Sushruta Samhita Chapter 36 Bhumi Pravibhageeya Adhyaya (Classification of Land Region)

The 36th chapter of Sutrasthana of Sushruta Samhita is named as Bhumi Pravidhagiya Adhyaya. This chapter deals with Classification of Land Region.

अथातो  भृमिप्रविभागीयमध्यायं व्याख्यास्यामः ॥१॥
यथोवाच भगवान् धन्वन्तरिः ॥२॥

We will  now expound the chapter by name Bhumipravibhagiya- classification of land regions, as revealed by the venerable Dhanvantari.

Samanya bhumi pariksa: General examination of land

श्वभ्रशर्कराश्मविशमवल्मीकश्मशानाघातनदेवतायतनसिकताभिरनुपहतामनूषरामभङ्गुरामदूरोदकां स्निग्धां प्ररोहवतीं मृद्वीं स्थिरां समां कृष्णां गौरीं लोहितां वा भूमिमौषधग्रहणाय  परीक्षेत। तस्यां जातमपि कृमिविषशस्त्रातपपवनदहनतोयसंबाधमार्गौरनुपहतमेकरसं पुष्टं पृथ्ववगाढमुलमूदीच्यां चौषधमाददीतेत्येष भूमिपरीक्षाविशेषः सामान्यः ॥३॥

For the purpose of collecting herbs and drugs, the land region should be examined first generally.

The land which is having the below mentioned qualities should be searched for growing (and later collecting) the medicinal herbs. The land should –

–        not be afflicted, (damaged) by the presence of burrows, potsherd, stones,
–        not be uneven (ups & downs),
–        not have ant-hills, places of cremation and slaughtering, temples, and sand dunes (in or around it);
–        not be alkaline,
–        not be fragile;
–        have the water not too far away or too deep when the ground is dug (has continuous flowing water  nearby),
–        be unctuous,
–        have sprouts of  plants;
–        have soft soil,
–        be stable and even (uniform),
–        be black, white or red in color,

The herbs (medicinal plants) grown in the land having the above said qualities should

–        not be infested by insects,
–        not be damaged by poison, sharp weapons, sunlight,  breeze, fire, water (rain) and roads;
–        have one best taste (predominantly);
–        be well  nourished / grown (stout)
–        have its roots thick and deep rooted and spreading northwards

One should collect such plants by sitting facing north.

This is the general method of examination of the land.

Pancavidha Bhumi: Five kinds of lands

विशेषतस्तु तत्र, अश्मवती स्थिरा गिर्वी श्यामा कृष्णा वा स्थूलवृक्षशास्यप्राया स्वगुणभूयिष्ठा; स्निग्धा शीतलाऽऽसन्नोदका स्निग्धशस्यतृणकोमलवृक्षप्राया शुक्लाऽम्बुगुणभियिष्ठा; नानावर्णो लध्वश्मवति प्रविरलाल्पण्डुवृक्षप्ररोहाऽगिगुणभूयिष्ठा; रुक्षा भस्मरासभवर्णा तनुवृक्षाल्परसकोटरवृक्षप्रायाऽनिलगुणभूयिष्ठ; मृद्वी समा श्वभ्रवत्यव्यक्तरसजला सर्वातोऽसारवृक्षा महापर्वतवृक्षप्राया श्यामा चाकशगुणभूयिष्ठा॥४॥

Below mentioned are more specific details regarding the features of the land –

Land having Parthiva Guna i.e. predominant qualities / features of earth is that which is –

–        rocky
–        stable
–        heavy
–        bluish black of black in color
–        with more of big trees and plants

Land having Ambu / Jala Guna i.e. predominant qualities / features of water is that which –

–        is unctuous / sticky
–        is cold
–        has a water body near – the land should have water source not too far away from it or too deep inside the ground when dug for
–        endowed with many unctuous plants (juicy), grass, tender trees,
–        has soil of white color

Land having Agni Guna i.e. predominant qualities / features of fire is that which –

–        has more of small rocks of many colors,
–        has small trees, plants and sprouts of white color,
–        has trees and plants which have grown sparsely, with much space between one another,

