Manasa Roga

Terminology

Dr. Pawankumar Godatwar

Asst. Professor
National Institute of Âyurveda
Jaipur
 Sidanti mama gaatraani
mukham cha parishusyati
vepathus cha sarire me
roma-harshas cha jaayate
gaandivam sramsate hastat
tvak chaiva paridahyate na
cha shaknomi avasthaatum

bhramativa cha me manah

nimittaani cha pashyami
viparitani keshava
Vishada Yoga, Bhagavad Geeta 1/28-30
The limbs of my body are quivering and
my mouth is drying up.
My whole body is trembling, and my hair
is standing on end.
My bow Gaandiva is slipping from my
hand, and my skin is burning.
I am now unable to stand here any
longer.
I am forgetting myself, and my mind is
reeling.
I am hallucinating, O Keshava.
Children—whether conceived among Chattisgarh
tribes people, the Mumbai upper class, or the
middle classes of Jaipur—are born without culture.

Lan
gua
ge

Language is the means to guide them in

learning a culture …..
“A language is what identifies a social
group.”
- Bernard Bloch & George L. Trager, U.S.
linguists
When the groups become specialized their language
acquires a specialized vocabulary (having entirely
different meanings from common language) and is
called Terminology. For example:
Dosha
Bhuta Vimana Sthana ?
Rasa
Basti
STD
Pulse
Test
……
 Language is Samanya

Terminology is Vishesha
 Use of Terminology provides a
range of benefits such as -
Legitimacy
Improving Patient care through
standardisation of-
Clinical Research
Inter-institutional communication,
Links to guidelines and literature,
Administration and Regulatory functions

But first, there ought to be

Standardisation of Terminology itself
There are conceptual and didactic
benefits as well.

In Graduate and Postgraduate

education, measurement of
performance requires standard
structure, which only uniformity
in Terminology can provide.
 Imagine an unequal fight in which the
standards shifted from contestant to
contestant.

Ambiguous and
inconsistent terms
can produce
shifting standards
[ e.g. an all India
paper contest on
Ama-Vâta ! ]
 Standardization
Most of us give little thought to technical
standards, even though they affect our lives
daily.
Like electrical power, drinkable water, and Cold
Drinks, standards are expected and when they
function well we hardly notice them.
We tend to pay attention only when the lack
of standards endangers or inconveniences us.

...Cold drinks...
Patient care depends Discharge
upon detailed, timely status: Alive
information -- but without
both specific permission
information about the
patient and general
clinical knowledge.
The lack of standard
ways of collecting and
sharing this
information reduces
efficiency and hinders
collaboration.
To make data useful in multiple settings, we must
understand what the items mean and how they
relate to each other. Hence there must be an
agreement on terminology, definitions, and clinical
vocabularies.

Classification
systems such as
ICD-10 & DSM-IV(R)
allow us to fit clinical
items into
categories.
Like tall edifices, one
set of standards
provides the critical
substrate for the next
set and that next set is
fundamental to the
next…

Language is the most

basic area while
Terminology is the
next.
 Some facts –
based on the population statistics Hindi
and more than two Indian languages
would be the most spoken languages in
the world by 2050
over 95% of India’s population is not
English-literate
43 % Indians are Hindi speaking
– Rajeev Ratna Shah, Secretary DIT in
International Conference on Universal
Knowledge and Language , Nov 25-29
2003, Goa
This has led to a situation in India, where –
In top 10 news papers only 1 is English
TV content is extensively non English especially
infotainment channels like Discovery and
National Geographic
BBC, CNBC, CNN etc. have bilingual Web sites
Local languages dominate the advertisements :
Badhiya hain; yeh dil maange more !!
William Shakespeare
(1564 - 1616)
What's in a name?
That which we call a Rose
By any other name would
smell as sweet.
- Romeo and Juliet Act 2, Scene 2
There’s every thing in a name, if
we call Chrysanthemum by any
other name it will be easier …

Mark Twain
(1835-1910)
 Terminology in Mother Language
is a vital factor in learning process
and Patient care.
 Doctors best retain medical information
when reading it in their mother tongue.
The medium (paper vs. screen) does not
influence the ability of general practitioners
to retain medical information.
[ Gulbrandsen P, Schroeder TV, Milerad J, Nylenna M.:
Paper or screen, mother tongue or English--which is
better? Tidsskr Nor Laegeforen. 2002 Jun 30; 122(17):
1646-8. (Pub med)]
A study found that mother tongue and
educational levels are important
determinants of acceptance and method
of contraceptives.
(Bhende AA, Choe MK, Rele JR, Palmore JA.
Determinants of contraceptive method choice in an
industrial city of India.
Asia Pac Popul J. 1991 Sep; 6(3): 41-66.)
Toker M, Schepker R, Eberding A.
found that Mother language was a Significant
barrier to attendance of outpatient psychosocial
care facilities for Turkish migrant families from
their own point of view [ Prax Kinderpsychol
Kinderpsychiatr. 1999 Nov; 48(9): 664-76. ]

Lindesay J, Jagger C, Hibbett MJ, Peet SM,

Moledina F found that Knowledge, uptake and
availability of health and social services among
Asian Gujarati and white elderly persons
depended a lot on the mother language [Ethn
Health. 1997 Mar-Jun; 2(1-2): 59-69. ]
 Drouin J, Jean P advocates educating
future physicians for a minority
population in mother language [French-
language stream at the University of
Ottawa: Acad Med. 2002 Mar; 77(3): 217-
21.]
 Âyurveda and Terminology

