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Vira Simhavaloka · Chapter 80
विसर्प — कर्मविपाकः
This Visarpa karmavipaka chapter links the trouble to past-life wrongs. It gives gifts and homa, and describes a gold snake with five hoods set with gems, worshipped by a learned teacher.
Classical view, not medical advice.
The English below is our translation from the Sanskrit.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
अथ विसर्पादिरोगाणां कर्मविपाके हेतुमाह तत्प्रतीकारं च । अमेध्यदाताविसर्पवाञ्जायते स मासं पयोव्रतमाचरेत् ।
Next, the cause from past deeds of spreading rash and similar illnesses is described, and also the remedy. One who gave something unclean in a past life may be born with spreading rash. The sick person should keep a fast on milk alone for a month.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
बोधायनः —सर्पैस्तु यः खादयति स विसर्पी भवेन्नरः ।दानेनोपशमः कार्यो होमेन च विशेषतः ॥
Bodhayana says: A man who has someone bitten by snakes may become one with spreading rash. Peace should come by dana (gift), and above all by homa (fire offering).
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
पलेन वा तदर्धेन तदर्धार्धेन वा पुनः ।कुर्यान्नागं सुवर्णेन फणापंचकसंयुतम् ॥
One should make a snake of gold with five hoods. It should weigh a pala (weight unit of about 48 grams), or half of that, or a quarter of that.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
माणिक्यानि च देयानि प्रत्येकं फणपंचके ।रत्नं पुच्छे तथा देयं वज्रं लोचनयोस्तथा ॥
A ruby should be set in each of the five hoods. A gem should be set in the tail, and a diamond in each of the two eyes.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
एवं नागं शुभं कृत्वा कुंकुमेनानुलेपयेत् ।रक्तवस्त्रेण संवेष्ट्य ताम्रपात्रोपरि न्यसेत् ॥
Having made a fine snake in this way, one should rub it with saffron. One should wrap it in red cloth and place it on a copper plate. (Our text is unclear here: a word in this verse is not certain.)
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
पात्रस्य च परीमाणं पलानामष्टकं विदुः ।उपचारैः षोडशभिरर्चयेन्नागमुत्तमम् ॥
The plate should weigh eight palas (weight unit of about 48 grams). With sixteen acts of worship, one should honour the noble snake.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
आचार्यः सर्वशास्त्रज्ञो धर्मशास्त्रपरायणः ।होमं चापि प्रकुर्वीत समिदाज्यतिलैः शुभैः ॥
The acharya (teacher) should know every shastra (science) and follow the law books. He should also do homa (fire offering) with good samidh (sacred firewood), ghee and sesame.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
नमोऽस्तु सर्पेभ्य इति त्रिभिर्मंत्रैर्यथाक्रमम् ।अष्टोत्तरसहस्रं वाप्यष्टोत्तरशतं तु वा ॥
In order, with the three Vedic mantras that begin "namo astu sarpebhyah", the count is 1,008, or 108,
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
अष्टाविंशतिकं वापि परीमाणं पृथक्पृथक् ।हुत्वा चाहुतिसंपातैः पात्रे चैकीकृतं स्वयम् ॥
or 28, taken separately for each. After the offerings, the acharya (teacher) himself should gather in one pot what falls from them.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
आचार्योंऽगानि चाभ्यज्य रोगिणां तु विसर्पिणाम्ऋग्भिस्तुसर्पराज्ञीभिर्ऋग्भिर्भूम्यादिभिः क्रमात्
The acharya (teacher) should then rub the bodies of the sick people who have spreading rash. He uses the riks (Vedic verses) of the Snake Queen. Then, in order, he uses the riks that begin with the Earth.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
स्वस्थोऽसौ यथा भवति गात्राणि चापरोगतो यथा मुक्तानि भवंति
[This is done] so that the sick person becomes well, and the limbs become free of illness.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
गुग्गुलुं च सुगंधं च पुष्पदारु च निक्षिपेत् ।प्रकल्प्य कलशे कुर्यादभिषेकं जलैः शुभैः ॥
He should put guggulu (a fragrant resin), sweet-smelling things and pushpadaru (a fragrant wood) into a kalasha (water pot). After preparing it in the pot, he should do abhisheka (ritual pouring of water) with good waters.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
नमोऽस्तु सर्पेभ्य इति सार्पैस्तल्लिंगकैरपि ।हिरण्यवर्णाःशुचयः पवमानानुवाकतः ॥
[He does this] with "namo astu sarpebhyah" and the snake verses. He also uses other verses that name snakes. He uses the Vedic verses that begin "hiranyavarnah shucayah" and the Pavamana anuvaka (a section of the Veda).
