PG Module 2
SNEHANA
EXPLANATORY NOTES
INDICATIONS AND CONTRAINDICATIONS OF SNEHANA
Arha & Anarha
स्नेहार्ह – persons eligible for internal oleation
स्वेद्यः शोधयितव्याश्च रूक्षा वातविकारिणः।
व्यायाम मद्यस्त्रीनित्याः स्थुर्ये च चिन्तकाः॥ – च.सू.१३/५२
व्यायाममद्य चिन्तामैथुननित्याः श्रमाध्वकृशदेहाः।
स्नेह्यास्तथाविधाः स्युर्वलकालवयोग्निसात्म्यज्ञैः॥ – का.अ.सु.२२/२६
स्वेद्य अंशोध्यमद्यस्त्रिव्यायामासक्ताचिन्तका।
वृद्धबालाऽबलकृशाक्षाः क्षीणास्त्ररेतसः॥
वार्तास्यन्दतिमिरदारुणप्ततिबोधिनः॥ – अ.हृ.सू.२६/७, अ.स.सू.२५/७-८
………………..विरेच्यांश्चैव मानवान्।
आस्यात्यनुवारयांश्चवातव्याधीश्चसर्वशः॥ – भे.स.सू.21
Oleation is advised for those who are to be given sweating treatment or elimination therapy, those who have excessive roughness in the body, those suffering from diseases due to vāta vitiation, those who do physical exercise every day. Those who are involved in wine and women and those who suffer from excessive mental strain, aged, weak, children, syanda, Timira, low quality of semen and blood.
Sarvāṅgasundarī – Svedyasādhya persons are indicated for snehana. Abala is commented as alpabala. Syanda is described as akṣiroga. Dāruṇapratibodha is explained as kṛcchronmīla.
Āyurvedarasāyana – Syanda is commented as netrakopa.
Śaśilekhā specifies dāruṇapratibodha as vartmaroga.
Āyurvedadīpikā elaborates on svedya as स्वतन्त्रस्वेदसाद्ध्या वातरुगार्तादय viz., those who undergo śamanāngasveda as the śodhanāngasvedasādhya are understood from sādhya.
Śāraṅgadhara has the same opinion.
Kaśyapa says before giving snehapāna one must think about bala, āyu and sātmya of the patient.
Table: The general indications of snehana under different scenario:
1 | As a Pūrva Karma | i) Swedya i) Saṃśodhya |
2 | Different Stage of Life | i) Vṛddha ii) Bāla |
3 | In Different Conditions | i) Rūkṣa ii) Kṛśa iii) Abala |
4 | In Different Vihāra | i) Vyāyāma nitya ii) Madya nitya iii) Strī nitya iv) Cintaka v) Śrama |
5 | In Different Diseases | i) Vāta Vikāra ii) Kṣīṇa asrak iii) Kṣīṇa retasa iv) Abhiṣyanda v) Timira |
Why these persons are eligible for snehapāna:
Vyāyāma nitya, madya nitya, cintaka and strī nitya will have excessive vāta vitiation. Snehapāna is the best way to tackle the vitiated vāta.
In vṛddha – excessive tissue depletion (dhātu kṣaya) happens due to age. Snehapāna nourishes the depleted tissues hence it is indicated.
In bala – The dhātus are in developing state and for the development of dhātus snehapāna is given which further nourishes the tissues.
In abala, kṛṣa, rūkṣa, kṣīṇa asra retas – All these conditions are due to excessive vāta vitiation in order to nullify the vitiated vāta snehapāna is given.
Of course, before śodhana, snehapāna must be given, otherwise the dhātus goes for śithilata and the body is destroyed.
