Written by London Swaminathan

Post No. 15,009

Date uploaded in London –  21 September 2025

Contact – swami_48@yahoo.com

Pictures are taken from various sources for spreading knowledge.

this is a non- commercial blog. Thanks for your great pictures.

tamilandvedas.com, swamiindology.blogspot.com

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Vedic Hindus had amazing medical knowledge which is reflected in the hymns of Rig Veda and Atharv(na) Veda. If we go by the date of Rig Veda as told by Prof. Wilson it is at least 4000 years old. If we take into consideration the date proposed by Herman Jacobi and Bala Gangadhara Tilak it is at least 6000 to 8000 years old. But we know neither in Greek nor in Hebrew nor in Chinese nor in Persian we have any book at that time. Tamil is very junior to these languages. We have Tamil books from First century BCE only.

Here is what we know about the knowledge of Vedic Anatomy:

Many hymns of the Rig Veda speak about the various parts of human body.  They mention about the lungs, heart, intestines, kidneys and the stomach. We must remember that Vedas are not medical books. Yet they mention all these parts.

Atharva Veda gives more information in 2-33 and 10-1, 8, 9.

Atharva Veda 2-33. For expulsion of yákṣma from all parts of the body.

1. Forth from thy (two) eyes, (two) nostrils, (two) ears, chin, brain, tongue, I eject (vi-vṛh) for thee the yákṣma of the head.

2. From thy neck (grīvás), nape (uṣṇíhās), vertebræ (kī́kasā), backbone, (two) shoulders, (two) fore-arms, I eject for thee the yákṣma of the arms.

3. Forth from thy heart, lung (klomán), hálīkṣṇa, (two) sides, (two) mátasnas, spleen, liver, we eject for thee the yákṣma.

Weber conjectures “gall” for hálīkṣṇa (Ppp. hálīkṣma), and “kidney” for matasna. 

4. Forth from thine entrails, guts, rectum, belly, (two) paunches, plāçí, navel, I eject for thee the yákṣma.

5. From thy (two) thighs, knees, heels, front feet, hips, fundament (? bháṅsas), I eject for thee the yákṣma of the rump.

6. From thy bones, marrows, sinews, vessels, (two) hands, fingers, nails, I eject for thee the yákṣma.

7. What [yákṣma is] in thine every limb, every hair, every joint—the yákṣma of thy skin do we, with Kaçyapa’s ejector (vībarhá) eject away (víṣvañc).

***

Compared with Rig Veda 10-163 (from my old article)

WONDER IN RIG VEDA 27 BODY PARTS IN ONE HYMN 10-163 (Post No.10,273)

WRITTEN BY LONDON SWAMINATHAN

Post No. 10,273

Date uploaded in London – 29 OCTOBER  2021    

In this short hymn with 12 lines one comes across 27 ++ body parts; if you delete the repeated last line in every mantra it is only a SIX line mantra!

1.Nostrils

2.Eyes

3.Ears

4.Chin

5.Head

6.Brain

7.Tongue

8.Neck tendons

8.a.Neck

9.Breast bones

10.Spine

11.Shoulders

12.Arms

13.Viscera

14.Rectum

15.Heart

16.Kidneys

17.Liver

18.Spleen

19.Thighs

20.Knee caps

21.Heels

22.Feet

23.Stomach

24.Groin

25.Hair

26.Nails

27.Top to Toe

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Following is Griffith’s translation

1. FROM both thy nostrils, from thine eyes, from both thine ears and from thy chin,

     Forth from thy head and brain and tongue I drive thy malady away.

2. From the neck-tendons and the neck, from the breast-bones and from the spine,

     From shoulders, upper, lower arms, I drive thy malady away.

3. From viscera and all within, forth from the rectum, from the heart,

     From kidneys, liver, and from spleen, I drive thy malady away.

4. From thighs, from knee-caps, and from heels, and from the forepart of the feet,

     From hips from stomach, and from groin I drive thy malady away.

5. From what is voided from within, and from thy hair, and from they nails,

     From all thyself from top to toe, I drive thy malady away.

6. From every member, every hair, disease that comes in every joint,

     From all thyself, from top to toe, I drive thy malady away.

