AH-Su-Chapter 23: Aschotana Anjana Vidhi अश्चोतन अञ्जन विधि / Eye drops, Eye salve Therapy

Aschotana = application of liquid drug in the form of drops in the eyes.

Aschotana – Herbal eye drops
In all diseases of the eyes, Aschotana (eye drops) is very beneficial. It helps to prevent
Ruk – eye pain
Toda – pricking pain
Kandu – eye itching
Gharsha – feeling of friction in the eyes
Ashru – excessive lacrimation, tears
Daha – burning sensation
Raga – eye redness. 1.

Drops of medicated liquids should be
warm in case of Vata imbalance.
Lukewarm in Kapha imbalance and
cold in Rakta (blood) and Pitta imbalance.

Aschotana Vidhi – procedure :-

The person should lie on a cot in a place devoid of breeze.
His eyes should be  opened with the left hand of the physician
The medicine dispenser, either a seashell or a wick is held in the right hand of the physician just two Angulas (finger width) above the inner angle of the eye (inner canthus)
10 – 12 drops of the medicated liquid are put into the eye.
Afterwards the eyes should be cleaned with soft cloth.
Mild fomentation is given with a piece of cloth rinsed in warm water in disorders of Kapha and Vata.

In disorders due to blood and Pitta vitiation, eyes are mopped with a cloth dipped in cold water. 2 – 4

Very hot and strong medicinal drops lead to pain, redness and loss of vision;
Very cold drops produce pricking pain, loss of movement of eye balls and discomfort;
Excess therapy produces roughness of the lids, friction and difficulty in opening of the lids;
Inadequate (less) therapy leads to worsening of the diseases, increase of swelling, redness and absence of lacrimation. 5 – 6.

The medicine dropped into the eye, entering into the channels of the joints (fornices of the eyes), head, nose and face, eliminates the imbalanced Doshas which have localized in the upper parts of the body. 7.

Anjana Vidhi – procedure of applying collyrium (eye salve) to the eye :-

अथाञ्जनं  शुद्धतनोनेत्रमात्राश्रये मले
पक्वलिङ्ग  अल्पशोफ अतिकण्डु पैच्छिल्यलक्षिते ८
मन्दघर्षाश्रुरागे अक्षिणः प्रयोज्यं घनदूषिके
आर्ते पित्तकफ अस्रक्भिः मारुतेन विशेषतः ९

Application of collyrium is suitable for the
person who has his body purified by Vamana, Virechana etc,
in whom the Doshas are localized in the eyes only,
when signs of fully ripened state such as slight oedema (Alpa shopha), severe itching (Ati kandu) and sliminess (Paichilya) are found, when the excretions of the eyes are thick, in persons who are being troubled by Pitta, Kapha and blood and
especially in Vata imbalance. 8 – 9.

Anjana is of three kinds –

लेखनं रोपणं दृष्तिप्रसादनमिति त्रिधा

Lekhana – scarifying, scraping
Ropana – healing and
Drishti prasadana – making the vision clear, soothing to the eyes;

Lekhana Anjana

अञ्जनं लेखनं तत्र कषाय अम्लपदूषणैः

 is prepared from herbs of astringent, sour, salt, and pungent tastes and hot potency;

Ropana Anjana 

रोपणं तिक्तकैर्द्रव्यैः

is prepared from herbs of bitter taste and

Prasadana Anjana 

स्वादुशीतैः प्रसादनम्

from herbs of sweet taste and cold potency.

तीक्ष्णाञ्जनाभिसन्तप्ते नयने तत्प्रसादनं
प्रयुज्यमानं लभते प्रत्यञ्जनसमाह्वयम्

To combat the side effects of strong collyrium, Prasadana Anjana is used. This kind of usage of one Anjana against the effects of the other is called as Pratyanjana – counter collyrium.

