Śastra (sharp instruments)

Dr. B.M.S. Amarajeewa

MS (Ay.) Shalya
Department of Shalya
Shalakya
IIM
 Learning Outcomes of the Lesson
At the end of the lesson you should be able to;
• define Śastra
• Identify the 20 Śastras
• compare the instruments with modern day
instruments
• identify the uses of different sharp instruments
• describe the good qualities and defects of sharp
instruments
• demonstrate practical utility of sharp instruments
related to Astavidha śastra karma
 Śastra (sharp instruments)
• Instruments with sharp edges are coming
under Śastra.
• Susrutha has described 20 sharp instruments.
• Sharp instruments are used for the eight main
surgical procedures.
• Caraka describes 6 surgical procedures and
vagbhata 13.
 Good Qualities of Sharp Instruments
(śastrasaṁpat)
तानन सग्र
ु हाणि सर
ु ोहानन सध
ु ायाणि सरू
ु ऩाणि सस
ु भहहतभख
ु ाग्राणि
अकयारानन चेनत शस्त्रसंऩत ् I
(Su/Su/8/8)
• sugrahāṇi – good handle
• sulohāni- made of good quality metal
• sudhārāṇi – fine and sharp edged
• surūpāṇi – good finishing
• susamahitamukhāgrāṇi – standard or well formed working
edge
• akarālāni – not having a dentate sharp edge (smooth edged)
 Standards of a Sharp Instrument
मदा सनु नशशतं शस्त्रं योभच्छे हद सस
ु स्ं स्त्ितभ ्
सगु ह
ृ ीतं प्रभािेन तदा कभमसु मोजमेत ्
yadā suniśitaṁ śastraṁ romacchedi susaṁsthitam
sugṛhītaṁ pramāṇena tadā karmasu yojayet (Su/Su/8/14)

If the sharp instrument consist of qualities mentioned below;

• suniśitaṁ - well-sharpened
• romacchedi – edge is capable of cutting a hair
• susaṁsthitam – well formed
• sugṛhītaṁ - with a good handle
• pramāṇena – of standard size
• It should be used for surgical operations.
 Sharpening of instruments (Niśāna)
• A smooth stone is used for sharpening the instrument initially
• For maintenance of sharpness śalmalīphalaka (a silk cotton
pod) should be used

Use of Instrument Size of Edge Examples

Bhedana - Incision Māsūrī – size of a lentil Vṛddhipatra, Nakha
Śastra
Lekhana – scraping Ardhamāsūrī – size of a Maṇḍalāgra,
half lentil
Vyadhana – puncturing Kaiśikī – fine edge like a Kuśapatra, Kuṭhārikā
and hair
Visrāvana - drainage
Chedana – excision Ardhakaiśikī – fine as a Vṛddhipatra,
half of a hair Utpalapatraka
Tempering of Instruments (śastra pāyana)
• There are three kinds of tempering for sharp instruments;
• Kṣāra - Alkali
• Udaka - Water
• Taila – Oils
Instruments tempered by Use for
Kṣāra - Alkali excision of arrows, foreign bodies
and bone
Udaka - Water excision, incision and spitting of the
muscles
Taila – Oils Puncturing the vessels and for
excision of nerves
 Defects of Sharp Instruments
(śastradoṣa)
तर वक्रं कुण्ठं खण्डं खयधायं अनतस्त्िर
ू भ ् अत्मल्ऩभ ् अनतदीघमभ ्
अनतह्रस्त्वभ ् इत्मष्टौ शस्त्रदोषा् I
(Su/Su/8/9)
• Vakraṁ - crooked, bent
• Kuṇṭhaṁ - blunt
• Khaṇḍaṁ -incomplete or broken
• Kharadhāraṁ - rough edged (except for Karapatra)
• Atisthūlam – too thick
• Atyalpam – too thin
• Atidīrgham – too long
• Atihrasvam – too short
Maṇḍalāgra

Karapatra
Vṛddhipatra
nakha śastra

Mudrikā
Utpalapatraka

Ardhadhāra
Sūci āṭīmukha

kuśapatra
 The Needle…

Source: Suture Technical Specifications, Demetech (http://www.demetech.us/suture-specs.php)

Eyed needles
Swaged-on needles

Swaged needles with sutures

śarārīmukha

Antarmukha
Trikūrcaka Kuṭhārikā
Vrīhīmukha

Ārā

Vetasapatraka
Variations of Ārā Śastra

Karṇa vedhanī Yuthikā

(Vagbhata)
Vaḍīśa

Dantaśaṅku

Eśanī
 Uses of Sharp Instruments
• Eight surgical procedures;
1. छे दन (chedana) - excision
2. बेदन (bhedana) - Incision
3. रेखन (lekhana) - scarification
4. वेदन / व्मधन (vedana or vyadhana) - puncturing
5. एषि (eṣaṇa) – probing
6. आहयि (āharaṇa) – extraction
7. ववस्रावन (visrāvana) - drainage
8. सीवन (sīvana) – suturing
 Anuśastra
(Substitutes for Sharp Instruments )

अनुशस्त्राणि तु त्वक्साय स्त्पहटक काच कुरुववन्द जरौकोऽस्ननऺाय

नखगोजी शेपाशरका शाकऩर कयीयफाराङ्गुल्म इनत I
anuśastrāṇi tu tvaksāra sphaṭika kāca kuruvinda
jalauko'gnikṣāra nakhagojī śephālikā śākapatra
karīrabālāṅgulya iti I
(Su/Su/8/9)
• Tvaksāra – Bamboo
• sphaṭika – Crystal
• kāca – Glass
• kuruvinda – Ruby
 Anuśastra cont’d
• jalauka – Leeches
• Agni – Cautary
• kṣāra – Caustics
• nakha – Nails
• gojī – Elephatopus scaber (eth adi) leaves
• śephālikā – Nyctanthes arbor tristis leaves
• śāka – Tectona grandis (teak) leaves
• karīra – young stems of plants/ sprouts
• bāla – hair
• Aṅguli – Finger
 Summary

• Good qualities of Sharp Instruments

• Defects of Blunt Instruments
• Different Types of Śastra
• Uses of Sharp Instruments
• Anuśastra
 Activity
• What are the instruments and accessory
instruments that can be used as Yantra and
Śastra both?
• Do they have differences?

• Do you identify any instrument or accessory

instrument used for a common function?