Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Ghatiyantra Grahani is a variant of the illness ‘Grahani’.
It has not been defined amongst the most important classification of Grahani comprising solely 4 varieties, which incorporates Vataja, Pittaja, Kaphaja and Sannipataja / Tridoshaja Grahani. However two variants Ghatiyantra Grahani and Sangrahani or Sangraha Grahani are additionally defined in Madhava Nidana Chapter 4 (Grahani Roga Nidanam), after the reason of the sorts of Grahani illness. Whereas Ghatiyantra Grahani has been defined in a verse of solely two strains, now we have a comparably elaborate image of Sangraha Grahani defined therein. Each are totally different situations and each don’t match into the principle classification of Grahani.
Associated Studying – ‘Sangrahani – that means, signs, remedy’
On this article we will focus on Ghatiyantra Grahani.
Ghatiyantra Grahani
Which means
– Ghatiyantra – water clock (of the sinking bowl)
– Grahani – illness of small gut or duodenum
Ghatiyantra Grahani is a illness of the grahani – small gut / duodenum wherein
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sounds resembling the ‘sound of water gushing into the ghatiyantra’ when the instrument is positioned into a much bigger water bowl (water enters from a big bowl right into a small gap made on the backside of a small steel vessel, saved on its floor producing a effervescent sound) happens,
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when the particular person is sleeping on his facet.
Understanding Ghatiyantra
1. Ghatiyantra as Water Clock
Ghatiyantra is a water clock. It’s also known as Ghatika. It’s also known as the ‘water clock of the sinking bowl’. This instrument was utilized in olden days to calculate / measure the time.
Building of Ghatiyantra –
The instrument has two components.
– A small metallic bowl – which is hemispherical in form. This is called ghatika or ghati, after which the instrument has been named. A small gap is made on the backside.
– A bigger vessel of the form of the basin that we use – often called Kunda or Kundika. This vessel is stuffed with water.
How is that this instrument used to measure time?
The ghatika or ghati is positioned over the floor of water within the massive vessel. When achieved, the water begins slowly percolating from the massive vessel, by way of the small orifice on the backside of the ghati, into the ghati. Whereas the water is shifting by way of the orifice from the massive vessel into the smaller ghati, it produces a effervescent sound. (This sound produced within the stomach of the particular person affected by ghatiyantra grahani whereas he’s sleeping on his facet precisely resembles this sound of water effervescent into the ghatiyantra).
When the ghati is stuffed with water, it sinks to the underside of the larger vessel with a transparent thud which is audible. The burden of the ghatiyantra and the scale of perforation are very a lot regulated and standardized such that the bowl sinks into the water just for sixty instances in a day. Alternatively, 60 sinks of ghatiyantra = 1 ahoratra – 24 hours. Thus, the vessel sinks as soon as in each 24 minutes. This was the usual unit of measuring time in historical India. Thus, there are sixty vighatikas (24 minutes every) or palas in a ghatika (ahoratra=1 day=24 hours).
This yantra has additionally been described as ‘Cakka-Vattakka’ (Panchatantra – 3rd century BCE) & Rajatarangini (12th century CE).
Ghatiyantra or Ghati –
– The bowl is hemispherical in form. It’s made up of copper.
– It’s 10 palas in weight.
– It’s 6 angula in peak and 12 angula in diameter on the prime.
– The opening on the backside is made by a needle of size 8 angula and weighing 1 pala.
2. Ghatiyantra as ‘water elevating machine as in rope and pot of a nicely
Ghatiyantra can be a machine used for elevating water from the depth of wells which contains a ‘rope and pot / bucket’.
Ghata means effort and Yantra means machine.
In historical India (even now in villages and different locations the place nicely water is used), individuals used to attract water from the deep wells utilizing a ghata – pot to whose neck is fixed a rope. The rope is used to launch the pot into the nicely by way of a pulley. When the pot reaches the water, the water slowly fills from the nicely into the pot. Whereas the water strikes from the nicely into the small opening of the pot, it makes a effervescent sound. (This sound produced within the stomach of the particular person affected by ghatiyantra grahani whereas he’s sleeping on his facet precisely resembles this sound of water effervescent into the ghatiyantra). The crammed pot is slowly drawn up with effort utilizing the identical rope.
Like within the Water clock, right here additionally water strikes from a much bigger vessel (nicely right here) right into a smaller one (pot right here). So, each analogies slot in to explain the principle symptom of Ghatiyantra Grahani.
On the premise of this data, we will perceive Ghatiyantra Grahani.
Ghatiyantra Grahani: The illness
स्वपतःपार्श्वयोःशूलंगलज्जलघटीध्वनिः।
तंवदन्तिघटीयन्त्रमसाध्यंग्रहणीगदम्।।४।।) (M.N.4/4)
As mentioned already, Ghatiyantra Grahani is a variant of Grahani illness.
Causes and Signs – Since it’s a variant of Grahani, the final causes and signs will probably be much like the identical.
Particular Signs – When the particular person sleeps on his facet,
– he suffers from ache within the flanks and
– sounds resembling that produced when a pot (ghata) is dipped in water or water clock (ghatiyantra) is positioned on water (as defined above) are heard from his stomach
Prognosis – Ghatiyantra Grahani is incurable.
Therapy – Since Ghatiyantra Grahani is incurable, no administration has been defined within the texts. This situation is defined to inform that it’s a variant of Grahani and in addition not included within the subtypes of grahani as a result of in contrast to these, it’s incurable. Alternatively, we are able to perceive that this situation has been mentioned for comfort of prognosis and differential prognosis. When the signs usually are not extreme, it could be managed with a normal line of remedy of Grahani roga.
Possible Fashionable Correlation
Many consultants have correlated this situation with diaphragmatic hernia. As a result of herniation of stomach viscera into the chest cavity by way of the diaphragmatic orifice, the particular person might really feel signs like ache within the stomach, as talked about in Ghatiyantra Grahani. When the particular person stands or sits (from sleeping place), the organ slips again into the stomach cavity. Sounds as talked about in Ghatiyantra Grahani could also be produced when the organ (abdomen, colon and so forth) strikes by way of the orifice or comes again into the stomach cavity. This situation wants surgical intervention and therefore Ayurveda has thought-about it as asadhya – incurable (incurable with medicines). Generally, even surgical procedure might not yield desired outcomes.
Different situations which might be thought-about in shut correlation with Ghatiyantra Grahani are –
– Intestinal tuberculosis,
– Power diarrhoea,
– Hill diarrhoea,
– Power colitis
– Diarrhoea of pancreatic origin