शलाकायन्त्राण्यपि नानाप्रकाराणि, नानाप्रयोजनानि, यथायोगपरिणाहदीर्घाणि च; तेषां गण्डूपदसर्पफणशरपुङ्खबडिशमुखे द्वे द्वे, एषणव्यूहनचालनाहरणार्थमुपदिश्येते ; मसूरदलमात्रमुखे द्वे किञ्चिदानताग्रे स्रोतोगतशल्योद्धरणार्थं; षट् कार्पासकृतोष्णीषाणि , प्रमार्जनक्रियासु; त्रीणि दर्व्याकृतीनि खल्लमुखानि, क्षारौषधप्रणिधानार्थं ; त्रीण्यन्यानि जाम्बववदनानि, त्रीण्यङ्कुशवदनानि, षडेवाग्निकर्मस्वभिप्रेतानि; नासार्बुदहरणार्थमेकं कोलास्थिदलमात्रमुखं खल्लतीक्ष्णौष्ठं ; अञ्जनार्थमेकं कलायपरिमण्डलमुभयतो मुकुलाग्रं; मूत्रमार्गविशोधनार्थमेकं मालतीपुष्पवृन्ताग्रप्रमाणपरिमण्डलमिति ||१४||
Meaning of the śloka
Shalaka instruments likewise have different forms and purposes, with girth and length suited to their use. Two each have ends shaped like an earthworm, a snake's hood, an arrow's feathered end and a fishhook; these are assigned respectively to probing, lifting or arranging, moving, and extracting. Two have working ends the size of a split lentil with slightly bent tips, for extracting foreign bodies from channels. Six have cotton-wrapped tips for wiping. Three are spoon-shaped with recessed working faces, for placing kshara preparations or medicines. Another three have jambu-fruit-shaped ends and three have hook-shaped ends; these six are intended for agnikarma. One instrument for removing a nasal arbuda has an end the size of a split kola stone, with a recessed centre and a sharp rim. One for applying anjana is round like a kalaya pea and has bud-shaped tips at both ends. One for clearing the urinary passage is rounded and has the dimensions of the tip of a malati flower stalk.
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शलाकायन्त्राणि निर्देष्टुमाह- शलाकायन्त्राण्यपीत्यादि| यथायोगपरिणाहदीर्घाणीति परिणाहो वर्तुलता| तेषां शलाकायन्त्राणां मध्ये| गण्डूपदेत्यादौ मुखशब्दो गण्डूपदादिभिः सह प्रत्येकं सम्बध्यते; तेन गण्डूपदमुखे द्वे, सर्पफणमुखे द्वे, एवं शेषयोरपि| शरपुङ्खः शरगुणसन्धानस्थानम्| बडिशो मत्स्यबन्धनम्| तेषां चतुर्णां गण्डूपदमुखादीनां यथासङ्ख्येन प्रयोजनमाह- एषणेत्यादि|- एषणं गम्भीरपाकादौ पूयाद्यन्वेषणं; व्यूहनमूर्ध्वीकरणं छित्त्वोत्तुण्डितस्योद्धरणार्थं, वारङ्गेणानुसरणमित्येके | मसूरदलेति मसूरस्य दलितस्य निस्तुषखण्डं दलमित्युच्यते| किञ्चिदानताग्रे इति मनाग्वक्राग्रे| षट् कार्पासकृतोष्णीषाणीति तूलवेष्टिताग्राणि, प्रमार्जनक्रियासु प्रोञ्छनक्रियासु| त्रीणि दर्व्याकृतीनीति दर्वी दारुहस्तकः| खल्लमुखानि निम्नमुखानि| जाम्बववदनानीति जम्बुफलमुखाकृतीनि| कोलास्थिदलमात्रमुखमिति बदरास्थिमज्जविदलप्रमाणं; खल्लतीक्ष्णौष्ठमिति खल्लं निम्नं मध्ये बोद्धव्यं, तीक्ष्णौष्ठं त्वन्ते| कलायपरिमण्डलमिति कलायमात्रं परितो मण्डलं वर्तुलम्, उभयतो मुकुलाग्रमिति द्वयोरन्तयोः कलिकावदग्रं; दैर्घ्येण त्वष्टाङ्गुलं शालाक्योक्तत्वात्| गण्डूपदमुखादीनामङ्कुशवदनान्तानां शलाकायन्त्राणां तुल्याकृतित्वेऽपि द्वित्वषट्त्वादीनि कार्यापेक्षीणि||१४||
Meaning of the commentary
Parinaha denotes roundness or girth. The word 'mouth' applies separately to earthworm, snake's hood, arrow's rear end and fishhook, with two instruments of each shape. Sharapunkha is the part of an arrow where it is fitted to the bowstring, and badisha is a fishhook. The four uses follow the same order. Eshana is searching for pus and similar material in deep suppuration and related conditions. Vyuhana is lifting upward, in connection with extracting a foreign body cut and made to protrude; some explain it as following along with the handle. A masuradala is a split, huskless portion of a lentil, and a slightly inclined tip is one bent a little. The six cotton-capped instruments have tips wrapped in cotton for wiping. Darvi is a wooden spoon, and khallamukha means a recessed working face. Jambava ends resemble the jambu fruit. The kola-stone comparison refers to the size of a split kernel of the badara stone; its centre is hollowed and its edge sharp. The anjana instrument is round with the measure of a kalaya pea and has a bud-like end at each extremity. Its length is eight angulas, as stated in Shalakya. Even when forms resemble one another, the use determines why two, six or another number of instruments are specified among the earthworm-ended through hook-ended shalakas.
Key terms
- shalAkAyantrANi (śalākāyantrāṇi)
- Rod- or probe-like instruments with working ends adapted to the listed purposes.
- eShaNaM (eṣaṇam)
- Probing or searching, exemplified by searching for pus in deep suppuration.
- khallamukhAni (khallamukhāni)
- Having recessed working faces.
- pramArjana (pramārjana)
- Wiping, using the cotton-wrapped tips described here.