Land having Anila Guna i.e. predominant qualities / features of air is that which –

–        is dry
–        has color of ash or donkey
–        has plenty of small dry plants with tree holes i.e. hollows in the plants, with less of juices

Land having Akasa Guna i.e. predominant qualities / features of sky / ether is that which –

–        has soft soil,
–        is even
–        has pits in the ground,
–        has plants whose juice is not taste and also tasteless water
–        has sapless trees growing all around,
–        has plenty of huge mountains and trees
–        has blue black soil

Ausadhi sangrahana Kala: Time (season) of collection of herbs

अत्र केचिदाहुराचार्याः- प्रावृड्वर्षाशरद्धेमन्तवसन्तग्रीष्मेषु यथासङ्ख्यं मूलपत्रत्वक्क्षीरसारफलान्याददीतेति; तत्तु न सम्यक्, सौम्याग्नेयत्वाज्जगतः |
सौम्यान्यौषधानि सौम्येष्वृतुष्वाददीत, आग्नेयान्याग्नेयेषु; एवमव्यापन्नगुणानि भवन्ति |
सौम्यान्यौषध्मनि सौम्येष्वृतुषु गृहीतानि सोमगुणभूयिष्ठायां भूमौ जातान्यतिमधुरस्निग्धशीतानि जायन्ते |
एतेन शेषं व्याख्यातम् ||५||

Regarding this topic, below mentioned is the opinion of some authorities –

The roots, leaves, barks, milk (sap), pith and fruits should be collected in the below mentioned seasons respectively –

–        roots should be collected in Pravrit – early rainy season,
–        leaves should be collected in Varsa – rainy season
–        barks should be collected in Sharat – autumn season
–        milk or sap should be collected in Hemanta – early winter or dewy season,
–        pith should be collected in Vasanta – spring season and
–        fruits should be collected in Grishma – summer season

But this opinion is not correct because the entire world is predominantly Saumya or Agneya. Saumya means that which is cold like the moon in qualities and mild in properties. Agneya means that which is fiery or hot in qualities and strong in properties. Hence, the herbs or medicines which are cold in qualities shall be collected in Saumya i.e. cold seasons. On the other hand, the herbs or medicines which are hot in qualities should be collected in Agneya i.e. hot seasons.

If collected in such a way, their qualities will be normal i.e. not vitiated.

Below mentioned herbs and medicines will be sweeter in taste, unctuous and cold –

–        those possessing cold properties
–        those collected during cold seasons,
–        those found in lands which are predominantly cold in features,

One should understand the Agneya also in the same way.

Collection of purgative and emetic drugs

तत्र पृथिव्यम्बुगुणभूयिष्ठायां भूमौ जातानि  विरेचनद्रव्याण्याददीत, अग्न्याकाशमारुतगुणभूयिष्ठायां वमनद्रव्याणि, उभयगुणभूयिष्ठायां संशमनानि, एवं बलवन्तराणि भवन्ति ॥६॥

Purgative drugs should be collected from land regions possessing qualities of Prthvi and Ambu.
Emetic drugs from land regions with qualities of agni, Aksasa and Maruta.
Drugs acting in both ways (purgative and emetic) should be collected from lands having both qualities.
Palliative drugs should be collected from lands which possess qualities of Akasa.
Collected in this manner the drugs will be stronger (potent).

Abhinava Ausadha: Fresh drugs

सर्वाण्येव  चाभिनवानि, अन्तत्र मधुघृतगुडपिप्पलीविडङ्गेभ्यः  ॥७॥

Except the below mentioned, all the other drugs collected should be fresh –

–        madhu – honey
–        ghrta – ghee
–        guda – jaggery
–        pippali – Piper longum
–        vidanga – Embelia ribes

Drugs / Herbs which are beneficial in spite of not being fresh

विडङ्गं पिपली क्षौद्रं  सर्पिश्चाप्यनवं हितम् ॥
शेषमन्यत्वभिनव गृह्णीयाद्दोषवर्जितम् ॥८॥

Below mentioned are beneficial when not fresh i.e. when they get old –

–        Vidanga (Embelia ribes),
–        Pippali (Piper longum),
–        Ksaudra (honey) and
–        Sarpi (ghee)

All the other drugs should be fresh but without blemishes.