Rig Veda Mandala 10 Hymn 163

अक्षीभ्यां ते नासिकाभ्यां कर्णाभ्यां छुबुकादधि |
यक्ष्मं शीर्षण्यं मस्तिष्काज्जिह्वाया वि वर्हामि ते ||

गरीवाभ्यस्त उष्णिहाभ्यः कीकसाभ्यो अनूक्यात |
यक्ष्मं दोषण्यमंसाभ्यां बाहुभ्यां वि वर्हामि ते ||

आन्त्रेभ्यस्ते गुदाभ्यो वनिष्ठोर्ह्र्दयादधि |
यक्ष्मम्मतस्नाभ्यां यक्नः पलाशिभ्यो वि वर्हामि ते ||
ऊरुभ्यां ते अष्ठीवद्भ्यां पार्ष्णिभ्यां परपदाभ्याम |
यक्ष्मं शरोणिभ्यां भासदाद भंससो वि वर्हामि ते ||

मेहनाद वनंकरणाल लोमभ्यस्ते नखेभ्यः |
यक्ष्मंसर्वस्मादात्मनस्तमिदं वि वर्हामि ते ||

अङगाद-अङगाल लोम्नो-लोम्नो जातं पर्वणि-पर्वणि |
यक्ष्मंसर्वस्मादात्मनस्तमिदं वि वर्हामि ते ||

akṣībhyāṃ te nāsikābhyāṃ karṇābhyāṃ chubukādadhi |
yakṣmaṃ śīrṣaṇyaṃ mastiṣkājjihvāyā vi vṛhāmi te ||

ghrīvābhyasta uṣṇihābhyaḥ kīkasābhyo anūkyāt |
yakṣmaṃ doṣaṇyamaṃsābhyāṃ bāhubhyāṃ vi vṛhāmi te ||

āntrebhyaste ghudābhyo vaniṣṭhorhṛdayādadhi |
yakṣmammatasnābhyāṃ yaknaḥ plāśibhyo vi vṛhāmi te ||

ūrubhyāṃ te aṣṭhīvadbhyāṃ pārṣṇibhyāṃ prapadābhyām |
yakṣmaṃ śroṇibhyāṃ bhāsadād bhaṃsaso vi vṛhāmi te ||

mehanād vanaṃkaraṇāl lomabhyaste nakhebhyaḥ |
yakṣmaṃsarigvedaasmādātmanastamidaṃ vi vṛhāmi te ||

aṅghād-aṅghāl lomno-lomno jātaṃ parigvedaaṇi-parigvedaaṇi |
yakṣmaṃsarigvedaasmādātmanastamidaṃ vi vṛhāmi te ||

***

In book 10-2 there is a hymn entitled “The wonderful structure of man” in which several parts of the skeleton are carefully and systematically enumerated.

