Written by London swaminathan

Post No.2267

Date: 23 October 2015

Time uploaded in London:19-46

Thanks for the pictures.

Don’t use pictures. Don’t reblog for at least a week.

It is amazing that Charaka in his medical treatise deals with even Walking Sticks. If he has composed a sloka (couplet) on such matters, the Old Aged people must have been looked after very well 2000 years ago. Manu deals with ‘looking after’ old people in another sloka.

The ancients believed that an assembly (Sabha) is considered an assembly only when there are elderly people seated in it. We may compare it to the Rajya Sabha of India and House of Lords of Great Britain.

Here is the sloka on walking sticks:

Skalatah sampratishtanam satrunam cha nishudanam

Avashtambanamayushtam bayagnam dandadaranam

–Charaka Samhita 5-102

One who has the walking sticksgets the following five benefits:–

Skhalatah sampratisthaanam = Prevention from slipping

Satruunaam nisuudanam =  Attacking the enemy

Avastam-banam = Support

Aayusyam = Longevity

Bhayagnam = Averts fear.

Most of the old age people die after slipping and falling in the bath room. Probably the shock triggers fear, depression and several other things in addition to fracture. Knowing this Charaka has emphasised the use of walking sticks.

Benefits of Serving Elders

Abhivadana silasya nityam vruddopasevinah

Chatvari thasya vardhante ayurvidya yaso balam

–Manu Smrti 2-121

One who serves the elderly people will get the following four benefits:

Ayuh = Longevity

Vidyaa = Knowledge

Yasas = Fame

Bala = Strength

–Subham-