Arishta

Dr.Sangita Maharjan
BAMS, MD (Roganidana)

1
 Introduction
 The word Arishta is used in Ayurveda in two different
context
 Bad prognosis
 Fermented medicinal preparation
 Flowers Upcoming Fruits
 Smoke Fire
 Cloud Rain
 Signs/ symptoms Death (Arishta)

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 Introduction
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 The sign and symptoms which indicate for sure death
is called Arishta
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3
 Introduction
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 k|s[ltM :jefljsM k|fl0fgf] lghf] wd{
 Abnormal changes happening in the body temperament and
constitution are Arishta

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 Introduction
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 The proper medication fails to act the proper stage of
disease is also an indication of bad prognosis.

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 Introduction
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 Feature produced by those doshas which are not pacified by
any treatment and is circulating in whole body is called-
Arishta

 Signs of aggravated doshas that have trascended the sphere of

treatment and their effect is felt all over the body.

6
 Introduction

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 When symptoms similar to Arishta develop in a person and it

proves to be non fatal, then these symptoms are called
Rishtabhasa.

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 Synonyms
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d[To';"rs
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8
References
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 ;'>'t ;"q:yfg @* b]lv #@ cWofo
 c= x[= zf % b]lv ^ cWofo
 c= ;= zf (, !), !!, !@ cWofo
 Dff=lg

9
Factors to be examined for Arishta (Ref:Charak)

 Varna  Smarana shakti

 Upadrava
 Swara  Bala
 Gaurava
 Gandha  Glani
 Laghava
 Rasa  Medha

 Aahara
 Sparsa Harsha
 Bihara
 Chakshu  Roukshya
 Snigdhata  Upaya
 Srotra  Apaya
 Ghrana  Tandra
 Aakriti  Chaya
 Rasana  Prati chaya
 Prakriti
 Sparsana 
 Vikriti Swapna
 Mana 
 Roga arambha Dootadhikara
 Bhakti 
 Vyadhi Marga utpata
 Pabitrata  Purva rupa  Bhesaja sambrita
 Sheela  Vedana  Bhesaja vikara
 Aachara yukta
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Classification:
 Purusha ashrita and Purusha anshrita
 Purusha ashrita:
 Prakriti: Jati Praskata, Kula Praskata, Deshanupatik,
Kalanupatik, Vayonupatika, Pratyatmaniyata
 Vikriti: Lakshana nimita, Lakshya nimita, Nimita
anurupa
 Purusha anshrita:
Dootadhikaragamya
Pathi chaupatikam
Aaturakule bhavasthantara
 Niyat and Aniyat
 Sthayi and Asthayi
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Classification: Purusha aashrita and Purusha
Anashrita

• Purshamanasritam - not related to the patient

• Dootadhikaragamya
• Swapnagamya
• Purushasamsrayani - observed in patient

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Classification: Purusha aashrita and Purusha
Anashrita
Purusha ashrita:
Arishta lakshanas found in body of the person who is
nearing death.
Locataed in sharira, mana and indriya.
It can be Prakriti or of Vikriti
 Prakriti: Jati Praskata, Kula Praskata, Deshanupatik,
Kalanupatik, Vayonupatika, Pratyatmaniyata
 Vikriti: Lakshana nimita, Lakshya nimita, Nimita
anurupa

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Classification: Purusha aashrita
Prakriti
 Jatiprasakta:
 Purity observed among some caste in olden days.
 Kulaprasakta:
 purity among certain family
 Desanupatini:
 purity among the people of a given desa
 Kalanupatini
 purity observed in satyayuga
 Vayonupatini
 according to age
 Pratyatmaniyata
 purity observed in some individuals

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Classification: Purusha aashrita
Vikriti
 Lakshana nimitta
 Features that are since birth that are indicative of death and
ayu.
 Assessed from various particular attributes like hasta rekha,
pada rekhsa, anga avayaba lakshanas, nyunadhika sanhkya
 Produced / outcome of previous karma
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Classification: Purusha aashrita
 Lakshya nimitta
 Morbid conditions caused by etiological factors eg:
etiological factors for each and every disease.
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 Nimittanurupa
 Hetu is avyakta
 Gives ayupraman gyana
 Fatal features which invariably appear in every person
propr to his death without any other reason
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Classification: Purusha aashrita and Purusha
Anashrita
Purusha anashrita:
The lakshanas which are not found in patient,
Found as
Environmental variation
Behavior of animals and birds
Appearance of messengers or relatives
Grouped as:
Dootadhikaragamya
Pathi chaupatikam
Aaturakule bhavasthantara

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Classification: Purusha Anashrita
Dootaadhikaaragamya arishta
 If the doota is improperly dressed, weeping, inattentive
 If he reaches physicians home when physician is asleep,
breaking something
 When physician offering the bolus to forefathers
 Physician thinking/ speaking abt dead,burnt or destroyed
things
 If messenger is anxious, frightened, hurried,unclean…

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 Classification:
Pathi chaupatikam (Incidents on the way…)
 Sneezing, crying, falling,
 Falling of sacred trees, flag etc.
 Crossing the road by cat, dog, snake etc.
 Seeing bed,chair etc upside down
Aaturakule bhavasthantara (In patient’s residence)
 Vessels full of fire which may be broken
 Family members using substances which are broken, cracked,
split or weak
 Arrangement of things which are befitting for dead bodies.
 Observes vessels full of fire and extinguishing of fire.

