The Successive Actions Of The Vastis

The first application of the Vasti permeates the pelvic and the inguinal regions with the emulcent essence of the injected Sneha. The second tends to restore the Vayu in the cephalic part of the body to its normal condition. The third contributes to the improvement of bodily strength and complexion. The fourth permeates the Rasa (lymph chyle) with its own oily essence. In this way the fifth application of a Vasti permeates the blood, the sixth the flesh, the seventh the fat, the eighth the bones, and the ninth the marrow with the oily essence. This series of Vasti-applications repeated twice tends to purify the semen from all its impure or unhealthy constituents. 24.

A person treated with eighteen series (three hundred and twenty-four in number) of such Sneha-vastis and Niruha-vastis in the above mentioned way and observing the prescribed rules of diet and conduct is enabled to develop a muscular strength in no way inferior to that of an elephant, and to live a sinless life a thousand years, in the full enjoyment of his intellectual faculties, god-like beauty and horse-like swiftness. 25.

An excessive application of only one kind of Vasti, either of a Sneha-vasti, or of a Niruha vasti, should be avoided; since an excess of the first (Sneha-vasti) tends to impair the digestive capacity * and to bring on an aggravation of the deranged Kapha, while an excess of the second (Niruha-vasti) tends to aggravate the bodily Vayu. Hence an application of the Sneha-vasti should be followed by one of the Niruha-vasti and vice versa, in order to avoid all apprehension of an aggravation of Pitta, Kapha and Vayu. Daily applications of a Sneha-vasti are not forbidden in respect of a person of parched or dry (Ruksha) and Váyu-predominating temperament, while in other instances they should be made on each fourth day, so that the digestive capacity might not be thsreby impaired. The application of a moderate quantity of Sneha with a Sneha-vasti is always beneficial to persons of parched or dry temperament. Similarly, an application of the Niruha vasti in a small quantity always proves beneficial to the persons who have been already treated with a Sneha (Vasti). 26.

Distresses From Sneha-Vasti

Now we shall describe the distresses which are found to attend (an abuse or excess of) a Sneha vasti. Various kinds of distressing symptoms are produced by the application of a Sneha vasti of a mild or weak potency in the case of a patient whose stomach is filled with the aggravated Doshas so that the Snehi cannot flow back, being overwhelmed, as it would be, by the aggravated Doshas. 27. Specific Symptoms: - An astringent taste in the mouth, yawning, shivering and Vishama-Jvara with the peculiar Vayuorigined distempers such as, pain (in the limbs) are the symptoms which mark the retention of the injected Sneha in the bowels over-whelmed

by the action of the deianged Vayu. Fever, a burning sensation (of the body), thirst, perspiration, a pungent taste in the mouth and yellowness of the complexion, urine and the eyes are the features which are due to the retention of the injected Sneha in the bowels overwhelmed by the action of the deranged Pitta. Water-brash, a sweet taste in the mouth, heaviness of the limbs, vomiting, difficult breathing, catarrhal fever (Sita-Jvara) and an aversion to food are the indications due to the retention of the injected Sneha in the bowels overpowered by the action of the deranged Kapha. In these cases, applications of (Sneha) Vastis and such other remedial measures as are soothing to the Dosha or Doshas (giving rise to the retention of the Sneha in the bowels) should be adopted with due regard to the nature and intensity of each. 28-29.

* Vrinda readsDistresses From Sneha Vasti 200189 in place of

Distresses From Sneha Vasti 200191 This means that the Pitta and the Kapha would be aggravat ed by an excessive use of a Sneha-vasti. The next couplet in the text would better support Vrinda's reading. - Ed.

Cramps (Sula) and heaviness in the stomach (Amasaya), suppression of the Váyu (flatus), affection of the heart, a bad taste in the mouth, difficult respiration, epileptic fits, vertigo and an aversion to food are the symptoms which attend a retention of the Sneha in the bowels owing to the pressure of food matter carried down into the abdomen of a person who has been so treated after a heavy meal, and they should be remedied first by fasting and then by appetising measures. 30.

A languid feeling in the limbs attended with a distension of the abdomen, colic (S'ula), difficult breathing and a sense of heaviness in the intestines mark the retention of the injected Sneha surcharged with the fœcal matter of a person previously uncleansed by proper remedies. The remedy in such cases consists in the application of Niruha-vastis as well as Sneha-vastis with the admixture: of keen-potencied drugs. 31.

A scent of the Sneha in the mouth, cough, difficult breathing, an aversion to food and dullness of all sense-organs which become internally charged with a coating of oil and a glossy appearance of the skin (mouth - D. R.) mark an undesirably higher introduction of the Sneha injected into the system previously cleansed (with proper emetics and purgatives). Such a case should be treated as a case of Ati-pidita (over-pressure on the bladder of the) enema and with the applications of Ásthápana-vastis as well. 32.

An inadequate quantity of Sneha of a mild or weak potency, injected cold with the help of an enema, is not retained in the system, if not duly fomented and cleansed before, but gives rise to scanty stools, cramps (Sula), heaviness and distention in the region of the intestines (Pakvásaya) and (ultimate) suppression of stool, etc. Such cases should be speedily remedied by the application of an Ásthápana as well as by that of an Anuvásana-vasti. 33.

A small quantity of Sneha of mild potency, injected into the bowels of a patient taking only a small quantity of food, fails to flow therefrom and gives rise to a dullness of spirit, a tendency to vomit and a sense of lassitude which should be remedied by the application of Asthapana-vastis charged with (the decoction of) S'odhaniya (cleansing) drugs and by the application of Anuvasana enemas charged with Sneha boiled and cooked with those (S'odhaniya) drugs. 34.

The Sneha of a Vasti, if found to dribble down (from the system) after the lapse of even a whole day and night from the time of its application, without giving rise to any physical discomfort, does no mischief but exerts all the good effects of the application of the Vasti.

Whereas, if digested, it produces but very little benefit to the patient. The retention of the whole or of any portion of the Sneha injected into the bowels of a patient without producing any special physical discomfort should be ascribed to an extremely parched or dry condition of his organism, and would not require any special medical treatment. 35-36.

In case of a Sneha not flowing out from the bowels within a period of twenty-four hours of its introduction (and in case of its producing any supervening symptoms), corrective (S'odhana) remedies should be employed and all subsequent applications of Sneha should be stopped. Thus we have finished describing the diseases (Vyapat and symptoms which result from the injudicious use of Sneha (Vastis) together wi;h the nature of the medical treatment to be employed in each of them. 37