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Vira Simhavaloka · Chapter 70
व्रण — कर्मविपाकः
This Vrana karmavipaka chapter links the trouble to acting against known right conduct out of pride, anger or fear. It gives a hot penance fast, sesame, homa, the hymn to Yama and a gold elephant.
Classical view, not medical advice.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
अथ कर्मविपाके हेतुमाह तत्प्रतीकारं च । जलाग्न्युद्बंधनादिनाम्रियते स उदरव्रणी भवति । गोद्वयं दद्यात् । पंचाशद्ब्राह्मणभोजनं कारयेत् । दक्षिणां च दद्यात् ।
Next, the cause in karmavipaka (fruit of past deeds) and its remedy are described. The text speaks of one who died by water, fire, hanging and the like. He may be born with a wound in the belly. He should give two cows and feed fifty priests. He should also give dakshina (fee to the priest).
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
तथा चअतिमानादतिक्रोधादतिस्नेहाद्भयादपि ।यो धर्मनिश्चयं जानन्नन्यथा कुरुते तु यःस पूयशोणितवहव्रणी भवति मानवः ॥
And so: A person may know the settled ruling on what is right. But out of too much pride, anger, affection or even fear, he acts otherwise. The text says he may be born with many wounds that run with pus and blood.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
तच्छांतये तप्तकृच्छ्रं कुर्यात्तिलप्रस्थदो भवति । दर्भा ज्यतिलैर्व्याहृतिभिरष्टोत्तरसहस्रंजुहुयात् । पंचाशद्ब्राम्हणभोजनं तुकारयेत् ।
To bring peace to this, he should do the hot form of krichchhra (penance fast). He should give a prastha (a small grain measure) of sesame. He should make a homa (fire offering) of 1,008 offerings. He uses darbha grass, ghee and sesame, with the vyahritis (the sacred calls bhur, bhuvah, svah). He should also have fifty priests fed.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
तथा च महाफलतस्करःपादव्रणीभवति । तथा च यश्चांडालादिवचः शृणवन्स्वयं भुंक्ते स पित्तोद्रेकाद्व्रणवान्भवति । स कृच्छ्रातिकृच्छ्रं कुर्याद्यथा विभवंतिलान्दद्यात् । सर्पिर्मधुयुतं चाष्टोत्तरशतं होमं कुर्यात् ।
Also: The text says that one who steals a great fruit may be born with a wound in the foot. Another case: one eats while he hears the words of a chandala (an outcaste, in the old social order) and the like. He may get wounds from too much pitta (the bile humour). He should do krichchhra (penance fast) and atikrichchhra (a harder penance fast). He should give sesame, as his means allow. He should make a homa (fire offering) of 108 offerings with ghee mixed with honey.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
यदुक्तम् ।यमसूक्तेन विप्रेंद्रः सर्पिषा मधुसंयुतम् ।जुहोत्यष्टोत्तरशतं यमप्रीत्यर्थमेव हि ॥
As it is said: A best of priests offers into the fire 108 times, with ghee mixed with honey. He uses the Yama sukta, the hymn to Yama. He does it only to please Yama, the god of death.
So says the Padma Purana. This is the rule when pitta (the bile humour) is in excess.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
पलेन वा तदर्धेन तदर्धार्धेन वा पुनः ॥कारयेद्दाहनं हैमं चतुर्दंतं च वारणम् ।दंताः स्वर्णमयाः कार्या रत्नैर्नानाविधैर्युताः ॥
He should have a gold elephant made, of one pala (weight unit of about 48 grams). Or it may be of half that, or of a quarter. It is a mount, with four tusks. The tusks are to be of gold and set with jewels of many kinds.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
सर्वाभरणसंयुक्तं करिणं चोपकल्पयेत् ।यत्र सर्वं प्रदेयं हि तस्य पार्श्वे समाहितः ॥
He should dress the elephant with all ornaments. Beside it, with a calm mind, he should place everything that is to be given.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
निदध्याद्विधिवत्प्राज्ञः सर्वव्रणविशुद्धये ।उपचारैः षोडशभिरर्चयेद्गंधपुष्पकैः ॥
The wise one should set it up by the rule, to clear all wounds. He should worship with the sixteen offerings, with scent and flowers.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
ततो ब्राह्मणमाहूय सर्वशास्त्रार्थकोविदम् ।श्रुतवृत्तोपसंपन्नमनुद्वेगकरं नृणाम् ॥
Then he should call a priest who knows the meaning of all the texts. He should be learned and of good conduct, and trouble no one.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
भक्त्या सम्पूज्य वस्त्राद्यैर्होमं तेन च कारयेत् ।मन्त्रैः पौराणिकैः सम्यक्संहिताशास्त्रकोविदैः ।
He should honour the priest with devotion, with clothes and the rest. Then he should have him do the homa (fire offering). It is done well with Puranic mantras, by men skilled in the Vedic samhita texts.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
चत्वारो दिग्गजा ये च पुष्पदंतादयश्च ये ।सार्वभौमादयो ये च ह्याहुत्या तोषयामि तान् ।
The four elephants of the directions, Pushpadanta and the others, and Sarvabhauma and the rest: with this offering I please them.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
समिदाज्यतिलैर्होमो गजस्य प्रीतये भवेत् ।तस्मै हुतवते सम्यग्व्रणी प्रीत्यर्थमाहृतः ॥मन्त्रेणानेन विधिवद्दद्याद्भक्तिसमन्वितः ।
The homa (fire offering) with samidh (sacred firewood), ghee and sesame is to please the elephant. To the priest who has made the offerings well, the wounded person should give [the elephant], brought to please him. He gives it with devotion, by this mantra, by the rule. (Our text is unclear here: the word for 'brought' does not sit well in the line.)
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
प्राङ्मुखस्स व्रणी उदङ्मुखायेंद्रस्य वाहनं दद्यात्
The wounded person, facing east, should give Indra's mount [the gold elephant] to the one facing north.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
ऐरावतश्चतुर्दंतो गजानां नायकः स्वयम् ।दिग्दंतिनां पूज्यतमो व्रणं क्षपयतु प्रभुः ॥
Airavata, the four-tusked one, is himself the leader of the elephants. He is the most worthy of worship among the elephants of the directions. May the lord end the wound.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
अनंतरमनुव्रज्य तमाचार्यं मुदान्वितः ।ब्राह्मणान्भोजयित्वा च स्वयं भुंजीत वाग्यतः ॥
After that, he should gladly walk a few steps behind that teacher as he leaves. He should feed the priests, and then eat himself, keeping silent.
Vrana (wounds) - past deeds
एवंकृते व्रणव्याधिस्तत्क्षणादेव नश्यति ।तैः सर्वैर्व्रणिभिर्नूनं कार्यमारोग्यहेतवे ॥
When this is done, the text says the trouble of the wounds goes away at once. All those with wounds should surely do it, for good health.
This is the rule of the gift of an elephant, said to take away all wounds.
Vranakilaka (nail-like sores) - past deeds
परव्रतभेदी व्रणकीलकी भवति स कृच्छ्रं कृत्वा आयसं दद्यात् ।
The text says that one who breaks another's vow may be born with vranakilaka (nail-like sores). He should do krichchhra (penance fast) and give something made of iron.
Unit 70.5 says a priest offers into the fire 108 times with honey-mixed ghee, using the Yama hymn.