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Classification: Niyata and Aniyata
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 Niyata means definite event leading to death.
 Aniyata means indefinite event.
 For eg: flower and cloud are indefinite because they may
not end in fruit and rain always. Arishta produced by
messenger, omens etc. are also indefinite signs.
 Niyata: Doshaja arishta
 Aniyata: Dootha arishta

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Classification: Sthayi and Asthayi
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 Rishta are of two types- Sthayi, Asthayi

 Sthayi arishta indicates definite death of the patient.
 Asthayi arishta are lakshanas that resemble arishta but
are not fatal, Rishtabhasa; Fades away as soon as
vitiated doshas subsides.

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Arishta
 Chakshurindriyagamya arishta:
 Able to see adrishya vastu but unable to see drishya vastu
 Unsual signs or visual hallucinations
 Continious movement of eye ball or absence of ocular movements
 Shrawanindriyagamya arishta:
 Hearing inaudible as audible and not hearing audible sounds.
 Auditory hallucinations- nadi pravahana, amudra garjana
 Ghranendriyagamya arishta:
 Fails to perceive smell
– Fails to differentiate between various types of smell.
 Rasendriyagamya arishta:
 In absence of mukha paka – unbale to perceive taste,
 Malaavritta jihwa- gambheera awastha of annavaha srotas
 Sparsendriyagamya arishta
 Absence of spandan
 Inability to differentiate mridu and kathina,

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Arishta
 Varna Arishta:
 Change in body complexion i.e. half of the body have
natural complexion and other may have abnormal
complexion with clear demarcation.
 Swar Arishta
 Appearance of abnormal type of voice, mixture of various
voices, feeble, stammering.
 Gandha Arishta
 Emission of fragrance resembling that of various flowers
(Pushpita), Emits odour like urine, feces, dead body.

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Arishta
 Rasa Arishta
 Bitter taste- flies, mosquitoes goes away
 Sweet taste- flies are attracted constantly even after he has
taken bath
 Sparsha Arishta
 Absence of pulse in pulsating areas
 Coldness in those which are normally warm
 Soft organs becoming hard
 Chkashu Arishta
 Long and shallow respiration
 Venous predominance over abdomen with change in
colour- blackish, coppery, blue, deep yellow
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Arishta
 Poorvarupagamya arishta:
 Jwara with all poorva rupa
 Gulma: antrasotha, antrakoojana, kosthabadhata,
Atyadhikadurbalata
 Rupagamya arishta:
 Gambheera hikka with raktatisara
 Aanaha along with atisara in debiliated person
 Sotha spreading from udara to extremities
 Swapnagamya arishta:
 Raktapitta- drinking blood
 Meha, Atisara- drinking water
 Dreaming of ulluka, rakshas, pretha, long hair, long nails
 Consuming madhya with preetha

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Arishta
 Chaya and Prabhagamya arishta:
 The occurrence of unusual changes in one’s shadows and
images indicates the imminent death. The aberrations in the
image indicates the imminent death if it is without any
cause. The image of the patient that is reflected as a shadow
in the pupil of another person is indicative of arishta.
Irrespective of the source of light the person is equated to
dead when his shadow is distorted.
 Prabha:
 Snigdha and nirmala: Prakrit
 Ruksha and anirmala: Aprakrit

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Arishta
 Ahara:
 Food advised according to dosha and vyadhi doesn’t
benefit vyadhi awastha
 Ausadha:
 Medicine is effective in other patient but not effective to
particular patient
 Mutra:
 Taila bindu pareeksha: movement towards eshan,
agneya- death is certain within 1 month
 Taila attains shape of headless human, bufallo- indicates
death
 If Mutra, pureesha, sukra sinks in water then it is indicates
that person will die within one month.

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Arishta
Arishta in Nadi:
 Nadi which is highly vibrating and pulsating like that of
lightening.
 Nadi which becomes rapid and sometimes very thin and
runs extremely weak, fast, cold
Sadhyomarana arishta:
 Development of exceedingly shining net work of vessels
in the forehead
 Hikka in person with dropping eyes and excessive burning
sensation.

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Importance:

 Helps to decide which patient to treat and which not to treat.

 Whom to give palliative treatment and whom to give
intervention treatment
 Helps to approach death with understanding and ease.

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Notes:
 To master the knowledge of arishta and sakuna intense
concentration of mind and complete control over our indriyas
is a must, usually the study of indriyasthana is done under a
guru in spiritual premises.
 To compare with modern parameters the lakshanas can be
taken as state of brain, cranial nerve, cardiac failure, renal
failure, hepatic failure, metabolic failure
 Detail study and understanding is required.
 Some lakshanas may seem impractical at the modern day due
to advancement of science and technology

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