Analytical Review of Verbs Used by Madhava Nidana: An Ayurveda Medical Text

A bstract Language is the medium of expressing thoughts. Authors of ancient medical texts like Mādhava have expressed their scientific thoughts regarding the medical concepts using the ancient language, that is, Sanskrit. Mādhava Nidāna , the text of Āyurveda , written by Mādhavakara describes the diagnostic part of diseases. Verbs are the main tools to express the disease process involving the action of vitiated doṣa and its other consequential impacts on the body. This article focuses on the verbs mentioned in Mādhava Nidāna with their proper analysis to emphasize the importance of knowing the verbs in understanding the pathogenesis of the diseases. Data are collected from Mādhava Nidāna. The verbs found are analyzed using grammatical guidelines of Pāṇini such as Pratyaya , Upasarga , Gaṇa–Pada–Puruṣa–Vacana , Seṭ–Aniṭ , Kartari–Karmaṇi , and Sakarmaka–Akarmaka , and presented with critical discussions on each. Mādhava , whereas describing diseases in 69 chapters, used verb forms at 1756 instances to describe the events happening during the formation of diseases. It is observed that Upasarga changed the original meaning of a verb completely or partially. Pratyaya has a specific meaning which specified the meaning of the verb. Pada ( Parasmai and Ātmane ) can be useful in deciding the kind of action, that is, self-limited or dependent. Sakarmaka–Akarmaka (transitive and nontransitive) verbs can express the necessity of the object in the sentence. It is also observed that some factors, such as Puruṣa , Seṭ , Aniṭ , and Gaṇa are not having any specific direct role in changing the meaning of verbs, particularly in the present text.