Book 10, HYMN II Atharva Veda

Purusha, Primeval Man or humanity personified

1Who framed the heels of Pūrusha? Who fashioned the flesh of
   him? Who formed and fixed his ankles?
  Who made the openings and well-moulded fingers? Who gave
   him foot-soles and a central station?
2Whence did they make the ankles that are under, and the knee-
   bones of Pūrusha above them?
  What led them onward to the legs’ construction? Who planned
   and formed the knees’ articulations?
3A fourfold frame is fixt with ends connected, and up above the
   knees a yielding belly.
  The hips and thighs, who was their generator, those props where-
   by the trunk grew firmly stablished?
43Who and how many were those Gods who fastened the chest of
  Pūrusha and neck together?
  How many fixed his breasts? Who formed his elbows? How
   many joined together ribs and shoulders?
5Who put together both his arms and said, Let him show manly
   strength?
  Who and what God was he who set the shoulderblades upon
   the trunk?
6Who pierced the seven openings in the head? Who made these
   ears, these nostrils, eyes, and mouth,
  Through whose surpassing might in all directions bipeds and
   quadrupeds have power of motion?
7He set within the jaws the tongue that reaches far, and thereon
   placed Speech the mighty Goddess.
  He wanders to and fro mid living creatures, robed in the waters.
  Who hath understood it?
8Who was he, first, of all the Gods who fashioned his skull and
   brain and occiput and forehead,
  The pile that Pūrusha’s two jaws supported? Who was that
  God who mounted up to heaven?
9Whence bringeth mighty Pūrusha both pleasant and unpleasant
   things,
  Of varied sort, sleep, and alarm, fatigue, enjoyments and de-
   lights?
10Whence is there found in Pūrusha want, evil, suffering, dis-
   tress? p. 6
  Whence come success, prosperity opulence, thought, and utte-
   rance?
11Who stored in him floods turned in all directions, moving diverse
   and formed to flow in rivers,
  Hasty, red, copper-hued, and purple, running all ways in
  Purusha, upward and downward?
12Who gave him visible form and shape? Who gave him magni-
   tude and name?
  Who gave him motion, consciousness? Who furnished Pūrusha
   with feet?
13Who wove the vital air in him, who filled him with the down-
   ward breath?
  What God bestowed on Pūrusha the general pervading air?
14What God, what only Deity placed sacrifice in Pūrusha?
  Who gave him truth and falsehood? Whence came Death and
   immortality?
15Who wrapped a garment round him? Who arranged the life he
   hath to live?
  Who granted him the boon of speech? Who gave this fleetness
   to his feet?
16Through whom did he spread waters out, through whom did he
   make Day to shine?
  Through whom did he enkindle Dawn and give the gift of even-
   tide?
17Who set the seed in him and said, Still be the thread of life spun
   out?
  Who gave him intellect besides? Who gave him voice and
   gestic power?
18Through whom did he bedeck the earth, through whom did he
   encompass heaven?
  Whose might made Pūrusha surpass the mountains and created
   things?
19Through whom seeks he Parjanya out, and Soma of the piercing
   sight?
  Through whom belief and sacrifice? Through whom was spirit
   laid in him?
20What leads him to the learned priest? What leads him to this
  Lord Supreme?
  How doth he gain this Agni? By whom hath he measured out
   the year? p. 7
21He, Brahma gains the learned priest, he Brahma, gains this Lord
  Supreme.
  As Brahma, Man wins Agni here Brahma hath measured out the
   year.
22Through whom doth he abide with Gods? Through whom with
   the Celestial Tribes?
  Why is this other called a star? Why is this called the Real
  Power?
23Brahma inhabits with the Gods, Brahma among the Heavenly
  Tribes.
  Brahma this other star is called. Brahma is called the Real
  Power.
24By whom was this our earth disposed? By whom was heaven
   placed over it?
  By whom was this expanse of air raised up on high and stre-
   tched across?
25By Brahma was this earth disposed: Brahma is sky arranged
   above.
  Brahma is this expanse of air lifted on high and stretched
   across.
26Together, with his needle hath Atharvan sewn his head and
   heart.
  And Pavamāna hovered from his head on high above his brain.
27That is indeed Atharvan’s head, the well-closed casket of the
  Gods.
  Spirit and Food and Vital Air protect that head from injury.
28Stationed on high, Purusha hath pervaded all regions spread
   aloft and stretched transversely.
  He who knows Brahma’s cattle, yea, the fort whence Purusha is
   named,
29Yea, knows that fort of Brahma girt about with immortality,
  Brahma and Brāhmas have bestowed sight, progeny, and life on
   him.
30Sight leaves him not, breath quits not him before life’s natural
   decay,
  Who knows the fort of Brahma, yea, the fort whence Purusha
   is named.
31The fort of Gods, impregnable, with circles eight and portals
   nine, p. 8
  Contains a golden treasure-chest, celestial, begirt with light.
32Men deep in lore of Brahma know that Animated Being which
  Dwells in the golden treasure-chest that hath three spokes and
   three supports.
33Brahma hath passed within the fort, the golden castle; ne’er
   subdued,
  Bright with excessive brilliancy, compassed with glory round
   about.

***

In book 2-33 (AV) almost all-important organs are precisely described. They include the stomach, liver, bronchitis, gall bladder, kidney, intestines, colon, urinary bladder and rectum.

The Atharva Veda mentions about the heart in the hymn 10-8-43 which is described as lotus with nine gates. It also refers to blood veins dhamanis, siras et.

Evidence from these two Vedas indicate they the Vedic healer had studied body parts well.

Later in the Satapata brahmanas we find reference to bones, ribs, brain, spine etc. the famous hymn 12-3-2-3/4 mentions the number of bones and ribs in the human body to be 360- including teeth and nails—and 26 respectively. Their exact locations are also mentioned.

If we take the Upanishads , heart is described elaborately in the Brihad Aranyaka Upanishad . the details of its composition, the number of arteries, their functions are given. We find the description of heart in four more Upanishads.

In the medical works of Sushruta and Charaka we have more information which shows that they have counted every bone and every muscle in the human body.

Suhsruta mentioned 300 bones; Charaka noted that human body has 500 muscles.

Charaka counted 200 dhamanis/arteries and 700 siras/minute veins, capillaries.

***

Comparison with modern science

It is an amazing accurate description of the heart as we know it today. We do know that the heart looks like a lotus but if it held with its apex upwards, and there are nine openings in all: three in the right atrium, for in left atrium and each one in the left and right ventricles.

According to the present-day study of  anatomy, there are more than 600 skeletal muscles in the human body. There are 206 bones in human body.

All these numbers tally with the numbers of bones and muscles in the Sushruta, Charaka Samhitas.

Let us look at the dictionary of Body Parts in the Vedas

Sources:

Ancient sciences and Archaeology, Bharatiya  kala Prakashan, Delhi ; 2007

The Vedic Harappans Bhagwan Singh, Aditya Prakashan, New Delhi; 1995

To be continued……………………

Tags- Body parts, Vedas, Atharvana veda, Rig Veda, Part 1 , Hindu anatomy