Difference Between Charakokta and Vagbhatokta Langhana: AIAPGET Specials 10

Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S

Langhana is an important treatment inclusion in traditional Ayurveda Practice. Langhana is not just a small therapy but is a broad umbrella under which many of the most important and prominent Ayurveda therapies and treatment modalities are included, including the popular Panchakarma Therapies.

Langhana is any treatment – including therapies, medicines, non-medicines, dietetic inclusions and activities which bring about laghutva i.e. lightness in the body. These treatments bestow lightness by either expelling the excessively accumulated and troublesome morbid doshas and malas out of the body (shodhana) or by palliating the same when they are aggravated to moderate or mild proportions (shamana).

Difference in Langhana described by Acharya Charaka and Acharya Vagbhata

Both Acharya Charaka and Acharya Vagbhata have described Langhana. Though many parts of the classification and indications therein are common amongst both treatises, the presentation of the same in both texts has some differences. In the following paragraphs we shall discuss the differences in description of Langhana in both these revered treatises.

First of all, we shall have a look at the classification of Langhana by both Acharyas –

10 types of Langhana described by Acharya Charaka

Acharya Charaka has described ten types of Langhana. They include –

1-4. Chatushprakara Samshuddhi – four types of shodhana – vamana – emesis, virechana – therapeutic purgation, niruha – decoction enema and nasya – nasal medication (cleansing type)

5. Pipasa – withholding thirst
6. Maruta – exposure to wind
7. Atapa – exposure to the heat of sun
8. Pachana – ama digesting medicines
9. Upavasa – fasting
10. Vyayama – exercise

12 types of Langhana described by Acharya Vagbhata

Firstly, Acharya Vagbhata gives a broad classification of therapies. He says that the Upakramas i.e. treatments are broadly of two types –

1.   Santarpana – nourishing therapies
2.   Apatarpana – depleting or non-nourishing therapies

He further says that Apatarpana is also called Langhana.

This Langhana is further classified into two types. They are –

–        5 types of Shodhana – cleansing therapies and

–        7 types of Shamana – palliative treatments

Summing up, Langhana is of 12 types, against 10 types of Langhana described by Acharya Charaka.

The 12 types of Langhana are thus distributed amongst Shodhana and Shamana –

5 types of Shodhana –

1. Vamana – emesis
2. Virechana – purgation
3. Niruha Vasti – decoction enema
4. Shirovirechana – head cleansing / purgative errhines or nasal medication
5. Raktamokshana – bloodletting

7 types of Shamana –

6. Pachana – ama digesting medicines
7. Dipana – medicines which increase agni or digestive fire (digestive capacity)
8. Kshut – withholding hunger (same as Upavasa described by Charaka)
9. Trt – withholding thirst (same as pipasa described by Charaka)
10. Vyayama – exercise
11. Atapa – exposure to the heat of sun
12. Maruta – exposure to wind

Notable differences between Charakokta and Vagbhatokta Langhana Types

1. Number of Langhana

Charaka – 10 types

Vagbhata – 12 types

2. Method of classification

Charaka – has given direct classification and named the ten therapies therein.

Vagbhata – goes in broad classification. He opines that Upakrama is of two types – Santarpana and Apatarpana. He later says that Apatarpana is called Langhana. After this, he classifies Langhana as Shodhana and Shamana. Then, he subclassifies Shodhana into five types and Shamana into seven types. Such sub-classifications are not found in the description of Charaka.

3. Inclusions and exclusions

Charaka – has described four types of Shodhana (Chatushprakara Samshuddhi) and has excluded Raktamokshana in his description. After this, he directly enumerates six more modalities / therapies which should be included under langhana. They are – Pipasa, Maruta, Atapa, Pachana, Upavasa and Vyayama. Like Vagbhata, he has not named them as Shamana. Charaka has not mentioned Deepana which has been described by Vagbhata.

Vagbhata – has described five types of Shodhana. Raktamokshana is the extra therapy which he describes in comparison to Charaka. Vagbhata has included the other 7 therapies – Pachana, Deepana, Kshut, Trt, Vyayama, Atapa and Maruta under Shamana. Charaka has not used the word Shamana while describing these therapies and has included them in the ten types directly.

In short – Vagbhata has included Raktamokshana (under Shodhana type of Langhana) and Deepana (under Shamana) as forms of Langhana, which are not included by Charaka under Langhana.

Note – While these are gross differences in the classification of Langhana between Charaka and Vagbhata, we can also find differences in indications for each and every type of Langhana.

4. Differences in Naming the types of Langhana

Though many types of Langhana are named alike in Charaka Samhita and Ashtanga Hridaya, the names of some types of Langhana are different, though they convey the same meaning and are synonymous. The differences are given in the tab below –

Related Reading – from Easy Ayurveda

Charaka Samhita Sutra Sthana – Chapter 22 – Langhana Brimhaniyam Adhyayam

Ashtanga Hridaya Sutra Sthanam – Chapter 14 – Dvividhopakramaniyam Adhyayam 

Related AIAPGET Questions

1. In which chapter of Ashtanga Hridaya Sutra Sthana has Acharya Vagbhata described types of Langhana?
2. Chapter 12
3.   Chapter 14
4. Chapter 16
5.   Chapter 18

Ans – Chapter 14 – Dvividhopakramaniya Adhyaya.

2. In which chapter of Charaka Samhita Sutra Sthana has Acharya Vagbhata described types of Langhana?
3. Chapter 1
4.   Chapter 11
5. Chapter 22
6.   Chapter 26

Ans – Chapter 22 – Langhana Brimhaniya Adhyaya

3. In which Chatushka of Charaka Samhita has the description of ten types of Langhana been made?
4. Kalpana Chatushka
5.   Yojana Chatushka
6. Bheshaja Chatushka
7.   Nirdesha Chatushka

Ans – b. Yojana Chatushka (6th Chatushka)

4. Which Acharya has described the classification of Langhana as Shodhana and Shamana?
5. Charaka
6.   Sushruta
7. Sharngdhara
8.   Vagbhata

Ans – d. Vagbhata – A.Hr.Su.14

5. Which upakrama mentioned under Shamana Rupa Langhana by Acharya Vagbhata has not been described by Acharya Charaka?
6. Deepana
7.   Pachana
8. Kshut
9.   Vyayama

Ans – a. Deepana.

6. Which type of Shodhana Rupa Langhana has Acharya Vagbhata described and Acharya Charaka has not described?
7. Nasya
8.   Raktamokshana
9. Niruha
10.   Vamana

Ans – b. Raktamokshana.

7. Acharya Charaka has described 10 types of Langhana whereas Acharya Vagbhata has described __________ types of Langhana
8. 8
9.   12
10. 9
11.   10

Ans – b. 12.

8. Which are the two additional types of Langhana that Acharya Vagbhata described in comparison to Acharya Charaka?
9. Nasya and Pachana
10.   Deepana and Pachana
11. Deepana and Trt
12.   Deepana and Raktamokshana

Ans – d. Deepana and Raktamokshana