Sushruta Samhita Sutrasthana Chapter 30: Panchendriyartha Vipratipatti Adhyaya (Fatal Signs of five Sensory perceptions)

The 30th chapter of Sutrasthana of Sushruta Samhita is named as Panchendriyartha Vipratipatti Adhyaya. This chapter deals with Fatal Signs of five Sensory perceptions.

अथातः पञ्चेन्द्रियार्थविप्रतिपात्तिमध्यायं व्याख्यास्यामः ॥१॥
यथोवाच भगवान् धन्वन्तरिः ॥।२॥

We will now expound the chapter by name Panchendriya Artha Vipratipatifatal signs of the five sensory perceptions; as revealed by the venerable Dhanvantari.

Aristhta: Definition

शरीरशीलयोर्यस्य प्रकृतेर्विकृतिर्भवेत्।
तत्त्वरिष्टं  समासेन, व्यासतस्त् निवोध मे ॥३॥

Abnormalities or deformities (disturbances) occurring constantly in sharira (body), shila (character) and prakriti (body type, constitution) is generally considered as arista. I will explain this in detail in the upcoming context, please listen.

(We need to note that Acharya has described the external fatal signs in the previous two chapters. In these three chapters i.e. this chapter and the following two chapters, the fatal signs which are present inside the body will be described.)

Shabda arishta: Fatal signs of hearing

श्रृणोति  विविधान् शब्दान् यो दिव्यानामभावतः ।
समुद्रपुरमेघानामसंपत्तौ च निःस्वनान् ॥४॥
तान् स्वानान्नावगृह्णाति मन्यते चान्यशब्दवत् ।
ग्राम्यारण्यस्वनांश्चपि विपरीतान् श्रृणोति च ॥५॥
द्विषच्छब्देश्गु रमते सुहृच्छब्देषु कुप्यति॥
न श्रृणोति च  योऽकस्मात्तं ब्रुबन्ति गतायुषम् ॥६॥

A person who hears / does not hear the below mentioned kinds of sounds is said to lose his life very soon –

–       Divine, celestial and superhuman sounds
–       Sounds of the roaring ocean
–       Sounds of cities or clouds in spite of they being absent
–       Does not hear the sounds of ocean, sounds of cities or clouds in spite of they being present or hears totally different kinds of sounds (understands these sounds as pertaining to other things),
–       Sounds of domestic animals is perceived as those of wild animals and sounds of wild animals are perceived as those of domestic animals
–       He enjoys the sound of hatred or envy (i.e. when he hears the talks of the enemies) and on the other hand becomes angry by hearing the sound (talks) of friendship
–       The person becomes deaf (does not hear sounds) without any reason or without he suffering from diseases of the ear

Sparsha Arista: Fatal signs of touch

यस्तूष्णमिव गृह्णाति शीतमुष्णं  च शितवत् ।
संजातशीतपिडको यश्च दाहेन पीड्चते॥७॥
उष्णगात्रोऽतिमात्रं च यः  शीतेन प्रवेपते।
प्रहारान्नाभिजानाति योऽङ्गच्छेदमथापि वा॥८॥

Below mentioned are considered to be fatal signs related to touch sensation –

–       The person perceives cold things as hot things and hot things as cold things
–       In spite of cold eruptions appearing on the body, the person experiences / feels burning sensation
–       The person shivers with cold in spite of the touch of the body being very hot
–       The person does not perceive blows or cutting of his body parts

The person having the above said signs should be considered to be losing his life in a short time.

Rupa arista: Fatal signs of appearance

पांशुनेवावकीर्णानि यश्च गात्राणि मन्यते।
वर्णान्यता वा राज्यो वा यस्य गात्रे भवन्ति हि ॥।९॥

Below mentioned are the fatal signs related to appearance –

–       The person feels that his body has been covered with dust,
–       He feels that his body colour has been changed to some other colour
–       He feels that lines have freshly appeared on his bod

Such a person with the above said signs will die soon.

Gandha arista: Fatal signs of odour

स्नातानुलिप्तं यं चापि भजन्ते नीलमक्षिकाः ।
सुगन्धिर्वाऽति योऽकस्मात्तं ब्रुवन्ति गतायुषम् ॥१०॥

Below mentioned are the fatal signs related to the smell in the presence of which the person is considered as losing his life –

–       Blue or honey bees swarm on the body of the person in spite of he being clean after taking bath and having applied perfumes
–       Appearance of sweetness of the body odour
–       He emits very sweet odour from his body suddenly, without any reason

Rasa arista: Fatal signs of taste

विपरीतेन गृह्णाति रसान्  यश्चोपयोजितान् ।|
उपयुक्ताः क्रमाद्यस्य रसा दोषाभिवृद्धये ॥११॥
यस्य दोषाग्रिसाम्यं च कुर्युर्मिथ्योपयोजिताः ।
यो वा रसान्न संवेत्ति गतासुं तं प्रचक्षते ॥१२॥

Below mentioned are the fatal signs related to the taste –

–       The person perceives tastes of food in a different or opposite way. He will not perceive the real taste of the food but would perceive it as having some other taste.
–       The tastes help in maintaining the normalcy of the doshas and agni in spite of they being used improperly
–       The person does not understand / perceive any taste at all, without any reason

The person exhibiting the above-mentioned signs should be considered as losing life.

