UNDERSTANDING THE CONCEPT OF PATALA & DRISHTI

Abstract

Language is the base of communication. Communication is made to understand and learn the mind and imagination. Ayurveda, the ancient life science is full of terminologies. To treat any disease, one should have thorough knowledge regarding those terminologies and their multiple meanings used in different con-texts. A very little description of Drishti and Patala are available in the classical literature regarding its measurement, shape, size and Panchabhoutiktwa, which is not sufficient to confine Drishti and Patala to any one part of eye. By analyzing different quotations of classical literature, we have tried to correlate the term Drishti and Patala to the structures of eyeball. As the meaning suggests the Patala is a covering, which covers the Drishti. In addition, based on the Dhatu Ashraya on four Patala of eyeball, the cornea with aqueous, the Lens with uveal tract, the posterior sclera and the retina with optic nerve can be consid-ered as the Prathama, Dwitiya, Tritiya and Chaturtha Patala respectively. Pramana of Drishti suggests it as the fovea. Drishti is the central cornea, based on instillation of Aschyatono. Drishti is constricted and dilated in sun and in shadow or dim light. This refers to change in diameter and thickness of Drishti. There-fore, Drishti is pupillary aperture and lens. The Drishti can be the refractive media, visual pathway and ret-ina of eyeball as Avyaktadarshana, Vramita Darshana are the symptom of Timira Roga. The Shadvida Roopa of Linganasha can be compared with the different stages of nuclear cataract. So, the Drishti can be the lens. The central cornea, pupillary aperture and the lens can be considered as Drishti, as the opacity near the Drishti produces loss of vision. The ancient surgical procedure of Sleishmika Linganasha (cata-ract) suggests Lekhana Karma over the Drishti. This is to be done on Drishti until vision is achieved. The symptom of Drishtigata Roga is similar to the symptoms like day blindness, night blindness, blurred vi-sion, distorted vision (Avyaktadarshana, Vramita Darshana) etc. are also the symptoms of retinitis pigmen-tosa, retinitis and other pathology of retina. Therefore, Drishti is retina, fovea and optic nerve. Hence, the Drishti cannot be a single structure, rather Drishti is the refractive pathway and refractive media of eyeball.