ajñātayakṣma

a-jñāta—yakṣmá m. an unknown or hidden disease, RV. x, 161, 1; AV.

ajñātayakṣmá (ajñāta + yakṣma) m. N. einer Krankheit: mùñcāmî tvā ajñātayàkṣmādùta rā̂jayàkṣmāt ṚV. 10, 161, 1.

ajñāta-yakṣmá, a., verborgene Krankheit (yákṣma), als Bezeichnung einer gewissen Krankheit.

-ā́t {987,1}.

ajñātayakṣmá m. verborgene Krankheit (Ind. St. 9,400).

Ajñāta-yakṣma, the ‘unknown sickness,’ is mentioned in

the Rigveda,¹ Atharvaveda,² and Kāṭhaka Saṃhitā.³ It is

referred to in connection with Rājayakṣma. Grohmann⁴ thinks

that the two are different forms of disease, hypertrophy and

atrophy, the purpose of the spell in the Rigveda being thus the

removal of all disease. From the Atharvaveda⁵ he deduces its

identity with Balāsa. Zimmer,⁶ however, points out that this

conclusion is unjustified, leaving the disease unidentified, which

seems to accord with its name. [Footnote] 1) x. 161, 1 = Av. iii. 11, 1. [Footnote] 2) vi. 127, 3. [Footnote] 3) xiii. 16. [Footnote] 4) Indische Studien, 9, 400. [Footnote] 5) vi. 127. 3. [Footnote] 6) Altindisches Leben, 377, 378.

Cf. Bloomfield. Hymns of the Athar-

vaveda, 342; Atharvaveda, 60; Jolly,

Medicin (in Bühler's Encyclopædia),

89.