Remedies that rely on metaphysics: The category of daivavyapāśraya in early Āyurveda

The classical compilations of Āyurveda repeatedly distinguish between two types of remedy: those relying on logical principles (yukti) and those relying on force majeure (daiva). The first category refers to the application of the full set of core āyurvedic principles that constitute the theory of the three morbific factors: bile, wind, and phlegm. The second category comprises more sinister means. Overview lists in the primary sources enumerate agents and practices such as mantras, gems, auspicious acts or objects, tribute offerings, oblations, fire sacrifices, fasting and other austerities, acts of atonement, prostrations, and pilgrimages. While these remedies of the second category are presented as part of the āyurvedic remedial arsenal, closer examination reveals that they are usually suggested only for cases in which the treatments relying on logical principles are ineffective, or for cases traced back to the intervention of higher forces such as divine wrath, possession, curses, or the application of magic. Furthermore, they are often mentioned towards the end of chapters, suggesting that these therapies may belong to a later stage in the Āyurvedic textual tradition. In this paper, I will examine the category of remedies "relying on force majeure" (daivavyapāśraya) in more detail, and consider its position within the Āyurvedic literary tradition. I will argue that the dichotomy between different types of remedy did not originate with the earliest forms of this medical system. It is more likely that it was created within a humour-based healing system to accommodate other types of treatment based on a more religious or magical world-view, which were not compatible with the concepts of bile, wind, and phlegm. The findings presented in this talk are based on research conducted as part of the project "Epidemics and Crisis Management in Pre-modern South Asia", conducted at the Austrian Academy of Sciences and financed by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF).