Both Charaka and Sushrutha, have given second place to Shalakya Tantra in the list of 8 branches of Ayurveda, next only to their respective specialities. This branch, in the words of Sushrutha, is vast like an ocean and completely explaining is next to impossible, even with thousands of lines. Charaka Samhitha has accepted Shalakya tantra as a specialists domain.


Definitions:

1. Sushrutha Samhitha
¯dd¬dd™Sda ¦dd«d E¥®d‰¡dÎdg›d£dd¦dda Úd®dPd ¦dSd¦d ®dQŠµ¦d œTdPddeQ ±daeÚd£dd¦dda ®Sdd¥df¦dda D§d¯d«d¦dd¤d‰a
Shalakya Tantra is the branch of ayurveda to manage the diseases arising above the jathru region namely ears, eyes, oral cavity , nose etc.,

Commenting on the above, Dalhana explains:

¡dÎdg ›d’f®dd «dj¬da, A¦Sdî ®d´d Aa±d ±de¦¥da AdUgµ; ®dQ¦d«dÎd «dgšdIg¶UµTa AdUgµZ, œTdPddeQ ±de«Úd£dd¦dda B£SdÎd AdeQ ¯d©Qdd£dŠ e¯dT I¶§dd¬ddeQ ±de¦Úd£dd¦dda ….

2.Arunadatta : Urdhwa jathruchikithsa
SdÎd EÙ‰ ¡dÎdg›d£dd¦dda Tdî›dd¦dda ¦dyÎd I¶Pd‰ œTdPddeQ ±daeÚd£dd¦dda AdÜddî£d¦d ¯d¬ddI¶deQµ¦ddî§d¯d«d¦ddî ®dPSd‰£dy £dQj¥®dd«dŠ›d eŸdeI¶£±dd ¦dd«d A¦›da
Commenting on the Astanga Hridaya Suthra 1/15, Arunadattha in his commentary Sarvanga sundari,has defined Shalakya tantra as that branch of medicine dealing with the diseases of eyes, ear, nose etc., with the help of therapeutics like aschyothana and with the use of shalakas.

3.Hemadri: Urdhwanga chikithsa
E¥®dd‰¦dŠ›daµ e¯dTZ
Commenting on the same lines, Hemadri, in his commentary ayurveda rasayana, defines Shalakya tantra as the branch of medicine that treats diseases of head.

4. Shalaka chikithsa
Yadavji Thrikamji Acharya, who edited the Charaka Samhitha with Chakrapani data commentary (Charaka suthra 30/28) has quoted another definition as:

§dLµ¬d ®dî¥d ¯d¬ddI¶d §T¥dd¦d«dŠ Aa›da ¯dd¬dd™Sda
Shalakya Tantra is the branch of medicine in which Shalaka is used for the surgical procedures like patala vyadhana

5.
Dalhana commenting on Sushrutha Samhitha Utthara 1/13, has termed the practitioners of Shalakya tantra as Shalakin, who are considered as the experts to bestow vision

QpeÞ µŠ e®d¯ddTQdZŠµ µ ¯d¬ddeIn¦dZ

With the above definitions, we can conclude that Shalakya Tantra is the one among the 8 branches of Ayurveda in which

· Diseases above the clavicle (jathru) are dealt with
· Diseases of eyes, nose, ear and oral cavity are described
· Diseases of the eyes were given priority
· Various probes (shalaka) are used to manage diseases





Luminaries of Shalakya Tantra

There are mainly three schools of thought in Shalakya Tantra,says Chakra pani dattha, the learned commentator of Charaka Samhitha (Chikthsa 26/131), while describing nethra roga nidanam.
. The Nimi – Videha school who advocate eye diseases as 76, Karala- Bhadra shounaka school. Who increased the number to 96 and the Saathyaki school who restrict the number to 80.

Sushrutha Samhitha (Utthara 1/5) has greatly relied upon the Nimi- Videha ideology. Dalhana, while commenting on this has explained that the opinions of Karala –Bhadra shounaka are not acceptable to Sushrutha. Dalhana even quotes a story on the origin of Chakshurveda. . Once upon a time, Janaka Maharaja,the king of Videha undertook alambha yagna. Sun god was angry at the king and cursed him to be blind. However, Janaka undertook meditation on Sun god and pleased him to revoke his vision . He even taught him the Chakshurveda, the science of better eye sight. In Brahma vaivartha purana, King Janaka is considered as a disciple of Sun God.

