Various types of Kushtha and modern co-relation by Prof. Satyendra Narayan Ojha

Seven Mahakushtha-

1) Kapala Kushtha:

कृष्णारुणकपालाभं यद्रूक्षं परुषं तनु| 
कापालं तोदबहुलं तत्कुष्ठं विषमं स्मृतम्||१४|| 

kr̥ṣṇāruṇakapālābhaṁ yadrūkṣaṁ paruṣaṁ tanu| 
kāpālaṁ tōdabahulaṁ tatkuṣṭhaṁ viṣamaṁ smr̥tam||14|| 

Colour – kr̥ṣṇa (blackish), aruṇa (reddish)

 Nature – Kapāla (similar to broken piece of earthen pot)

 Touch – Rūkṣa (dry), paruṣa (rough), tanu (thin)

 Associated symptoms – severe pain

 Sadhya / sadyata – Difficult to cure

 Fig.1 Kapāla / actinic keratosis non hypertrohic

Fig1a Kapāla / tuberculoid leprosy

2) Udumbara Kushtha:

दाहकण्डूरुजारागपरीतं लोमपिञ्जरम्| 
उदुम्बरफलाभासं कुष्ठमौदुम्बरं विदुः||१५|| 

dāhakaṇḍūrujārāgaparītaṁ lōmapiñjaram| 
udumbaraphalābhāsaṁ kuṣṭhamaudumbaraṁ viduḥ||15|| 

Colour – Similar to udumbara fruit

Nature – rāgaparīta (redness), lōmapiñjara (hair on the patch become brown)

Associated symptoms – burning sensation, pruritus and pain.

Fig. 2 udumbara / nodular leprosy of childhood

Fig. 2a udumbara/dermatitis herpetiformis

Fig. 2b udumbara / venous eczema

Fig. 2c udumbara / dyshidrosis

3)Mandala Kushtha:

श्वेतं रक्तं स्थिरं स्त्यानं स्निग्धमुत्सन्नमण्डलम्| 
कृच्छ्रमन्योन्यसंसक्तं कुष्ठं मण्डलमुच्यते||१६|| 

śvētaṁ raktaṁ sthiraṁ styānaṁ snigdhamutsannamaṇḍalam| 
kr̥cchramanyōnyasaṁsaktaṁ kuṣṭhaṁ maṇḍalamucyatē||16|| 

Colour – white and red

Nature – sthira (slow progress), styāna (ghana) (compact), snigdha, elevated round patches

Associated symptoms – patches are matted

Sadhyasadhyata – Difficult to cure

Fig.3 Maṇḍala / lepromatous leprosy

Fig. 3a Maṇḍala / lepromatous leprosy

4)Rsyajihva Kushtha:

कर्कशं रक्तपर्यन्तमन्तः श्यावं सवेदनम्| 

यदृष्यजिह्वासंस्थानमृष्यजिह्वं तदुच्यते||१७|| 

karkaśaṁ raktaparyantamantaḥ śyāvaṁ savēdanam| 
yadr̥ṣyajihvāsaṁsthānamr̥ṣyajihvaṁ taducyatē||17|| 

Colour – Rakta paryanta anta śyāvaṁ (red in edges and brown inside)

Nature – karkaśa (rough), it resembles the tongue of R̥ṣya (a type of deer with blue testicles Ca.Ci.7 / 17 Chakrapani)

Associated symptoms – pain

Fig. 4 R̥ṣyajihvā/borderline lepromatous leprosy

Fig. 4a R̥ṣyajihvā / Erythema migrans /erythematous rash in Lyme disease

5)Pundarika Kushtha:

सश्वेतं रक्तपर्यन्तं पुण्डरीकदलोपमम्| 

सोत्सेधं च सदाहं च पुण्डरीकं तदुच्यते||१८|| 

saśvētaṁ raktaparyantaṁ puṇḍarīkadalōpāmām| 
sōtsēdhaṁ ca sadāhaṁ ca puṇḍarīkaṁ taducyatē||18|| 

Colour – White with red edges

Nature – resembles lotus petals, elevated patches

Associated symptoms – burning sensation

Fig. 5 Puṇḍarīka / erythema multiforme

6) Sidhma Kuṣṭha:

श्वेतं ताम्रं तनु च यद्रजो ^[१] घृष्टं विमुञ्चति| 

अलाबूपुष्पवर्णं तत् सिध्मं प्रायेण चोरसि||१९|| 

śvētaṁ tāmraṁ tanu ca yadrajō ^[1] ghr̥ṣṭaṁ vimuñcati| 
alābūpuṣpavarṇaṁ tat sidhmaṁ prāyēṇa cōrasi||19|| Colour – white coppery, colour resembles flower of alābū (lagenaria siceraria)

Nature – thin

Associated symptom – particles resembling dust are observed, it is located mostly on chest [due to dominancy of kapha on ura pradesh Ca.Ci.7/19 Cakrapani].

Fig. 6 sidhma / pityrasis alba

Fig 6a sidhma / tinea versicolar

Fig 6b sidhma / tinea versicolar

Fig. 6c sidhma / pityrasis alba

7)Kākaṇaka Kuṣṭha

यत् काकणन्तिकावर्णमपाकं तीव्रवेदनम्| 
त्रिदोषलिङ्गं तत् कुष्ठं काकणं नैव सिध्यति||२०|| 

yat kākaṇantikāvarṇamapākaṁ tīvravēdanam| 
tridōṣaliṅgaṁ tat kuṣṭhaṁ kākaṇaṁ naiva sidhyati||20|| 

Colour – resemble gunjā (abrus precatorious) i.e. red in colour

Nature – does not get suppurated

Associated symptoms – Pain and incurable, all the 3 dōṣa are present

Fig 7 Kākaṇaka / squamous cell carcinoma

Fig 8 Kākaṇaka / squamous cell carcinoma

इति सप्तमहाकुष्ठानि

iti saptamahākuṣṭhāni

This ends the explanation of seven mahakuṣṭha.

