आयुर्वेद की एक पाण्डुलिपि - वैद्यमनोत्सव

Summary

The article examines the Ayurvedic manuscript ***Vaidyamanotsava***, a Hindi verse-based medical text discussed through selected translated verses and manuscript evidence. The authors describe it as a concise but independent Ayurvedic composition written in **dohā, sorathā, and chaupāī metres**, rather than a translation of an earlier text. According to the manuscript record, the work was composed in **Vikrama Samvat 1649 (1592 CE)** on **Chaitra Shukla Dwitiya, Thursday, under Pushya Nakshatra**, during the reign of **Mughal emperor Akbar**, at **Sihnand (Sinand) town**, while the extant manuscript copy bears a scribal date of **V.S. 1853**. The manuscript contains **62 folios**, measures approximately **8 × 11 inches**, and is preserved at **Kundakund Jnanapitha, Indore**. A printed verse edition was issued by **Venkateshwar Press, Bombay, in V.S. 1961 (1904 CE)**, though it is described as difficult to obtain in the present. The article identifies **Nayansukh, son of Keshavdas**, as the author and argues, based on manuscript readings, that he belonged to the **Jain Śrāvaka tradition**. It notes textual variation between manuscript and printed editions, particularly regarding the phrase identifying the author’s background. Besides *Vaidyamanotsava*, the author is credited with other works including ***Santanavidhi, Sannipātakalikā,* and *Sālontarāsa***. The article emphasizes that the text reflects extensive study of Ayurvedic literature while remaining a simplified, original composition intended to make medical knowledge accessible through concise language and verse. The manuscript contains **seven chapters (adhikāras)** and **321 verses** (some manuscript copies contain **332 verses**, while one abbreviated copy contains **167 verses** without introductory and concluding material). The **first chapter**, *Nāḍī Parīkṣā*, discusses pulse diagnosis, symptoms of vāta, pitta, and kapha constitutions, patient characteristics, incurable conditions, and calendrical considerations. It explains pulse examination through finger placement and identifies disease through pulse movement, followed by guidance on medicine and diet. Illustrative descriptions of **pitta, kapha, and vāta fevers** and their symptoms are provided. The **second chapter** addresses **sannipāta, diarrhoeal disorders, digestive disturbances, pitta-, kapha-, and vāta-related fevers**, medicinal powders, pills, decoctions, and therapeutic preparation methods. The **third chapter** includes treatments for conditions such as **fistula, abdominal disorders, worms, jaundice, and tuberculosis**, alongside recipes for medicinal preparations, ointments, and powders. Examples cited include remedies for tuberculosis and abdominal pain (*Hingashtaka Churna*). The **fourth chapter** discusses remedies for **hiccups, cough, cold, and poor digestion**, including appetite-stimulating preparations. The **fifth chapter** treats **urinary disorders, leprosy, reproductive disorders, epilepsy, and skin diseases**, describing medicinal applications such as therapeutic pastes. The **sixth chapter** focuses on **hair treatment, headaches caused by vāta, pitta, and kapha, eye, ear, nasal, oral, and throat disorders**, and compound medicines. The **seventh chapter** discusses **gynaecological conditions, childbirth, conception, and male-related disorders**, concluding with verses asserting that the work distilled medical knowledge from major therapeutic traditions to create a concise and beneficial guide for general use. The article also reproduces images of the manuscript’s first and final folios for reference.