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Išānašivagurudevapaddhati इत्थं हिताय खलु देहभृतां समासात् नागोद्भवोदयकुलं कृतिहेतुदौत्यैः । सौपर्णमन्त्र विनियोगविधानपूर्वं ध्यानानि चैव कथितानि विषापहानि ॥
Serpents belong to four categories --Brāhmaṇa, Kşatriya, Vaisya and Sudra. Their nature, places where they live, the reason for their bite etc., are described here. All cases of snake bites cannot be treated. Only after identifying the nature from the circumstances one should try to treat the victims. It is said :
दंष्ट्राकारं दंशनं कारणं च चेष्टावेगस्थानमर्माणि दूतान् । वाक्यं तारादिङ निमित्तैस्तिथींश्च ज्ञात्वा कुर्याद् वा न कुर्याच्चिकित्साम् ॥ It is believed that snakes have two hundred out of which fortynine inject poison. The seriousness of the bite depends upon the number of teeth pressed in the bite. There are nine Visavegas, viz. रोमाञ्चस्वेदशोषाश्च विवर्णत्वं च वेपथुः। हिक्का च गलभङ्गश्च स्वापश्च मरणं तथा ॥
The physician should ascertain the condition depending on the omens. The messenger himself suggests the condition of the victim by his dress, appearance, emotions and actions befitting the occasion. The message itself is suggestive. The number of syllabes in the messages may be taken as indicative of the nature of poison. Other omens are also described. Since Garuda is the enemy of snakes, his worship is essential. His form is given in a stanza as follows:
आजान्वोः स्ववर्णं हिमगिरिशिखरप्रख्यमा नाभिदेशात् आ कण्ठात् पक्कवबिम्बीफलनवविकसबन्धुजीवोपमानम् ।
आ शीर्षाद् भिन्ननीलाञ्जनचयरुचिरं भूषितं भोगिमुख्यै-
र्व्याप्तब्रह्माण्ड मध्यं त्रिभुवननमितं वैनतेयं नमामि ।। The author also speaks of Amrtakalās and Vişakalās which increase and decrease respectively in the first half and dark half of the lunor month. These are located in the different parts of the body as noted in the stanza cited.