Eleven ksudra kuṣṭha

1)Eka kuṣṭha –

अस्वेदनं महावास्तु यन्मत्स्यशकलोपमम्| 
तदेककुष्टं

asvēdanaṁ mahāvāstu yanmatsyaśakalōpāmām| 
tadēkakuṣṭaṁ, 

Nature – resembles scales of fish

Location – Extensive

Fig 9 Eka kuṣṭha / ichthyosisVulgaris

Fig9a Eka kuṣṭha/ichthyosis vulgaris

2)Carmākhya Kuṣṭha –

चर्माख्यं बहलं हस्तिचर्मवत्||२१|| 

carmākhyaṁ bahalaṁ hasticarmavat||21|| 

Nature – skin is thick resembling elephant skin

Fig 10 carmākhya / scleroderma

Fig 10a carmākhya / elephant like skin

3)Kiṭibha Kuṣṭha-

श्यावं किणखरस्पर्शं परुषं किटिमं स्मृतम्| 

śyāvaṁ kiṇakharasparśaṁ paruṣaṁ kiṭimaṁ smr̥tam| 
kiṇakharasparśa - ikNaKrspSa- - touch similar to the granulation process in wound.

Colour – It is blackish brown

Nature – Rough similar to scar tissue and hard to touch

Fig 11 Kiṭibha / psoriasis

Fig 11a Kiṭibha / lichen sclerosus

4)Vaipādika kuṣṭha –

वैपादिकं पाणिपादस्फुटनं तीव्रवेदनम्||२२|| 

vaipādikaṁ pāṇipādasphuṭanaṁ tīvravēdanam||22|| 

Location – Hand and legs

Nature – cracks in palms and sole

Associated symptoms – severe / excruciating pain

Fig 12 Vaipādika / anhidrosis

Fig 12a Vaipādika / dermatitis

Fig 12b Vaipādika / eczema

5)Alasaka Kuṣṭha –

कण्डूमद्भिः सरागैश्च गण्डैरलसकं चितम्| 

kaṇḍūmadbhiḥ sarāgaiśca gaṇḍairalasakaṁ citam| 

Nature – Nodules

Associated symptoms – Pruritus

Colour – redness

Fig 13 alasaka / dermatosis neglecta

Fig 13a alasaka / prurigo nodularis

6)Dadru kuṣṭha

सकण्डूरागपिडकं दद्रुमण्डलमुद्गतम्||२३|| 

sakaṇḍūrāgapiḍakaṁ dadrumaṇḍalamudgatam||23|| 

Colour – redness

Nature – Elevated circular patch with pidaka

Associated symptoms – Itching

Fig 14 dadru / ringworm

Fig 14a dadru/ringworm

7)Carmadala Kuṣṭha

रक्तं ^[१] सकण्डु सस्फोटं सरुग्दलति चापि यत्| 
तच्चर्मदलमाख्यातं संस्पर्शासहमुच्यते||२४|| 

raktaṁ ^[1] sakaṇḍu sasphōṭaṁ sarugdalati cāpi yat| 
taccarmadalamākhyātaṁ saṁsparśāsahamucyatē||24|| 

Colour – Redness

Nature – pustules, cracks in skin which are crusted

Associated symptoms – Itching

Fig. 15. Carmadala / atheletics foot

8)Pāmā kuṣṭha

पामाश्वेतारुणश्यावाः कण्डूलाः पिडका भृशम्| 

pāmāśvētāruṇaśyāvāḥ kaṇḍūlāḥ piḍakā bhr̥śam| 

Colour – white, reddish, brownish blackish

 Nature – Itching

Associated symptoms –piḍakā (erruptions)

Fig. 16. Pāmā / scabies

9)Visphōṭa kuṣṭha

स्फोटाः श्वेतारुणाभासो विस्फोटाः स्युस्तनुत्वचः||२५|| 

sphōṭāḥ śvētāruṇābhāsō visphōṭāḥ syustanutvacāḥ||25|| 

Colour – white greenish in appearance

Nature – erruptions and pustules with thin skin

Fig17 Visphōṭa / herpetic folliculitis

10)Śatāru kuṣṭha

रक्तं श्यावं सदाहार्ति शतारुः स्याद्बहुव्रणम्| 

raktaṁ śyāvaṁ sadāhārti śatāruḥ syādbahuvraṇam| Colour – reddish, blackish

Nature – ulcerated

Associated symptoms – burning sensation and pain

Fig. 18 Śatāru / furuncle

Fig. 18a Śatāru / furuncle

11)Vicārcikā kuṣṭha

सकण्डूः पिडका श्यावा बहुस्रावा विचर्चिका||२६|| 

sakaṇḍūḥ piḍakā śyāvā bahusrāvā vicārcikā||26|| 

Colour – blackish brown

Nature – excessive exudation, erruptions

Associated symptoms – pruritus

Fig. 19 Vicārcikā / wet eczema

इत्येकादश क्षुद्रकुष्ठानि

ityēkādaśa kṣudrakuṣṭhāni

This ends the explanation of 11 ksudrakuṣṭha.

***********************************************************************************************************

Prof. Satyendra Narayan Ojha  

MD PhD (Kayachikitsa)

Director
Annasaheb Dange Ayurveda Medical College, Ashta, Sangali, Maharashtra, India.

Mobile No.- +91 9822177155     

email: drsnojha@rediffmail.com