While quoting the original text books of the 8 branches of Ayurveda, the learned editor of Astanga Hridaya, Harishasthri Paradkar has enlisted 12 authentic works of Shalakya Tantra. They are;
· Videha Tantra
· Nimi tantra
· Kaankayana tantra
· Gaargya tantra
· Gaalava tantra
· Saathyaki tantra
· Bhadra shaunaka tantra
· Shaunaka tantra
· Karala tantra
· Chakshushya tantra
· Krishna atreya tantra
· Kaathyaayana tantra

We have references of Bhoja Samhitha in several occasions in Dalhana and Gayadasas commentaries on issues related with Shalakya tantra. The various commentaries on Astanga Hridaya, Astanga Sangraha, Madhava Nidana ,Sharangdhara samhitha etc are enriched with the statements of these authorities.

On the therapeutic aspects of Shalakya Tantra, the contributions of medieval writers are commendable. The Bhava prakasha, Yoga rathnakara, Gada nigraha etc., have advanced this branch towards new heights. Various Rasa Shasthra texts like Rasa ratna samuchaya, rasa chandamshu, Rasendra sara sangraha etc have also provided different formulations for the Shalakya practitioners .




Evolution of Shalakya Tantra

The evolution of Shalakya Tantra can be traced back to Vedas. The anatomical, physiological and pathological details of various sense organs are described in vedic literature. These references are scattered and an effort was made by the sages to compile and present them in a systematic manner on the basis of their clinical experience under Shalakya Tantra.

Brihadaranyaka Upanishat (11/2-3) narrates that “ the two eyes are vishwamitra and jamadagni , located in two of the seven cavities of the skull. Eye ball has 3 distinct layers as shuklam, lokinam and krishnam,
The kaneenika is like sun and lacrimal glands are there in like parjanya.
Chandogya upanishat(1/6/6) has even described the inner structures of the eye as hiranya maya, hiranya kasha and hiranya smashru. These parts perhaps refers to macula lutea ( yellow spot), optic nerve( golden coloured) and rectus bulbi of the eye ball.

Treatment of eye diseases, including blindness is described in some of the hymns of Rgveda. The Ashwin twins have said to bestowed sight to Rjashwa(Rg. 1/116/16), Paravrija (Rg. 1/112/8), Kashivit (Rg. 1/16/120), Kanva (Rg. 1/117/8) and Kavi Puru (Rg. 1/116/7). ; hearing to Nahusha (Rg.1/116/16); complete head transplantation of Dadheechi.

The physiology and pathologies of Shrothr or ears is reflected in some of the hymns of Yajurveda (6/31; 7/27; 14/17;4/8;). The tongue or jihwa, which is responsible for proper speech and organ of taste (20/6;17/8;) the dantha mula (25/1) thaalu ( 25/1) finds place in the hymns of Yajurveda. The effect of medicinal plants for the management of diseases (25/1) of dantha moola, agra jihwa, thaalu, hanu , kaneenika, shukla mandala, Krishna mandala, pakshma mandala etc are also explained.

The tongue is said to be the seat of Saraswathi and the nostrils, the abode of Ashwin twins, according to Shathapatha brahmana (12/9/1/14), which also describes certain physiological aspects of these two organs.

We also come across the name of eye surgeon Shivaka who rooted out the eye ball and transplanted the same on some other body (Jataka X V )

Chakshushopanishat is devoted exclusively for the promotion of eye sight, and to remove the adverse effects of the misdeeds of the previous births. Yathaaham andho na syam thathaa kalpaya kalpaya (Please prevent me from becoming blind) is the prayer involved in this upanishat which also craves for the speedy recovery from the eye diseases ( twaritam chakshu rogan shamaya shamaya). There are several such prayers in Atharva veda: May Surya, the soverign lord of eyes, protect me (5/24-9 )