अस्नेह्यानांवर्णनं -Persons contra-indicated for oleation
संशोधनास्तेयेषांरूक्षणं संप्रवक्ष्यते।
न तेषां स्नेहनं शस्तमुत्सन्न कफ मेदसां॥
अभिष्यण्णाननगुदा नित्यमन्दाग्नयश्च ये।
अन्नद्विषश्छर्दयन्तो जठरामगरार्दिताः॥
दुर्बलाश्च प्रतान्ताश्च स्नेहग्लाना मदातुराः।
न स्नेह्या वर्तमानेषु न नस्तोबस्ति कर्मसु॥
स्नेहपानात् प्रजायन्ते तेषां रोगाः सुदारुणाः। – च.सू.१३/५३-५६
अजीर्णी वर्जयेत्श्नेहमुदरी तरुणज्वरी।
दुर्बलोऽरोचकी स्थूलो मूर्च्छार्तो मदपीडितः॥
दत्वबस्तिर्विरक्तश्च वान्तस्तृष्णाश्रमान्वितः।
अकालप्रसवा नारी दुर्दिने च विवर्जयेत्॥ – शा.स.उ 1/25-26
निवर्जयेत् स्नेहपानमजीर्णी तरुणज्वरी।
दुर्बलोऽरोचकी स्थूलो मूर्च्छार्तो मदपीडितः॥
छर्द्यर्दितः पिपासार्तः श्रान्तः पान क्लमान्वितः।
दत्तबस्तिर्विरिक्त श्चवान्तो यश्चापिमानवः॥
अकाले दुर्दिने चैव न च स्नेहं पिबेन्नरः।
अकाले च प्रसूता स्त्री स्नेहपान विवर्जयेत्॥ – सु.चि.31/46-47
भावप्रकाश and वङ्गसेने has the same opinion
न स्नेहयेद् गर्भिणीं न प्रसूतां न क्षीरपं नैव दग्धातिवृद्धौ।
न श्लेष्मपित्तोपहतान्तरग्निं मूर्च्छारुचिग्लानिभृशामतृट्सु॥
बस्तौ न नस्तश्चविविधक्रियायां छर्द्याज्वरे विड्प्रकोपेकफे च।
बहत्वजाङ्येषु गलामयेषु न स्नेहयेत् स्नेहमदात्ययेषु॥ – का.स.सू 22/30-31
न स्नेहयेत् प्रमेहे न कुष्ठकफशोषरोगार्तान। – का.स.सू.22/54
न त्वतिमदाग्नितीक्ष्णाग्निस्थूलदुर्बलाः।
उरुस्तम्भाऽतिसारामगलरोगगर उदरैः॥
मूर्छाछर्द्यरुचिश्लेष्मतृष्णामद्यैश्चपीडिताः।
अपप्रसूता युक्ते च नस्ये वस्तौ विरेचने – अ.स.25/8-9, A.H.SU.16/5
Oleation therapy should not be administered to the persons who are eligible for rūkṣaṇa therapy except for administering the śodhana therapy also to those in whom kapha and medas are aggravated. Excessive mucus secretion from mouth and anus due to excessive kapha, those who are weak in digestion, those who suffer from excessive thirst and fainting, pregnant women, dried palate, those who have aversion to food, those who suffer from vomiting, abdominal disease, disease due to improper digestion, those who are affected with artificial poison, the weak, the emaciated. Those having aversion to unctuous substances, intoxicated and those being administered inhalation and enema therapy, if it is administered in the above-said conditions then it may lead to complications of different nature.
Elimination therapy causes too much dryness in the body hence snehapāna must be administered first followed by śodhana.
Arunadatha clarifies that term ‘अति‘ is applicable upto durbala. Atidurbala is contraindicated for snehana whereas alpabala is indicated, which doesn’t contradict the previous statement. Term पीडित is applicable from urustambha till madya.
Mukhapraseka and atisāra are mentioned as abhiṣaṇṇa-ananaguda by Caraka and explained as द्रवप्रधानश्लेष्मविकारी by Cakrapāni.
IN ŪRUSTAMBHA, SNEHANA & PAÑCA KARMAS ARE CONTRAINDICATED BECAUSE OF THE PRESENCE OF ĀMA. -CAKRAPĀṆI
Suśruta adds that other than the above-said persons the following persons should also avoid snehapāna. Those who suffer from recent fever, obesity, the persons who are given vasti, virecana and vamana and on a bad day. The snehapāna should not be given to navaprasūtā.