Gandha grahana arista: Fatal signs of smelling

सुगन्धं वेत्ति दुर्गन्धं दुर्गन्धस्य सुगन्धिताम् ॥।
गृह्णीते वाऽन्यथा गन्धं शान्ते दीपे च नीरुजः ॥१३॥
यो वा गन्धं न जानाति गतासुं तं विनिर्दिशेत ॥

Below mentioned are the fatal signs related to smell –

–       The person perceives pleasant smell as unpleasant (bad, foul) and unpleasant smell as pleasant
–       The person perceives the smell of a substance as different from usual
–       He does not perceive the smell of the lamp wick which has just been put off (extinguished)
–       He does not perceive any sell in spite of not having any diseases

(Alternative explanation – the patient becomes free of diseases when the lamp is extinguished i.e. at day time and does not perceive the smell of the wick of the extinguished lamp) –

The person exhibiting the above said signs will die soon.

द्वन्द्वान्युष्णहिमादीनि  कालावस्था दिशस्तथा॥१४॥
विपरीतेन गृह्णाति  भावानन्यांश्च यो नरः ।
दिवा ज्योतींषि यश्चापि ज्वलितानीव पश्यति॥१५॥
रात्रौ सूर्यें ज्वलन्तं वा दिवा वा चन्द्रवर्चसम्।
अमेघोपप्लेवे यश्च शक्रचापतडिद्रुणान् ॥१६॥
तडित्त्वतोऽसितान् यो  वा निर्मले  गगने  घानान् ।
विमानयानओरासादैर्यश्च संकुलमम्बरम् ॥२७॥
यश्चानिलं मूर्तिमन्तमन्तरिक्षं च पश्यति ।
धूमनीहारवासोभिरावृतामिव मेदिनीम् ॥।२८॥
प्रदीप्तमिव लोकं च यो वा प्लुतमिवाम्भसा।
भूमिमष्टापदाकारां लेखाभिर्यश्च पश्यति॥२९॥
न पश्यति सनक्षत्रां यश्च देवीमरुन्धतीम् ।
ध्रुवमाकाशगङ्गा वा तं वदन्ति  गरायुषम् ॥२०॥

The person is definitely going to lose his life if he understands duals in opposite way (other than usual) i.e.

–       Understanding hot and cold as opposite i.e. cold as hot and hot as cold
–       Different periods of time i.e. one time as other time
–       Different directions – one direction as another direction
–       And many such other factors

The person is considered as the one who is losing life and getting close to death if he –

–       sees stars as burning bright even during day time
–       sees the shining sun even at night
–       sees shining moon even at day time
–       sees the rainbow and thunderbolt in the sky, in spite of clouds being absent
–       sees lightening along the dark clouds in the clear sky or sees lightning as black in colour
–       sees the sky to be filled with moving vimanas i.e. vehicles moving in the air (aeroplanes)
–       sees chariots and palaces in the sky
–       perceives air and sky to have form and shapes
–       sees the earth being covered by smoke, dew, mist or cloth when it is not,
–       sees the earth or entire world as burning hot
–       sees the entire world drowning in water,
–       sees the ground as the board of dice game
–       cannot see Arundhati star along with associate stars Dhruva – pole star or Akasaganga – milky way

ज्योत्स्नादर्शोष्णतोयेशु छायां यश्च न पशयति ॥
पश्ययत्येकाङ्गहीनां वा विकृतां वा ऽन्यसत्त्वजाम् ॥।२१॥
श्वकाककङ्कगृध्राणां प्रेतानां यक्षरक्षसाम् ॥
पिषाचोरगनागानां भूतानां विकृतामपि॥२२॥
यो वा मयूरकण्ठाभं विधूमं वह्निमीक्षते॥
आतुरस्य भवेन्म्यृत्युः स्वस्थो व्याधिमवाप्रुयात् ॥२३॥

The person, if he is a patient would lose his life and if he is a healthy person would become diseased if –

–       he cannot see his own image in the moonlight, mirror, sunlight and water,
–       he sees his image with some parts missing or distorted
–       he sees the image of other animals instead of his own image in the moonlight etc
–       he sees the image of dog, crow, heron, preta, yaksa, raksas, pisach, uraga, naga or Bhuta
–       he sees the fire as being blue in colour – similar to the neck of peacock and without smoke

इति श्रीसुश्रुतसंहितायां सूत्रस्थाने पञ्चेन्द्रियार्थविप्रतिपत्तिर्नाम त्रिंशोऽध्यायः ॥३०॥

Thus ends the Thirtieth chapter by name Pancendriyartha Viparatipatti in Sutra Sthana of Susrutha Samhita.