Anjana Shalaka – Collyrium apparatus -

दशाङ्गुला तनुर्मध्ये  शलाका  मुकुलानना
प्रशस्ता,

A metal rod, 10 Angula in length, thin in the middle, with tips resembling a flower bud is best suited for Anjana application.

लेखने ताम्री For Lekhana Anjana, the Shalaka should be made of copper
रोपणे काललोहजा अङ्गुली च For Ropana, it should be made of  iron or finger itself can be used.
सुवर्णोत्था रूप्यजा च प्रसादने For Prasadana, Shalaka of gold and silver is used. 12 – 13.

Anjana Bheda – kinds of eye salve  -

पिण्डो  रसक्रिया  चुर्णस्त्रिधैवाञ्जनकल्पना

गुरौ मध्ये लघौ दोषे तां क्रमेण प्रयोजयेत्

Pinda – pill – used in profound imbalance of Dosha
Rasakriya – gel, confection, semisolid got from boiling decoction till solidity  - used in moderate imbalance of Dosha
Churna – powder are the three forms of Anjana – used in mild imbalance of Dosha. 14

हरेणुमात्रा  पिण्डस्य
तीक्ष्णस्य, द्विगुणं  तस्य  मृदुनः

The quantity of Pinda anjana prepared from strong herbs is one Harenu.
The quantity of Pinda Collyrium prepared from mild herbs is two Harenu.

वेल्लमात्रा रसक्रिया

The quantity of eye-salve which is in the form of gel, confection (Rasakriya) shall be that of Vella (Vidanga),

चूर्णितस्य च
द्वे शालाके तु  तीक्ष्णस्य,  तिस्रस्तदितरस्य च

the quantity of the eye salve which is in the form of powder (Churna) is two rods full in case of strong herbs and
three rods full in case of mild herbs. 15.

Anjana Kala – time for:-

निशि  स्वप्ने न मध्याह्ने म्लाने नोष्णगर्भास्तभिः१६
अक्षिरोगयदोषाः स्युर्वर्धितोत्पीदितद्रुताः
प्रातः सायं च तच्छान्त्यै  व्यभ्रेअर्कैअतो अन्जयेत्सदा १७

Application of eye-salve (collyrium) should NOT be made at nights, during sleep, at midday, when the eyes are fatigued by strong rays of the sun.

If done during these times, it will lead to diseases of the eyes because the Doshas get increased, spread to other sites and get liquefied.
So to mitigate the Doshas, Anjana should be applied always either in the morning or in the evening when the sun is not present. 16 – 17.

वदन्तन्ये तु न दिवा प्रयोज्यं तीक्ष्णमनन्जनम्
विरेकदुर्बलं चक्षुरादित्यं प्राप्य सीदति

Others say, that strong Anjana should not be applied during day, because the eye which has become weak by purgation treatment from strong herbs will be further debilitated by the presence of the sun. 18.

Importance of Night and Sleep for Healthy Eyes

स्वप्नेन रात्रौ कालस्य सौम्यत्वेन च तर्पिता
शीत सत्म्या दृगाग्नेयी स्थिरतां लभते पुनः

The eye is Agneyi – predominant with the fire element, being habituated to cold comforts it regains its strength after good sleep and nourished by the coolant nature of the night. 19.

In condition of extreme increase of Kapha or in diseases which require Lekhana Anjana – scraping type,

अत्युद्रिक्ते बलासे तु लेखनिये अथवा गदे
काममःयापि नात्युष्णे तीक्ष्णमक्षिण प्रयोजयेत्

Teekshna Anjana – strong type, can be put into the eyes even during day time, if desired, only if the day is not very hot. 20.

Eyes are Aagneya

अश्मनो  जन्म लोहस्य तत एव च तीक्ष्णता
उपग्तोअपि तेनैव  तथा नेत्रस्य तेजसः

Metals are born from the ores;

From ores only they – metals derive their sharpness / bluntness. Similarly, the eyes derive their power and features by Agni – Fire element.