Kāśyapa says snehapāna should not be given to a kṣīrapa child, in those persons whom agnikarma is done, in a very old person, śleṣma pitta upahata agni (loss of appetite due to śleṣma & pitta). Vāgbhaṭa adds those who suffer from ūrustambha, atisāra and garaviṣa must avoid snehapāna.
Reasons for asnehāys:
1) In Rūkṣaṇa Arhāḥ: – Rūkṣaṇa therapy is indicated in those kapha meda and utkleśana is more and abhiṣyanda is extreme – snehapāna worsens the above said conditions hence it should not be administered.
2) In srotorodha-snehapāna increases the srotorodha. Srotorodha is common in taruṇa jvara, udara roga and ūrustambha.
3) आम & अग्निमान्द्यः Weak agni cannot withstand snehapāna and cannot digest the ghee or other sneha द्रव्याs. In आम there is स्रोतोरोध and if snehapāna administered it may cause lethal complications. It is contraindicated in छर्दि, अरुचि, अजीर्ण, अन्नद्वेषी, विषपीडित. Because in these conditions आम and अग्निमान्द्य is common. Dalhana explains the reasons for contraindications as in aruci, it increases aruci.
4) In दत्तबस्ति, वमन and विरेचन the body is tired and weak, the snehapāna makes the person weaker and tired if administered. Also agni will be manda after these therapies Hence snehapāna is contraindicated. Dalhana explains the reasons for contraindications as it will cause agnimandya, tṛṣṇā, klama etc. along with atiyoga.
5) दुर्बलबालवृद्ध Cannot withstand the snehapāna dose because of their weak धातू. According to Arunadatha, for atidurbala, due to jaraṇa-asakthi snehavyāpat may occur. Dalhana explains the reasons for contraindications as in durbala it causes anga-glani etc.
6) अत्यग्नि–the अग्नि is excess. The snehapāna will act as a fuel to agni and the condition will get worse and may lead to many complications such as tṛṣṇā etc.
According to Arunadatha, Snehana in atitīkṣṇāgni will cause atyagnivṛddhi (स्नेहमेव परं विद्यात्दुर्बलानलदीपनं नालं स्नेहसमिद्धस्य शमायान्नं सुगुर्वपि -अ.हृ-चि- 10/68).
7) In अतिस्थूल- If snehapāna is administered it further it makes the sthaulya worse. According to Arunadatha, in athisthūla, it will cause agni-medovṛddhi. Dalhana explains the reasons for contraindications as in sthūla it causes atisthoulya and also cause srotorodha.
8) अतिसारपीडिता and मद्यपीडिता – The person’s body and mind is already weak hence they cannot withstand snehapāna .
9) In ऊरुस्तम्भ – Sneha व्यापद् occurs if it is administered.
10) In अपप्रसूता – The doṣas are in vitiated state hence cannot be given. Ḍalhaṇa says, in नवप्रसूता there is excess रक्तक्लेद & मला. Snehana provokes them if it is administered. छिद्रोदकोदर-अग्नि is weak hence contra indicated.
11) अजीर्ण- There is आम & अल्पग्नि hence contra indicated. Dalhana explains the reasons for contraindications as in ajīrṇa agni is preoccupied with the digestion of ajīrṇa and hence digestion of sneha will not happen.
12) Mada and Mūrchā- Even though śodhanāṅga snehapāna is indicated in mada and mūrchā, it is included under snehana anarha with the intention to specify that during attack of mada and mūrchā snehapāna is contraindicated because snehana increases mūrchā.
13) In Kṣīrapa Avasthā the body of the child will be having Snigdha Guṇa. Hence Snehapāna is not indicated.
14) Garārdita- If Snehapāna administered in Garārdita, then Sneha by virtue of Vyavāyi and Sara property further potentiate and facilitate the spreading of the poison all over the body. Hence Snehapāna is contraindicated in Garārdita.
15) Durdina- Durdina means the day of cloudy atmosphere. In this atmosphere the chances of aggravation of Kapha and Mandāgni is high. So Snehana is contraindicated.
