Prognosis Signs Based On The Messenger – Doota Adhishtita Arishta

By Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa, B.A.M.S
Doota means messenger. In olden days the messengers from patient’s family used to come to the physician’s home to inform him about the illness of the ailing family member. They also would take the doctor with them to the patient’s home by carrying his medicinal kit and sometimes giving him lift in a cart or carriage and also drop him back. This was probably the first ever evidence of family doctor or ‘doctor’s home visit’.
Read – Arishta Lakshanas – Ominous Signs And Symptoms Indicating Bad Prognosis

Prognosis of patient’s condition and the disease can be made out by by seeing the condition of the messenger who has come to the doctor’s doorstep.

Table of Contents

Physician – messenger

1. Prognosis based on the condition of the physician when the messenger arrives

Hairs scattered
Naked
Crying
Carelessly seated
Sleeping
Cutting or spitting something
Performing fire sacrifice or offering other sacrifices to his elders as per rituals
Telling or thinking something inauspicious
Speaking about death, burnt things or destruction
Doing some untoward activities

When the physician is doing one or more of the above said when the messenger visits him, he should not attend the patient because these are inauspicious and ominous signs which indicate that the patient is surely going to die sooner or later.
Read – Bad Prognosis Based On Smell, Touch, Taste, Colour And Voice

2. Prognosis based on the condition of the messenger who has come to the physician

Physician should not accompany the messenger in the presence of these ominous and inauspicious death indicating signs.

Messenger looks helpless, frightened, grief stuck and will look dirty in appearance.

He comes in the form of demoralized women, persons with triad of deformities i.e. lame, dumb and blind and an impotent person.

He is handicap, diseased or the one who is indulged in cruel activities.

Comes in the carts pulled by donkey or camel or riding on these animals.
Read – How To Make Prognosis Of Disease According To Ayurveda?

Messenger touches one or more of the below mentioned before meeting the physician –

mud cakes
husk
meat
bones
hairs
nails
teeth
broom
pestle
slippers
skin separated from the body
grass
stick
burning coal
earthen vessels or
pieces of stones

When messenger is narrating the incidents related to the patient, the physician happens to notice any inauspicious incidents.
Read – Best And Worst Things For Health And Disease – Charaka Sutrasthana 25

When physician observes any untoward scene or objects mentioned below while speaking to the messenger, he should not treat the patient since the death of the patient is supposed to be very near. They are as mentioned below –

blind, deaf or handicap person
dead body
coffins
garlands
flowers
broken or burnt material
destructed things
people speaking about the above said things
irritating smell
smell of decayed dead body
touch of any cruel or ugly things
seeing, feeling or touching any inauspicious things
Read – 8 Physical Deformities As Per Ayurveda

Signs of a good messenger, signs that indicate good prognosis of the disease and recovery of the patient

He is good in conduct and character (read – Code of Conduct in Ayurveda)
Has pleasantness of mind
All body parts are intact
He is successful and smart
Wears white dress (read – Impact of Cloth Colour And Material On Body And Mind)
Doesn’t have long or scattered hairs
Costumes and activities of the messenger will be in accordance to his race
Doesn’t come riding a camel or donkey
He has not come at evening or during inauspicious time of the day
He has not come in a time wherein there is inappropriate star alignment or during the presence of dhruva star, i.e. when the planets and stars in inappropriate positions as per astrology
He has not come on 4^th, 9^th, 14^th day of lunar half of the month or on an inauspicious date
He has not come during noon, mid night, during earthquakes, solar or lunar eclipses
He hasn’t come from awkward place or sitting / waiting in awkward and inauspicious places
He doesn’t carry any inauspicious signs
He is not in panic or showing fear in his expressions or attitude
He is not worried or stressed
Read – Anxiety Tips, Ayurvedic Treatment, Herbs, Home Remedies

When the messenger comes with the above said signs, the physician should consider that these are good signs. He can readily accompany the messenger and treat the patient.

Inauspicious events on the way

3. Prognosis based on the inauspicious events, signs and omens occurring while on the way towards the patient’s home

When physician is going to attend the patient, if he happens to see or experience some inauspicious omens on the way, he should terminate the idea of attending the patient considering that the patient is not going to survive.

