Abstract

A CONCEPTUAL STUDY OF PRISHTHA GATA MARMA

Dr. Arvind Kumar* and Dr. Pankaj Kumar Rajvanshi

Abstract

The term marma means pran, jiva or life. It can be explained as sandhisthanam or jeevasthanam. Marma are the meeting place of five elements of the body namely- Mamsa, Sira, Snayu, Asthi and Sandhi. These are the vital areas avoided during surgical procedures due to its fatality. Acharya sushruta explained 107 marma and classified them in different ways. Acharya susruta described the number of marma in different anatomical parts of the body and also identified individual marma sites in six parts namely- sakthi, antaradhi, prishtha, bahu and urdhava jatru. Prishta gata marma are the marmas located in the back of the body. These marmas are located all along the length of the spine and on either side of it. It is said that injury to spinal cord or its supporting structure can cause permanent change in strength, sensation and other body function. Here our attempt is to clarify the concept of prishtha gata marma and correlate these marama point with modern.

Keywords: Marma, vital points, prishtha, jeevsthan.