| YouTube Channel

विष्कन्ध (viSkandha)

 
Capeller Eng
English
वि॑ष्कन्ध
n.
 a
cert.
 disease.
Monier Williams Cologne
English
वि॑—ष्कन्ध a (वि॑-),
n.
 (fr. वि
+
 स्कन्ध) a partic. disease,
AV.
TS.
 (cf. सं॑-स्कन्ध)
वि-ष्कन्ध b See
p.
 953, col. 1.
Vedic Reference
English
Vi-ṣkandha occurs several times in the Atharvaveda^1 as the
name of a disease. As rem dies against it a lead amulet, ^2 or
hemp, ^3 or a salve, ^4 or the Ja giḍa plant are recommended for
use.^5 Weber^6 suggests that the disease meant is ‘rheumatism, ’
because it draws the shoulders apart (vi-skandha), but Bloom-
field^7 thinks that it is rather the name of a demon, like the
Rigvedic Vyaṃśa^8 and Vigrīva, ^9 both of which are similarly
formed and are names of demons. Possibly Karśapha and
Viśapha mentioned in one hymn^10 are plants used to cure the
disease.
1) i. 16, 3
ii. 4, 1 et seq.
iii. 9,
2. 6
iv. 9, 5
xix. 34, 5. It is also
found in the Taittirīya Saṃhitā, vii. 3,
11, 1.
2) Av. i. 16, 3. Cf. ii. 4
iii. 9, 6.
3) Av. ii. 4, 5.
4) Av. iv. 9, 5.
5) Av. ii. 4, 1. 5
xix. 34. 5
35, 1.
6) Indische Studien, 4, 410
13, 141
17, 215. See Zimmer, Altindisches Leben,
390, 391
Grill, Hundert Lieder, ^2 75.
7) Hymns of the Atharvaveda, 282, 283.
8) Rv. i. 32, 5, etc.
9) Rv. viii. 4, 24.
10) Av. iii. 9, 1. Cf. Bloomfield, op. cit.,
340. Roth, St. Petersburg Dictionary,
s.v., thinks demons are meant: this
seems the more probable view.