vātavyādhiḥ pramēhaśca kuṣṭhamarśō bhagandaram | aśmarī mūḍhagarbhaśca tathaivōdaramaṣṭamam ||4|| aṣṭāvētē prakr̥tyaiva duścikitsyā mahāgadāḥ |5|
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वातव्याधिः प्रमेहश्च कुष्ठमर्शो भगन्दरम् | अश्मरी मूढगर्भश्च तथैवोदरमष्टमम् ||४|| अष्टावेते प्रकृत्यैव दुश्चिकित्स्या महागदाः |५|
Meaning of the śloka
The eight diseases are major vata disorder, prameha, kushtha, arshas, bhagandara, urinary stone, obstructed fetus, and abdominal disease. These eight are by their very nature difficult to treat and are called major diseases.
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prathamaṁ mūlavyādhayō bhavanti paścādupadravā iti mūlavyādhīn darśayati- vātavyādhirityādi|- vātavyādhiratra mahāvātavyādhirabhiprētō mahacchabdalōpāt| aṣṭāvēta ityatra dvitīyaṁ punaraṣṭagrahaṇaṁ sarvēṣāṁ tulyatvakhyāpanārtham; anyē tvanyathā samādadhati, tattu vistarabhayānna likhitam| prakr̥tyaiva svabhāvēnaiva| mahāgadā iti māraṇātmakatvādasādhyatvācca mahattvamēṣāmiti| ‘aṣṭāvētē mahāntastu vyādhayō dustarāḥ sadā’- iti kēcit paṭhanti||4||-
Meaning of the commentary
The primary diseases are listed before their later complications. Vata disorder here means a major vata disorder, with the word major understood though not written. Repeating the number eight emphasizes that all eight share the classification; the commentary mentions another explanation but omits it to avoid length. By nature means by their inherent character. They are called great diseases because the source regards them as capable of causing death and as incurable. A variant verse reads that these eight are great diseases and always difficult to cross or overcome.
Key terms
- mahAgada (mahagada)
- A major disease regarded in this source as especially difficult to treat and potentially fatal.