Susruta Samhita - Mandhata Global

176 THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA. [Chap. VI.
the two Mani-vandhas and the four Kurchcha-Sirah (of
the hands and legs) belong to the Rujakara group
(painful if hurt). A piercing of the Kshipra-Marma
ends in an instantaneous death ; or death may follow
at a later tinic. 16-2 f.
Firm unions of Mdnsa (muscles), Sira (veins), Snayu
(ligaments), bones or bone-joints are called Marmas
(or vital parts of the body) which naturally and specifi-
cally form the seats of life (Praina), and hence a hurt to
any one of the Marmas invariably produces such symp-
toms as arise from the hurt of a certain Marma * 22.
The Marmas belonging to the Sadya-Pranahara group
are possessed of fiery virtues (thermogenetic) ; as
fiery virtues are easily enfeebled, so they prove fatal
to life (in the event of being any way hurt) ; while
those belonging to the Kdlantara-Pranahara group are
fiery and lunar (cool) in their properties. And
as the fiery virtues are enfeebled easily and the cooling
virtues take a considerable time in being so, the
Marmas of this group prove fatal in the long run (in
the event of being any way hurt, if not instantaneously
like the preceding ones). The Vis'alyaghna Marmas
are possessed of Vataja properties (that is, they arrest
the escape of the vital Vayu) ; so long as the dart
does not allow the Vayu to escape from their injured
interior, the life prolongs ; but as soon as the dart is
extricated, the Vayu escapes from the inside of the
hurt and necessarily proves fatal. The Vaikalyakaras
are possessed of Saumya (lunar properties) and they
retain the vital fluid owing to their steady and cooling
virtues, and hence tend only to deform the organism
* Some are of opinion that hallucination, delirium, death, stupor and
coma as described in the Sutrast anam are the results of injuries to
thes Mar as.