Atīsāra (Diarrhoea) and Grahaṇī-doṣa: Causes, Prodromal Signs, Doṣa-wise Symptoms, and Major-Disease Status
अतीसारः समासेन द्वेधा सामो निरामकः / सासृग्जातं रसद्रोगो गौरवादप्सु मुञ्चति? / शकृद्दुर्गन्धमाटोपविष्टम्भार्तिप्रसेकिनः
atīsāraḥ samāsena dvedhā sāmo nirāmakaḥ / sāsṛgjātaṃ rasadrogo gauravādapsu muñcati? / śakṛddurgandhamāṭopaviṣṭambhārtiprasekinaḥ
الإسهال (atīsāra) بإيجازٍ نوعان: (1) نوعٌ «ساما» المصحوب بـ āma (مادةٍ سُمّية غير مهضومة)، و(2) نوعٌ «نيرامَكا» الخالي من āma. فإذا اقترن بالدم صار داءً شديدًا؛ وبسبب ثِقَل البطن يطرح المرءُ مرارًا برازًا ممزوجًا بالماء. ومن علاماته: نتنُ الغائط، والانتفاخ بالغازات، وانسدادٌ يشبه الإمساك، وألمٌ، وبصقٌ دائم أو غثيان.
Lord Vishnu (in instruction to Garuda)
Concept: Discriminative knowledge (viveka) in diagnosis: distinguishing sāma vs nirāma states; recognizing danger signs (blood, heaviness, fetor).
Vedantic Theme: Viveka as a general epistemic virtue—applied here to embodied life; right knowledge reduces suffering.
Application: Assess whether symptoms suggest āma/toxicity; treat promptly when blood, heaviness, severe fetor, pain, or dehydration signs appear.
Primary Rasa: adbhuta
Secondary Rasa: bibhatsa
Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.157 (atisara typology: sāma/nirāma; severe blood-associated form; symptom cluster)
This verse highlights that diarrhoea is not one uniform condition; identifying whether it is associated with āma (sāma) or not (nirāmaka) guides how one understands severity and suitable treatment approach in traditional physiology.
It states that when diarrhoea is accompanied by blood (sāsṛgjāta), it indicates a more severe disorder (rasadroga), alongside heaviness and repeated watery evacuation—signs of complication.
Use the symptom markers—blood, severe pain, foul smell, persistent watery stools, and heaviness—as red flags for urgent medical attention, while also reflecting the text’s emphasis on careful observation and timely intervention.