[INDOLOGY] Leprosy

[Paul Thomas]

I have also wondered about this, but from seeing the verse in the
Suh.rllekhā of Nāgārjuna.  Matthew’s comment seems to me to strike the
mark.

Here is the verse, from Szántó’s edition:



On Sat, Jan 10, 2026 at 9:33 PM Patrick Olivelle via INDOLOGY <
indology at list.indology.info> wrote:

> Thanks to everyone who responded on and off the list. Alex Meng (now at
> Leiden) gave me the reference to Pāli MN I:507-508, which may have been the
> source of Aśvaghoṣa’s analogy. Thanks again.
>
> Patrick
>
>
>
>
> On Jan 10, 2026, at 9:59 AM, Shrikant Bahulkar <
> shrikant.bahulkar at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> According to one of my Vaidya friends, there are eighteen types of
> Ku.s.tha. It is possible that in the case of some types, the treatment of
> heating (svedana) does not work. He however did not get time to consult the
> texts.
>
> On Fri, 9 Jan 2026, 21:22 Matthew Kapstein via INDOLOGY, <
> indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
>
>> Hi Patrick,
>>
>> Is kuṣṭha to be strictly identified clinically as leprosy, i.e.
>> "long-term infection by the bacteria Mycobacterium leprae or Mycobacterium
>> lepromatosis." Or is it used more broadly for "leprous" ailments, such as
>> aggravated forms of eczema. If the latter, I can tell you for sure that
>> some types of eczema, dyshydrosis for instance, do have the strange effect
>> of seeming to be relieved by the application of heat, though in fact this
>> only aggravates the condition.
>>
>> best for the new year,
>> Matthew
>>
>> Matthew T. Kapstein
>> Professor emeritus
>> Ecole Pratique des Hautes Etudes, PSL Research University, Paris
>>
>> Associate
>> The University of Chicago Divinity School
>>
>> Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
>>
>> https://ephe.academia.edu/MatthewKapstein
>>
>>
>>
>> https://vajrabookshop.com/product/the-life-and-work-of-auleshi/
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501716218/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-i/#bookTabs=1
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501771255/tibetan-manuscripts-and-early-printed-books-volume-ii/#bookTabs=1
>>
>>
>>
>> https://brill.com/edcollbook/title/60949
>>
>>
>> Sent with Proton Mail secure email.
>>
>> On Friday, January 9th, 2026 at 4:18 PM, Patrick Olivelle via INDOLOGY <
>> indology at list.indology.info> wrote:
>>
>> > Dear All:
>> >
>> > There is a curious statement in Aśvaghoṣa’s Saundarananda, 9.44. Here
>> it is in my translation
>> >
>> > "As one afflicted with leprosy
>> > gains no relief by applying heat,
>> > So, a man with senses unrestrained,
>> > wandering among sense objects,
>> > finds no peace by indulging in pleasures.”
>> >
>> > यथा च कुष्ठव्यसनेन दुःखितः प्रतापयन्नैव शमं निगच्छति ।
>> > तथेन्द्रियार्थेष्वजितेन्द्रियश्चरन्न कामभोगैरुपशान्तिमृच्छति ॥
>> >
>> > Is there any evidence of apply heat or fire to areas affected by kuṣṭha
>> in the medical or folk literature, or at least statements that such
>> therapies should NOT be used? To make sense of this analogy, there must
>> have been a custom to this effect, even though it only increased the pain
>> of the skin affected by leprosy.
>> >
>> > Thanks.
>> >
>> > Patrick
>> >
>> >
>> >
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