Language of Âyurveda is Samskrita-

literally a Refined language where each
and every word has inherent and specific
meaning.
In fact the very first Sutra of Patanjali’s
Mahabhashya is “Aqa
SabdanauSaasanama\ ” - discipline
of words.
Shabda i.e. Words are given utmost
importance and are placed much above
other means of knowledge such as
Pratyaksha or Anumana.
In all the Samhitas, definitions are
invariably given explaining the terms used.
The commentaries further elucidate the
terms.
Phrases such as Pratitantra Siddhanta,
Asmin tantre, Chikitsite, veda vadino
vadanti, various synonyms etc. scattered
at many places in the Samhitas signify
the importance laid on proper terminology.
To understand a concept properly, the
methods advocated are:
Paadatah – by the word itself
Tadarthah – by the meaning
Prayojana – by emphasizing objectives
Chodyataa – by controversies
Parihaara – by settling the controversies
- (Arunadatta on A.H.Su. 1/1)
The utility and credibility of Manasa
Roga Terminology requires that it focus
on
Clinical
Research and
Educational purposes
An official nomenclature must be applicable in
a wide diversity of contexts.

The Manasa Roga Terminology will be used

by Clinicians and Researchers of many
different orientations:

Physicians, Psychiatrists, Psychologists,

Social workers, Nurses, Occupational and
Physiotherapists, Counselors and other
health professionals - Biological,
Psychodynamic, Cognitive, Behavioral,
Interpersonal
It must be usable across settings:
IPD, OPD, Consultations, Clinics,
Private practice, Primary health care
etc.
It is also a necessary tool for collecting
and communicating accurate public
health statistics.
“It must be admitted that no definition
adequately specifies precise boundaries
for the concept of ‘mental disorder’ ”
p xxi,DSM IV, 1995
 Mental disorders have been defined by
variety of concepts :
Distress, dyscontrol, disadvantage,
disability, inflexibility, irrationality,
syndromal pattern, etiology, and statistical
deviation.
Each is a useful indicator but different
situations call for different definitions.
 Technical Terminology
One word equivalent in Hindi
Incorporating newer concepts and words
e.g. Tension- tniv
True to the inherent meaning
e.g Apasmara group of disorders for
Dementia like Alzheimer’s disease rather
than Epilepsy (which incidentally is not
classified as a ‘Manasa Roga’ now)
Effort should be made in this platform to
increase the gamut of Ayurvedic manasa
Rogas and provide the technical
terminology in Hindi
If Anxiety = (c>ti
Then Concern = ?
So the better word for Anxiety may be
a(t(c>ti -
(c>Ryini>ci(t(c>tnit` …
(Vagbhatta)
Mental Retardation m(t m>dti
(h[mc>d\)
Learning disorders avbi[F (vkir
– Reading disorders pqn (vkir
– Mathematics disorders gNni (vkir
– Written expression disorders l[Kn (vkir
Attention Deficit disorders Ekig\ti (vkir
– Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorders
Ekig\ti / a(tc>clti (vkir
– Conduct disorders cln (vkir
– Disruptive behaviour disorders (vGTnkir)
vt<n (vkir
Feeding and Eating disorders
– Pica mZd`BxN
– Anorexia Nervosa Byj / Si[kj a@(c
 Cognitive disorders
Delirium p\lip
Dementia apAmir
– Alzheimer’s - Vascular
– HIV - Parkinson’s
– Huntington’s - Pick’s
– Creutzfeldt-Jakob’s

Amnestic disorders apAmir

 Schizophrenia and other
psychotic disorders
Schizophrenia uºmid
– Paronoid
– Catatonic
Delusional Disorders atRvi(B(nv[S
– Erotomanic disorders kimi[ºmid
(vkir
– Jealous disorders miRAyi[<ºmid
(vkir
 Mood Disorders

Depression disorders (vPid

Manic disorders viti[ºmid
 Anxiety Disorders
Panic disorders
ait>k (vkir
Phobia disorders
Byj (vkir
Obsessive –
Compulsive
disorders
hqig\h
(vkir
 Sexual & Gender Identity
disorders
Desire disorders a(nµCi
Arousal disorders ahP<
Erectile disorder an&RYin
Male Sexual dysfunction ±l]¾y

Early Ejaculation S)G\ptn

Dyspareunia m]Y&ni(t<
 Paraphilias
Exhibitionism p\dS<n
(vkir
Fetishism s>kÃp
(vkir
Pedophilia
bilm]Y&nis±tti
Incest Avk&lr(t
Masochism Avp)Dir(t
Sadism prp)Dir(t
Transvestic
 Sleep Disorders
Insomnia
a(nd\i
Hypersomnia
a(t(nd\i
Circadian Rhythm
Sleep disorder
(dncyi< jºy
a(nd\i
– Jet lag
– Shift work
 Personality Disorders
Äy(±tRv (vkir
Paranoid (v(x¼t
Äy(±tRv
Schizoid B>g
Äy(±tRv
Antisocial
asimi(jk
Äy(±tRv
Narcissistic
aiRmrt
 A big Thank you to the
SHABDAVALI AAYOG for
Standardization of Terminology;
especially in Hindi and other local
languages.

February 21st - World

Mother Language Day
 Techo-pedia (with references)
Multi lingual digital library on Âyurvedic
terminology
 ek: Sabd: samyaga\ &at:
saup`yau@t: svagao-
laaoko ca kamaQauga\
Bavait
- one word properly understood and aptly
expressed bestows whatever is wished for
in this world as well as Swarga
(Mahabharata)
… say what
you mean and
mean what you
say…..
– Lewis Carroll
in ‘Alice in Wonderland’