Sneezing by somebody or sneezing sounds
Crying sounds
Self imbalance
Falling down
Shouting
Injury
Obstruction in the way
Sounds of sleep and snore
His clothes getting stuck and obstructed by thorns etc as if not allowing him to go or trying to avoid him from going to the patient’s home
His umbrella or sandals / footwear getting destroyed
Physician forgets wearing footwear in hurry to go
Physician sees the grief stricken relatives of the dead person or the relatives crying loudly
Sight of a chaitya i.e. a big tree in the village which the people believe to be the residence of some ghosts or gods
Sight of flags falling down suddenly in an unusual way
Sight of death of someone on the way
Hearing any untoward or awkward news
Seeing or hearing the people quarrelling
Body of the physician gets covered by dust or ash,
Physician sees a cat, dog or snake passing in front of him on his way
He happens to hear loud and disturbing sounds of animals and birds
He happens to see the cot, carts and seats kept in a vertical position
Read – Achara Rasayana – Behavioral Therapy For Calm Mind And Long Life

Inauspicious events – patient house

4. Prognosis based on inauspicious events occurring in the patient’s house

On going to the patient’s home, if happens to see below mentioned inauspicious and ominous omens in patient’s house, he should not attend the patient.

Physician sees a pot filled up with water, fire, mud, seats, plough, ghee, bullock, Brahmin, gems, food and quartz coming out from the entrance of the house i.e. these things are brought out of patient’s house in front of physician who is about to enter the patient’s house.
He sees breaking of the vessel consisting of fire.
He sees fire devoid of flames.
He sees the members of the patient’s family using materials which are perforated, broken, burnt, crushed or out-dated.
He sees the patient or patient’s family members abusing the cot materials, dress, vehicles, food etc.
He sees that the friends and beloved ones, the family members of the patient treating the cot, dress, vehicle and other materials belonging to the patient as those of the materials of the dead person, i.e. they are already considering the patient as equal to dead person.
He sees that the wholesome diet which is being prepared for the patient gets spoilt just before or even after it has been prepared.
Fire becomes diminished by itself or the fire on which the food is being prepared is put off by itself, even in the absence of excessive or moderate wind.
He observes that the vessels in patient’s house are continuously falling down from their places for no reason and are also getting broken.

Auspicious signs

Auspicious signs indicating good prognosis of the disease and recovery of the patient

Auspicious signs on the way to the patient’s home or in patient’s home

Curds
Holy colored rice
Brahmin
Bull
King
Gems (read – Use Of Gems In Ayurveda)
Water filled pot
White horse
Flags or banners having images of gods / goddesses
Fruits
Yavaka – drink prepared with half boiled barley powder
Young girl or boy
Tied animal
Land being ploughed
Lit fire
Sweets
White flowers
Sandalwood
Good, pleasant looking and tasty foods and drinks
Bullock cart filled with people
Cow with calf
Horse with its young one
Mother with her child
Birds like jeeva, jeevaka, siddartha, sarasa, priyavadi, hamsa, shatapatra, peacock,
Vision of fishes, goats, tusk of elephant,
Conch, ghee, rock salt, mirror, yellow mustard, urine of cow
Read – 60 Benefits Of Ghee, Side Effects, Contra Indications

Signs of good health

Signs indicating good health of the patient

Good fragrance of perfumes or otherwise spread along the path leading to the patient’s home and in his home
White materials
Sweet juices, sweet tasting substances
Pleasant voice of human beings or pleasant sounds made by animals and birds
Spreading or flying, hoisting and appraisal of flags, roof or banners
Sounds of drums, percussion instruments and conch
Sounds of auspicious hymns and recitation of Vedas being heard
Pleasant and mild winds blowing from south
Read – Sufferings And Health Of Spiritual People – Ayurvedic Analysis

Auspicious Signs seen in the home of the patient

When the physician happens to see one or more of the below mentioned things in the patient’s home, they shall be considered auspicious to the patient.

Proper behavior and culture of the patient and members in the patient’s family
Those people are dedicated, respectful and obedient
They are adjusting and compatible
They are well equipped with money and materials of need
They have wealth, pleasure and are happy
Those people obtain whatever pleases them or loved things effortlessly
They have medicines and medical plants, enriched with good qualities, taste and potency in abundance
The equipments and materials needed to convert the medicinal herbs into useful compounds are available at hand
Read – Money, Ayurveda, Spirituality – How To Strike Perfect Balance?

Auspicious dreams

Auspicious dreams which indicate survival and recovery of the patient

When the physician sees the below mentioned in his dreams, it indicates that the patient is going to surely recover from his illness and survive.

Seeing himself riding / standing over a house, palace and mountain or riding elephant, bull, horse or human beings
Seeing moon, sun, Brahmins, cow and successful personalities in his dreams
Seeing himself swimming in ocean and reaching the shore
Dream of increase in wealth and population
Seeing oneself getting free from troublesome situations
Having conversation with gods and departed elders in a pleasant mood
Seeing white dresses
Lakes and ponds with clear water
Meat, fish, poison, wastes and excreta
Obtaining umbrella and mirror
White flowers
Travelling in horse wagons or bullock cart towards east or north direction
Weeping
Falling down and getting up by self
Defeating the enemies in dreams

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