Exploration of Indravasti marma through hermeneutic research methodology

Abstract

 Background: Ayurvedic treaties have explained 107 marma points in the human body. Exploration of the underlying anatomical structures gives insight in to the marma point, but it only adds up to a small portion the of total information and due to the same reason, many aspects of the marma shastra still remain as an enigma. Aim and objectives: to execute a hermeneutic study of the Indravasti marma. Methodology: Indravasti Marma, a vital point in Ayurvedic marma sastra, is explored through a hermeneutic study. It combines anatomical, physiological, philological, and historical analyses. Results: Indravasti Marma, classified as a mamsa marma (muscle-based marma), is located in the mid-foreleg and forearm regions. Despite being a mamsa marma, injury to this marma leads to significant hemorrhage, suggesting the involvement of underlying vascular structures. Such as the posterior tibial and radial arteries. This apparent contradiction is addressed through hermeneutic analysis, where the term "Indravasti" is broken down into "Indra" and "Vasti". Among others indra has a less popular meaning red as in the term ‘indragopa’ (red-bug), and vasti means bladder. This clarifies the intention of the acharyas to give emphasis to both musculature and vasculature. Conclusion: This methodology provides comprehensive understanding of Indravasti Marma, highlighting the need to integrate ancient Ayurvedic knowledge with modern anatomical and physiological insights.