kAlaya in shrImannArAyaNIyam!

[rtumkur at ford.com]

Dominik Wujastyk wrote:

>
>
>Not an answer, Madhav, but rather a jumble of notes which might spark some
>relevant idea. 
>
>A verse saying that tripu.ta (Lathyrus sativa) produces lameness occurs in
>the main text of the Bhaavaprakaa"sa, and is an important piece of medical
>history. 
>
>The edition of BP which I have is:
>
>Brahma"sa"nkara Mi"sra and Ruupalaalajii Vai"sya, 2 vols.
>(Varanasi: Chaukhambha Sanskrit Sansthan, 7th edition 1990).
>[Kashi Sanskrit Series vol. 130.]
>
>The verse occurs in vol.1, on p.650, as verse 59 in the
>Dhaanyavarga section of the Bhaavapraka"sanigha.n.tu (the BP's
>appendix on materia medica).
>
>Tripu.ta is sometimes also thought to be the same legume as kalaaya. 
>Nadkarni, however, says that kalaaya is Pisum Arvense, the field pea.  I
>think this is not correct, at least in pre-modern texts, because of the
>etiology of diseases associated with kalaaya/tripu.ta. Kalaaya is
>mentioned in even earlier texts than the BP as a legume that aggravates
>'wind', which often involves symptoms of paralysis (e.g.., ardita, and

	I may be streching things too far. Has this anything to do with
	the vAyu in the guruvAyu with which Shri Narayana Bhattadri is
	connected ? I do know guruvAyu itself, according to myth is 
	through a different derivation.

>other palsies, cramps, and convulsions), and is grouped with or even
>equated with tripu.ta.  It is mentioned in Caraka and Su"sruta.  However I
>cannot yet see an *early* passage actually saying that kalaaya causes
>lameness. 
>
>However, the pattern of etiology and identification with tripu.ta seems to
>point conclusively to kalaaya being Lathyrus sativa, which is well known
>(now) for its implication in the crippling disease of Lathyrism, so well
                                  ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
>described by Sleeman in his _Rambles and Recollections_, and more recently
>(and entertainingly) by Harold Klawans in his collection of neurological
>case studies entitled _Newton's Madness: further tales of clinical
>madness_ (London, 1990). 
>
>All the best,
>Dominik
>
>--
	I am not sure if this reply is of any relevance except for its
	reference. It is said that Shri Narayana Bhattadri was motivated
	to compose shrImannArAyaNIyam after he was afflicted with a 
	severe form of rheumatism.

	regards,
	ramu