Herbs with sap

सर्वाण्येव सक्षिराणि वीर्यवन्ति; तेषामसंत्तावतिक्रान्तसंवत्सराण्याददीतेति ॥९॥

More potent will be all those herbs which have their sap. If such herbs are unavailable, the herbs which are not more than one year old shall be used for treatment.

Bheshaja Vyakti: Paraphysicians

भवन्ति चात्र:-
गिपकास्तापसा  व्याधा ये चान्ये वनचारिणः ।
मूलाहाराश्च ये तेभ्यो भेषजव्यक्तिरिष्यते ॥१०॥

Same verses here:-

Those persons who are similar to the physicians are called as Bhesaja Vyakti or para-physicians. They are –

–        Cowherbs
–        Ascetics
–        Hunters
–        Tribals
–        People who roam in the forests for collecting roots and herbs

Right time of collection of herbs whose all parts are used in preparation of medicines

सर्वावयवसाध्येषु पलाशलवणादिषु।
व्यवस्थितो न  कालोऽस्ती तत्र सर्वो विधीयते ॥११॥

For collection of herbs used in all its parts (all parts of trees or plants are used in preparation of medicines) as in Palasa Lavana etc. (mentioned as patralavana, Kanda lavana etc. in the treatment of Vata Vyadhi chap. 4 of Cikitsa sthana) there is no specific time (seasons) and all seasons are suitable.

Types of land according to their smell, color and tastes

गन्धवर्णरसोपेता  षडिवधा भूमिरिष्यते ।
तस्माद्धमिस्वभावेन बीजिनः षड्रसायुताः ॥१२॥

There are six kinds of lands possessing smell, color and tastes prominently. The plants or trees are endowed with six tastes. These tastes manifest according to the nature of the land.

How taste gets manifested in water?

अव्यक्तः किल तोयस्य रसो  निश्चयनिश्चितः ।
रसः स एव चाव्यक्तो   व्यक्तो  भूमिराद्धवेत ॥१३॥

It is confirmed that water is tasteless i.e. its taste is not manifested. But after combining with the taste of the soil of the land, the same non manifest of the water gets manifested.

Sadharana Desha

सर्वलक्षनसंपन्ना भूमिः साधारणा स्मृता।
द्रव्याणि यत्र तत्रैव  तद्रुणानि विशेषतः ॥२४॥

Sadharana Desa i.e. moderate or temperate land / region is that which has features of all kinds of desas – lands. The herbs belonging to and growing in such moderate regions will have the same qualities of the land especially.

Drugs fit for use

विगन्धेनापरामृष्टमविपन्नं रसादिभिः ।
नवं द्रव्यं पुराणं वा ग्राह्यमेवं विनिर्दिशेत् ॥१५॥

Any herb / drug which does not have an unusual smell, taste etc. immaterial of it being fresh or old, shall be considered for use (as medicine).

Collection of animal products

जङ्गमानां वयःस्थानां रक्तरोमनखादिकम् ।
क्षीरमूत्रपुरीषाणि जीर्णाहारेषु संहरेत॥१६॥

Animal products such as blood, body hairs, nails, etc should be obtained from animals of middle age. Milk, urine and excreta should be obtained (collected) after the digestion of food (consumed by animals).

Bheshajagara: Drug store

प्लोतमृद्भाण्डफलकशङ्कविन्यस्तभेषजम् ।
प्रशस्तायां दिशि शुचौ भेषजागारमिष्यते ॥१७॥

Bhesajagara means drug store or storehouse for keeping the herbs and medicines. It shall be constructed in a clean place and in an auspicious direction. The drugs / herbs shall be kept covered in cloth sheets. Later, they should be placed inside earthen pots arranged on wooden planks or hung by hooks.

इति श्रीसुश्रुतसंहितायां सूत्रस्थाने भूमिप्रविभागीयो नाम षट्त्रिं शोध्यायः ॥३६॥

Thus ends the Thirty six chapter by name Bhumipravidhgiya, in  Sutra sthana of  Susruta samhita.