Introduction
According to Charaka over lean (karshya) persons are described under eight
despicable persons (ashtau-ninditiya) along with over obese (medasvi)
person. Charaka mentioned the definition of swastha purusha, in which he
described how the ideal proportion should look like i.e. any person who has
balanced proportion of muscles (sama-mansa pramana), compactness (sama
samhanana), firmness of organs (drudhendriya vikaranam) does not fall prey
to the prowess of a disorders. An over lean person has dried up buttocks,
abdomen, neck (shushka-sphic, udar, greeva), prominent vascular network
(dhamanijal santataha), remnant of skin and bone (twagasthi shesho, ati
krusha) and thick nodes (sthool parva). According to Sushruta, lean and
fattiness of body depends upon rasa-dhatu.
Hetu (etiological factors)
- Indulgence in rough food and drinks (rukshanna pana seva)
- Fasting (langhana)
- Little diet (pramitashana) or diet that aggravates vata (dry,
astringent etc)
- Excessive subjection to evacuative therapy (kriyatiyoga)
- Grief (shoka), worries, fear, excess study
- Suppression of natural urges, such as - sleep (vega- nidravi-
nigrah), thirst and hunger
- Excessive exercise, sexual intercourse, excess bath
- Excess non - unctuous anointing to the persons (ruksha udvartan)
- Indulgence in bath (snana abhyasa)
- Constitution (prakruti), heredity (beej dosha)
- Old age (jara)
- Continued disorder (vikar-anushaya)
- Anger (krodha)
Roopa (the signs and symptoms)
- The over lean does not tolerate physical exercise, over saturation
(vyayamum atisauhityam), hunger, thirst, disease, drugs
(kshutpipasamay-aushadham).
- Too much of cold, heat and sexual intercourse
(ati-shitoshna-maithunam).
- The over lean often becomes a victim of spleen enlargement (pleeha).
- Cough- kasa.
- Wasting- kshaya
- Dyspnoea- Shwasa
- Gascious tumour- gulma
- Piles- arsha
- Abdominal diseases- udara, Raktapitta
- Disorders of vata
- As person is weak in nature (low immunity), all disease that he
suffers is difficult to treat (sampoorna roga balwan).
Treatment
Following are the conducts that must be followed in order to cure this
ailment:
- Day sleep (diva-swapna)
- Exhilaration (harsha)
- Comfortable bed (sukha shayya) for sleep
- Relaxation of mind (manaso nivrutti)
- Keeping away from mental work, sexual intercourse and physical
exercise.
- To live amongst the people and the environment one likes
- Tailabhyanga (daily oil massage)
- Snigdha udvartan (unctuous anointing)
- Snana (bath)
- Gandha-mala-neshevanam (using perfumery and garlands)
- Shukla vasa (wearing white dress)
- Sweet and unctuous food
- New cereals, fresh wine, meat soup
- Meat soup of domestic, marshy and aquatic animals
- Well-cooked meat
- Curd, ghee, milk, sugarcane, rice, black gram, wheat
- Products of jaggery
One desirous of giving up the leanness should follow these:
- Smadhur basti (use of unctuous and sweet enema)
- Yatha-kala dosha-vasechana (timely drainage of dosha)
- Regular use of rasayana (bulk promoting) and vajikarana (aphrodisiac)
formulations.
Commonly used drugs
- Some of the bulk promoting drugs:
Vidarikanda, ashwagandha, payassya, vidari, shatavari, bala, atibala
and nagabala.
- Some generally used drug formulations:
- Suvarna vasant malati
- Laghu malini vasant
- Vasant kusumakar rasa
Ref- C.Su. 21/10-15, S.Su.15/33, A.Hr.Su.14/29-31