A Narrative Review on Mortality Predictors in Swapnadhyaya and Panchendriya Vikara Adhyaya of Harita Samhita

The Harita Samhita is a classical Ayurvedic text containing foundational knowledge on Ayurveda . The book is composed as a conversation between Sage Maharshi Atreya and his disciple as well as the author, Sage Harita . Harita Samhita - Dwitiya Sthana (HSDS) is a section that delves into prognostic concepts and comprises nine chapters. Swapnadhyaya and Panchendriya Vikara Adhyaya are the second and fifth chapters of HSDS. The present review aims to explore the Arishta Lakshanas, or premonitory signs of death, mentioned in Swapnadhyaya and Panchendriya Vikara Adhyaya of HSDS. Various classical Ayurvedic texts and modern databases were searched for relevant prognostic literature by using specific keywords to find correlations and insights into Arishta Lakshanas documented in Swapnadhyaya and Panchendriya Vikara Adhyaya of HSDS. The aim of the present review is to explore the contents of Swapnadhyaya and Panchendriya Vikara Adhyaya of HSDS with special reference to their prognostic significance. Swapnadhyaya consists of 29 verses, and it is an independent chapter that deals with various auspicious and inauspicious dreams associated with specific prognostic outcomes. Panchendriya Vikara Adhyaya is a small chapter of six verses that deals with the Arishta Lakshanas pertaining to sensory organs/perceptual abnormalities. The contents of both chapters ( Swapnadhyaya and Panchendriya Vikara Adhyaya ) denote various terminal illnesses associated with poor prognosis, particularly those requiring end-of-life or palliative care. Further research is required to authenticate and to determine the prognostic utility of various Arishta Lakshanas documented in Swapnadhyaya and in Panchendriya Vikara Adhyaya of HSDS.