicated in Vāta Rōga.
  • Sudation done with faeces of cow, ass, camel, pig and horse, husked barley, sand, dust, stone pieces, dried cowdung and iron balls is called as Rūkṣa Piṇda Sveda. It is indicated in Kaphaja Vikāra.

Indications :- Rūkṣa Cūrṇa Piṇḍa Sveda-Kaphapradhana Roga, Āmajanya Roga, Medo Roga, Āmavāta

Snigdha  Cūrṇa Piṇḍa  Sveda- Vātapradhana conditions, Sandhigatavāta, Kaṭiśūla

PRASTARA SVEDA

शूकशमीधान्यपुलाकानां वेशवारपायसकृशरोत्कारिकादीनां वा प्रस्तरे कौशेयाविकोत्तरप्रच्छदेपञ्चाङ्गुलोरुबूकार्कपत्रप्रच्छदे वास्वभ्यक्तसर्वगात्रस्य शयानस्योपस्वेदनं प्रस्तरस्वेद इति विद्यात्| | (Cha. Su. 14/42)

Type:  Snigdha 

In this Sveda, a mattress is prepared by spreading Śūka or Śamī Dhānya, Pulāka, Veśavāra (steamed boneless meat), Pāyasa (sweet porridge), Kṛśara (boiled mixture of pulses and cereals), and Utkārika (pudding cake) evenly and cover it with Kauśeya Vastra, Eraṇḍa Pātra or Arka Patra. Then the patient who has properly anointed with oil should lie over this and cover the body with blanket till proper Svedana  occurs.

Indications: – Pr̥ṣṭhaśūla, Pārśvaśūla, Kaṭīśūla, Gr̥dhrasī, Kaṭī Graha

NĀḌĪ SVEDA

स्वेदनद्रव्याणां पुनर्मूलफलपत्रशुङ्गादीनां मृगशकुनपिशितशिरस्पदादीनामुष्णस्वभावानां वायथार्हमम्ललवणस्नेहोपसंहितानां मूत्रक्षीरादीनां वा कुम्भ्यां बाष्पमनुद्वमन्त्यामुत्क्वथितानां नाड्याशरेषीकावंशदलकरञ्जार्कपत्रान्यतमकृतया गजाग्रहस्तसंस्थानया व्यामदीर्घया व्यामार्धदीर्घया वाव्यामचतुर्भागाष्टभागमूलाग्रपरिणाहस्रोतसा सर्वतो वातहरपत्रसंवृतच्छिद्रया द्विस्त्रिर्वा विनामितयावातहरसिद्धस्नेहाभ्यक्तगात्रो बाष्पमुपहरेत्; बाष्पो ह्यनृजुगामी विहतचण्डवेगस्त्वचमविदहन् सुखं स्वेदयतीतिनाडीस्वेदः |

(Cha. Su. 14/43)

Drugs used for fomentation include Varuṇa, Guḍūci, Śigru, Mālatī, Bṛhat Pañcamūla etc or animal-based articles (flesh and heads of animals and birds) are mixed up with sour, salt or unctuous substances and urine, milk, etc. and decocted in a pitcher in such a way that the vapour does not leak out. Then, a pipe made up of leaves of Vaṃśa, Karañja or Arka with its fore part having the shape of the trunk of an elephant is inserted into the pitcher. The pipe required should be of one vyāma (91.44cm) or half a Vyāma (45.72 cm) length, with its circumference being one-fourth of a Vyāma (22.86 cm) in its proximal end, one-eighth of a Vyāma in the distal end, and curved twice or thrice. All the clefts in the pipe should be well covered with leaves that alleviate Vāta. The well-massaged patient should then get this steam through the curved pipe. Curvatures of the pipe help in lessening the intensity of steam and thus help in providing a comfortable fomentation experience. This fomentation technique is called Nāḍi Sveda

Indications: – Vātapradhāna conditions, Sandhigata Vāta

IMPORTANT SLOKA

सङ्करः प्रस्तरो नाडी परिषेकोऽवगाहनम्|

जेन्ताकोऽश्मघनः कर्षूः कुटी भूः कुम्भिकैव च

कूपो होलाक इत्येते स्वेदयन्ति त्रयोदश |                          (Ch.Su.14/39)

13 types of sveda explained by Ācārya Caraka are Saṅkara, Prastara, Nādi, Pariṣeka, Avagāha, Jentāka, Aśmghna, Karṣu, Kuṭī, Bhū, Kumbhī, Kūpa, Holāka Sveda.               

तत्र वस्त्रान्तरितैरवस्त्रान्तरितैर्वा पिण्डैर्यथोक्तैरुपस्वेदनं सङ्करस्वेद इति विद्यात्||       (Ch.Su.14/41)

The process of thermal sudation by means of a bolus  with or without wrapping cloth is known as Saṅkara  Sveda or Piṇda Sveda.