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
आपोहिष्ठामय इति शन्नो वातमुदीरयेत् ।उत्सादितांगंरुचिरं लिंपेदगरुचंदनैः ॥
He should recite the Vedic mantras that begin "apo hi shtha mayo" and "shan no vatah". Then he should smear the rubbed, bright limbs with agaru (aloe wood) and chandana (sandalwood).
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
ततः समर्चयेद्यत्नान्नागं पुष्पाक्षतादिभिः ।सर्पदैवतमंत्रेण चाचार्योऽपि समर्चयेत् ॥
Then he should carefully worship the snake with flowers, whole rice grains and the like. The acharya (teacher) should also worship it with the snake deity's mantra.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
अनतं सर्पराजं तमाचार्याय निवेदयेत् ।यो धत्ते पृथिवीं कृत्स्नां सशैलवनकाननाम् ॥
He should hand over to the acharya (teacher) that king of snakes, Ananta (the great snake Shesha). He is the one who bears the whole earth with its mountains, forests and groves.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
क्षीराब्धौ यस्य शय्या च वासुदेवस्य शार्ङ्गिणः ।स्वीयदानेन नागोऽसौ सर्वव्याधिं व्यपोहतु ॥
He is the bed of Vasudeva (Vishnu), who holds the Sharnga bow, in the ocean of milk. May this snake, given as my gift, take away every sickness.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
वैसर्पकविकारं च त्वग्दोषजनितं तथा ।रक्तदोषोद्भवं वापि मातृतः पितृतोपि वा ॥अंगप्रत्यंगसंभूतं विकारं मे व्यपोहतु ॥
May he take away my spreading rash, and the trouble from the skin or from bad blood. May he take away the trouble that comes from the mother's side or the father's side. May he take away the trouble that arises in the limbs and their smaller parts.
This is the mantra for the dana (gift).
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
एवं दत्वा तु तन्नागमाचार्याय सदक्षिणम् ।भूमौ प्रणम्य शिरसा शनैः शतपदं व्रजेत् ॥
Having given that snake to the acharya (teacher) with a fee, he should bow to the ground with his head. Then he should walk slowly a hundred steps.
Visarpa (spreading skin rash) - past deeds
आचार्येणाप्यनुज्ञातः स्वगृहं प्रविशेत्ततः ।ब्राह्मणान्भोजयित्वा तु स्वयं भुंजीत बंधुभिः ॥
When the acharya (teacher) allows it, he should then enter his own house. He should feed priests and then eat himself with his relatives.
This ends the rite of giving the snake that takes away spreading rash, boils and blisters.
Dushcharma (bad skin) - past deeds
अथ गुरुतल्पगो वावकीर्णी दुश्चर्मा भवति । असौ व्याधितारतम्येन गुरुतल्पाद्युद्देशेन प्रायश्चित्तं कुर्यात् ।
Next, the text says that one who went to his teacher's bed may have bad skin. This means sleeping with the teacher's wife. So may one who broke his vow of celibacy as a student. The sick person should do the prayashchitta (making amends) set for such wrongs. It is chosen by how severe the illness is.
Visphota (blisters) - past deeds
अथ नानास्थानविस्फोटरोगेषु हेतुमाह तत्प्रतीकारं च अनिर्दशायाः गोः पयः पीत्वास्फोटवान्भवति स कृच्छ्रसांतपनंकुर्यात् हिरण्यंवा सांसि गाश्च दद्यात् इति हस्तपादतलस्फोटेषु ।
Next, for blisters in many places, the cause and remedy are given. One who drinks the milk of a cow within ten days of her calving may get blisters. He should do the krichchhra (penance fast) of the santapana kind (a fast on cow products). Or he should give gold, clothes and cows. This is for blisters on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet.
Visphota (blisters) - past deeds
काकखरादिमांसभक्षकः पार्श्वयोः स्फोटवान् भवति । तदा कृच्छ्रातिकृच्छ्रचांद्रायणानि कुर्यात् । तानि समस्तानि व्यस्तानि व्याधिलघुगुरुभावात्कर्तव्यानि शिवसंकल्प सूक्तमष्टोत्तरायुतं जपेत् ।
One who eats the flesh of crows, donkeys and the like may get blisters on both sides of the body. Then he should do krichchhra (penance fast), atikrichchhra (a harder penance fast) and chandrayana (moon-phase fast). He may do them all together or one by one, by whether the illness is light or heavy. He should also do japa (repeating a mantra) of the Shiva Sankalpa sukta (Vedic hymn) 10,008 times.
Unit 80.3 describes a gold snake with five hoods, and Unit 80.4 describes the gems set in it.