न रात्रावपि  शीतेअति नेत्रे  तीक्ष्णान्जनं हितम्
दोषमस्रावयेत्स्तब्धं कण्डूजाड्यादिकारि तत्

When there is severe cold, application of strong eye-salve is not good even at nights, because it does not cause elimination of the Doshas from the eyes.

Instead, it produces itching, inactivity etc. Here Doshas get stagnated inside the eyes, even after Anjana therapy, due to cold effect. 22.

Persons unfit for application of Anjana -Anjana Anarha –

नान्जनेत्भीतवमितविरिक्ताशितवेगिते
कृद्धज्वरिता ताप्ताक्षिशिरोरुक्शोकजागरे
अदृष्टेअर्के शिरः स्नाते पीतयोर्धूममध्ययोः
अजीर्णेअग्निअर्कसन्तप्ते दिवासुप्ते पिपासिते

Application of Anjana should not be done to persons who are
Bheeta – in fear,
Vamita, Virikta – who have been administered Vamana and Virechana
who are hungry,
Shitavegita – who have urges of urine, faeces etc.,
Kruddha – anger;
Jvarita – during fever,
when the eyes are fatigued,
Shiroruk – during headache,
Shoka – bouts of grief and
Jagara – loss of sleep;
Adurshte Arke – when the sun is fully covered with clouds,
Shira Snate – after head bath,
after inhalation of smoke and drinking of wine,
Ajirne – during indigestion,
fatigued from excess exposure to fire and sun;
Divasupte – soon after sleep during day and
Pipasite – when thirsty. 23 – 24.

Unsuitable Anjan

अतितीक्ष्णमृदुस्तोकबहुच्लघनकर्कशम् । अत्यर्थशीतलं तप्तमन्जनं नावचारयेत्

Anjana, which is very strong or very mild, very little or very large in quantity, very thin or very thick in consistency, very rough, coarse, very cold or very hot – should not be used. 25

अथानुन्मीलयन्  दृष्तिमन्तः सञ्चारयेच्छनैः
अन्जिते  वर्त्मनी
तीक्ष्णं  व्याप्तोति सहसा , न चोन्मेषनिमेषणम्
निष्पीडनं च वर्त्मभ्यां क्षालनं वा समाचरेत्

After applying the Anjana, the eye balls should be moved up and rotated slowly, the eyelids should also be moved slight by massaging over it; by these acts the strong eye salve spreads to all places. But opening and closing, squeezing or washing of the eyelids should not be done. 26-27.

अपेतौषधसंरम्भं निर्वृतं नयनं यदा
व्याधिदोषर्तुयोन्याभिर्द्भिः प्रक्षालयेत्तदा

After the cessation of the activity of the drug, when the eyes have regained strength, they should be washed with water – hot or cold, suitable to the disease, Doshas and season.  28.

दक्षिणाङ्गुष्टकेनाक्षि ततो वामं सवाससा
उर्ध्ववर्त्मनि  सङ्गुच्य शोध्यं वामेन चेतरत्

The physician should lift and hold the upper lid of the left eye with a piece of cloth held in his right thumb and fingers and wash the left eye; with his left hand, the other eye. 29.

Why to wash Eye after Anjana?

वर्त्मप्राप्तो अन्जात्दोषो रोगान् कुर्यादतो अन्यथा

Otherwise, if not washed the Anjana remaining in the lids, excites the Doshas which give rise to diseases.

कन्दूजाडयेअन्जनं तीक्ष्णं धूमं वा योजयेत्  पुनः

In case of itching and inactivity either a strong Anjana should be applied again or an inhalation of strong smoke of herbs should be done. 30.

तीक्ष्णाञ्जनाभितप्ते तु चूर्णे प्रत्यन्जनं हिमम्

When the eyes are fatiqued by strong Anjana, applying a Pratyanjana – counter eye-salve which is in the form of powder and cold in effect should be done. 30½.

Thus ends the twenty third chapter called Aschotana Anjana Vidhi in sutrasthana of Astanga hrudaya composed by Vaghata.