Prishtha Marmas

Now we shall discourse on the Marmas in the back (of a man). An injury to any of the Katika-tarimas * (sacro-iliac articulation), situated in the region of the S'roni (sacrum) on both sides of the spinal column, gives rise to an excessive haemorrhage and consequent pallor and ends in death. A hurt to any of the Kukundara Marmas † (lit: - a hollow - the great sacro-sciatic notch), situated on both sides of the spinal column and in the region slightly below the waist (in the loins), results in complete anaesthesia and inoperativeness of the lower extremities. A hurt to the Nitamva-Marmas, ‡ attached to the side above the Sroni (pelvis) and attached inside to the muscles of the waists, gives rise to Sosha (atrophia) in the lower extremities, weakness and ultimately brings on death. An injury to the Pátrs'va-Sandhi-Marmas § (caelic axes) which are situated just at the middle below the extremities of the sides (Pars'va) and which lies attached at the middle between the loins at their lower regions, feels the Koshtha (abdomen) with the blood and results into death A hurt to the Vrihati-Marmas || which commencing from the roots of the breast course round both the sides of the spinal column (Pristha-vams'a), cause excessive bleeding, and the patient dies, as supervening symptoms arise from an excessive loss of blood. An injury to any of the two Arasa-phalaka-Marmas * situated on either side of the vertebral column and connected with the scapula brings on anesthesia or atrophy (Sosha) of the arms. There are two Marmas known as Amsa-Marmas † which are situated on either side midway between the neck and the head of the arms and connect the Amsa-Pitha (glenoid cavity) and the Skandha (shoulder). An injury to any of these Marmas is attended with an incapacity of moving the hands. Thus the fourteen Marmas in the back have been described. 57-65.

* It is an Asthi-Marma, half a finger in length and of the Kálantara-maraka class.

† They are Joint-marmas (Sandhi), half a finger in length and of the Vaikalyakara group.

‡ It is a bone Marma, half a finger in length, and of the Kálantara class.

§ It is a S'irá-Marma to the length of half a finger and belongs to the Kálantara class.

|| They are S'irá-Marmas (arterial anestomsis) to the lengt of half a finger and belong to the Kálántara class.

The Jatrugata-Marmas

Now we shall describe the Marmas which are situated in the regions above the clavicles (Urddhva-Jatru). There are four Dhamani (arteries) about the two sides of the Kantha-Nadi (wind-pipe). Two of them arc known as Nilá, and the other two as Manyá. One Nila and one Manyá. are situated on either side of the larynx, (i.e , anterior and posterior side of the larynx) An injury to any of them produces dumbness, and change of voice (hoarseness), and also the loss of the faculty of taste. ‡ An injury to any of the eight Sirás (arteries), four being on each side of the neck (Grivá), and known as Sirá-Mátrika-Marmas § ) ends fatally within the day. 65-69.

* It is an Asthi-Marma, half a 6nger in length and is Vaikalyakara.

† They are Snayu Marmas, half a finger in length and of the Vaikalyakara class.

‡ They are S'ira-Marmas, to the length of four fingers and of the Vaikalyakara class.

§ They are S'ira-Marmas, four fingers in length and of the Sadyo-Maran class.

An injury to any of the two Marmas lying at the junction of the head and neck (Grivá) and known as Krikátika * (transverse process of the arch of the atlas) results in a free movement of the head. A hurt to any of the Marmas attached to the lower end of an ear (posterior cxtrensic ligament) and known as the Vidhura † Marma results in the loss of hearing. An injury to the Phana-Marmas ‡ attached to the interior channels of both the nostrils, results in the loss of the faculty of smell. An injury to the Apánga-Marmas § (Anastomosis of the infra-orbital artery) situated below the tips of the eye-brows and about the external corners of the eyes, brings on blindness or defective vision. An injury to the Avarta-Marmas || situated above and below the eye-brows, brings on blindness and impaired vision. An injury to the Sankha-Marmas ¶ (meeting or suture of the temporal, frontal and sphenoid bones - Pterion), situated over the tips of the eye-brows and between the ears and the forehead, results in death within the day. The Marmas situated over the two temples (Sankha) and at the border of the hair (sculp) are called Utkshepa-Marnia (meeting of the posterior and anterior temporal arteries) $. An extraction of a shaft (Salya) or of any extraneous pointed thing lodged into these Marmas, results in the death of the patient, who, on the contrary, lives as long as the shaft is allowed to remain inside or if the shaft comes out itself (after putrefaction). 70-75. An injury to the Sthapani-Marma * (nasal arch of the frontal veins), situated in the middle of the eyebrows, ends in the manner of the preceding one. An injury to any of the five joints of the head which are known as the Simanta-Marmas †, results in fear, insensibility and madness of the patient and terminates in death. An injury to any of the four Sringa'taka-Marmas ‡ which forms the junction of the four Sirás (nerves), (branches of the facial artery) and soothes the nose, the eyes, the ears and the tongue, proves fatal within the day. An injury to the Adhipati-Marmas § (the vertical groove on the frontal bone) which is marked in the inner side of the roof of the cranium by the Sirá-Sannipáta (superior longitudinal sinus), and on the exterior side by the ringlet of the hair (Romávarta) proves fatal within the day. Thus we have described the thirty-seven Marmas, situated in the region above the clavicles (Urddhva-Jatru). 76-80.

* They are Sandhi-Marmas, half a finger in length, and of the Vaikalyakara group.