Contaminated Water

The text describes the characteristics of contaminated water that should be avoided: water that is discolored, foul-smelling, slimy, having algae or moss, not exposed to sunlight and wind, stagnant water in which insects and worms are visible, water in which animals have bathed, and water mixed with mud or toxic substances. Such water causes numerous diseases including skin disorders, fever, digestive disorders, and parasitic infections. Water from regions where poisonous plants grow or where toxic minerals are present should also be avoided.

Dushtajala – (contaminated water) न पबे प कशैवालत ृणपणा वला त ृतम ् सुय द ुपवना टम भव ृ टं घनं ग ु फे नलं ज तुम त तं द त ा य तशै यतः अनातवं च य यमातवं थमं च यत ् लूता दत त ु व मू वषसं लेषद ू षतम ् Water which is dirty, mixed with mud, algae, weeds and leaves, which is not exposed to sunlight and wind, which is a mixture of old and fresh, which is thick, not easily digestible, frothy, containing worms, hot (by nature), causes tingling of teeth by being very cold, that rain water which is u

— Astanga Hridaya Sutrasthan, Drava Vigyaniya Drinkables

Dushta-nira-visha (contaminated water poison) is one type, and Digdha-visha (weapon poison/applied poison) is another.

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 7: Rogagananam (Enumeration of Diseases)

Itching from Kapikachhu (Mucuna pruriens), from contaminated water, from Surana (Amorphophallus campanulatus), and swelling from Bhallataka (Semecarpus anacardium) contact.

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda, Chapter 7: Rogagananam (Enumeration of Diseases)

Etiology (combined): From excessive alcohol consumption, excessive exposure to cold, intake of incompatible foods (viruddha ahara), vitiation of vata, drinking contaminated water, trauma (abhighata), and also from parasites (krimi) in the intestines.

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Parishishtam, Chapter 17: Diseases of Hydrocephalus / CSF Accumulation (Shirshambu Roga)

Multi-factorial etiology of hydrocephalus: alcoholism, cold exposure, incompatible diet, vata imbalance, contaminated water, head trauma, and intestinal parasites.

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Parishishtam, Chapter 17: Diseases of Hydrocephalus / CSF Accumulation (Shirshambu Roga)

In another text, the etiology of shirshambu is stated as: contaminated water, excessively cold (conditions), and vitiated vayu (wind/vata).

— Sharangadhara Samhita, Parishishtam, Chapter 17: Diseases of Hydrocephalus / CSF Accumulation (Shirshambu Roga)