In the ancient discourse, a vivid description is given of the disorders that arise when the vital wind—vāta—becomes disturbed within the body. These ailments do not remain confined to one part but spread from head to toe, manifesting in pallor and a great increase in swelling of wounds. When the limbs are suddenly seized by restless movement, health may sometimes return through certain means: by licking the tongue, by taking hot food, or even through excessive pride. However, when aggravated vāta settles at the root of the jaw, it brings about stiffness, leaving the mouth either gaping open or tightly shut. This leads to further rigidity in the jaw, making chewing and speaking difficult. When the wind afflicts the veins of speech, the tongue itself becomes paralyzed, robbing a person of the ability to eat, drink, or speak. Such conditions may arise from bearing heavy loads on the head, excessive laughter, or talking too much. Even the simple act of using an uneven pillow or chewing hard substances can increase the wind within, causing it to rise upwards in the afflicted. The face may become crooked, loud laughter and staring may ensue, and soon weakness of speech and stiffness of the eyes follow. Teeth chatter, the voice is lost, hearing and vision are impaired, the sense of smell is destroyed, memory fails, fear arises, and breathing becomes difficult. Other symptoms may include spitting, pain in the sides, the closing of one eye, severe pain above the collarbone, or even paralysis of half the body. Some refer to this as hemiplegia, others as monoplegia. When the veins, sustained by blood, are affected, the veins of the head too become afflicted. If the body becomes rough, painful, and dark, and the head is involved, it is considered incurable, for the wind, sinews, and body are all compromised. If one side of the body is rendered useless, it is known as wing paralysis, leaving half the body inactive and insensible. Some recognize disease affecting a single limb, others feel pain in the armpit, but when wind pervades the entire body, complete immobility and stiffness result. Paralysis caused solely by wind is extremely difficult to cure; when other factors combine with it, the disease only worsens, leading to wasting. When the body’s channels become blocked by undigested matter and phlegm, the limbs turn rigid, and such a condition—known as daṇḍāpatānaka—is always incurable. If the wind arises from the root of the shoulder, contracting the veins there, it can cause external discharges and disease of the arm. When the tendons at the base of the fingers and on the back of the arm are affected, the arms lose their function; this condition is called vipūcī. When wind settles in the hip and damages the tendons of the thighs, the person becomes lame; if both thighs are affected, he is rendered crippled. Trembling arises when attempting to walk, and movement becomes limping—this is known as kalāyakhañja, caused by loosened joints and ligaments. The consumption of foods—whether cold, hot, liquid, dry, heavy, or oily—whether digested or not—along with exertion, agitation, oily foods, and sleeplessness, all contribute to the disturbance of the humors. When phlegm accumulates excessively at the proper time, it overpowers the other humors and spreads throughout the body. When phlegm fills and stiffens the bones of the thighs, both bone and sinew are affected, and the thigh grows cold due to wind. Dark limbs, stiffness, lethargy, fainting, pain, and fever arise—a condition known as thigh stiffness, or by some, external wind. Swelling in the knee caused by wind and blood, accompanied by severe pain, is known as kroṣṭukaśīrṣa, for it resembles the large head of a jackal. Pain and unevenness in the feet, arising from fatigue and the affliction of the ankle by wind, is called vātakaṇṭaka. When wind attacks the heel, fingers, navel, or neck and restricts movement, it is known as gṛdhrasī. If the feet become numb or thrilled, this is pādaharṣa, caused by the aggravation of phlegm and wind. When wind, combined with bile and blood, causes burning in the feet—especially while walking—this burning should be recognized as another sign of disorder. At this point, Dhanvantari spoke to Sushruta, explaining the causes of vātarakta. "Listen," he said, "for vātarakta arises from incompatible and excessive eating, anger, sleeping during the day, and staying awake at night. Generally, it afflicts those who are delicate, who eat and live improperly, who are obese, and those who live in comfort." He continued, "When blood becomes impure due to heat or improper cleansing, and is disturbed by vāta or cold winds, vāta increases, becomes agitated, and moves about abnormally. Obstructed by such blood, vāta first corrupts it, and then, in the rectum, causes pain or produces vātarakta. First, it brings stiffness, then spreads everywhere, with symptoms such as heaviness and vomiting. Later, it appears like leprosy—called sāmbuda—affecting the knees, calves, thighs, hips, shoulders, arms, hands, feet, and joints." "Itching, twitching, pricking, splitting pain, heaviness, and numbness arise and subside, only to appear again and again. Sometimes, starting at the soles of the feet or the hands, it runs through the whole body in a rage, like a rat. At first, it is confined to the skin and flesh, but, over time, it becomes deep and invades all the body tissues. In places like the hips, the skin turns coppery, dark, or red; swelling, hard lumps, and suppuration appear as vāyu enters the bones and marrow. Inside, it moves as if cutting, making a creaking sound, moving swiftly; as it spreads, it causes lameness or crippling. When vāta predominates, there is intense pain, twitching, breaking sensations, dryness of swelling, blackness, and changing discoloration." Thus, the ancient sages described the many forms and progressions of disorders born from the disturbance of vāta, the wind within, and the mingling of other humors, so that the wise may recognize and address them.