NETRA TARPANA KARMA, INDICATIONS, BENEFITS & PROCEDURE

 

NETRA TARPANA / AKSHI TARPANA

Tarpana is a kriyakrama practices in Netraroga where medicated ghrita is retained in eyes for a stipulated time, it is called Sneha Abhyanga.

Types of Tarpana

Tarpana is three types – A) SNEHANA, B) LEKHANA, C) PRASADANA

Indications

Tamyati	Feeling of darkness in front of eyes also due to irritation after exposure to light
Ati vishushkam	Excessive dryness of eyes
Ati daruna	Eyes appear to have hardened
Sheera pakshma	Eye lashes falling down
Aavila netram	Dirtiness of eyes
Jihma netram	Abnormal deviation of eye ball
Roga klishtam	Eyes which have been constantly & repeatedly afflicted & debilitated due to many disorders

When eyes are Fatigued, Inactive, Dry, Rough, Injured, in patients of Vata and Pitta vitiation, Where there is squint, Loss of lashes, Clouded vision, Difficulty in opening eyes, Congestion of conjunctival blood vessels, Pannus, Black outs, Sub-conjunctival hemorrhage, Conjunctivitis, Glaucoma, Trigeminal neuralgia, Corneal capacity, After relieving redness, Lacrimation, Pain, Irritation & excretions, Retention of fat in eye should be done to the patients whose head and body are purified. (Astanga Hridaya Sutra Sthana. 24-1)

Benefits of Netra Tarpana

Nayane Tamyati	Feeling of darkness in front of eyes also due to irritation after exposure to light
Stabdha netra	Feeling of stiffness or rigidity in eyes
Netra shushkata	Extreme dryness of eyes
Abhighata	Injury to the eye
Vata pittaja roga	Diseases of eyes caused due to aggravation of vata & pitta
Jihma netram	Abnormal deviation of eye ball
Sheerna pakshma	Eye lashes falling down
Aavila akshnam	Dirtiness of eyes
Krichra unmilana	Difficulty to open or close the eyes
Siraharsha	A type of cellulitis (acute orbital cellulitis)

Contradictions

On cloudy days (Durdina)	Very hot day (Atyushna dina)
Very cold day (Ati sheeta dina)	Person with mental tensions (Chinta)
After physical exhaustion (Aayasa)	Giddiness (Bhrama)
When complications like inflammations, redness, severe pain persists in eye (Ashanta upadrava)	Those who had not undergone purification of head (Nasya)
Those who have contraindications for Nasya

 

Commonly Used Medicines for Tarpana

Triphala ghrita, Maha triphala ghrita, Patoladi ghrita, Jeevanthyadi ghrita, Bramhi ghrita,  etc.

Infrastructure Facilities

Manpower – A trained doctor and a trained technician

Space – A neat and tidy room free from dust, wind and sunlight

Equipments & Materials

Medicated ghrita – Q.S

Powder od maskalai daal (uraad daal) – Q.S

Water, vessel, spoon, stove or gas for fire

Rajanyadi varti – Q.S

Preparation of the Patient

Tarpana is done after the subsidence of acute symptoms of eye. Virechana and Nasya has to be done before Tarpana followed by Pathyahara. After Poorvakarma, Tarpana can be done for 7 days preferably in the evening.

Kaya shuddhi – Body cleansing measures like VAMANA - therapeutic emesis & VIRECHANA – therapeutic purgation

Shiro shuddhi – Head cleansing measure like NASYA or SHIROVIRECHANA

Preparing the flour ring – flour of black gram shall be mixed thoroughly in a sterile vessel by adding water and little qty. of oil. The mixture is made into a bolus. From this 2 small rings so as to fit around the eye socket are prepared. The height of ring should be of 2 angula’s (approx 3.5 cm). small qty of prepared flour should be kept in a bowl which would be useful to seal the junction of the ring with the socket of eye so as to prevent leakage of medicaments.

Procedure

The patient is made to lie on a cot or droni in supine position in a room free from dust and wind. Thick paste made by mashkalai powder is placed around the eyes in the form of circular wall around one inch thickness. Take desired medicated ghrita in a vessel and melt placing it in warm water and cooled about 27⁰C. Pour the ghee into the prepared cavity after keeping the eyes closed, till it covers the eyelashes. Then ask the patient to open and close the eyes slowly. After stipulated time (10-15 times) make a hole with spoon on the side of the circular wall inside near Apanga Sandhi. Collect the ghee coming through the hole in a tray placed at the side. After the removal of the paste, wipe the eye with cotton. (Astanga Hridaya Sutra Sthana. 24-4)

Paschat Karma

The patient should refrain from seeing shiny objects. He should avoid extreme cold atmosphere also.

Diet

Light easily digestive food is advisable

Follow up

After Tarpana, Putapaka is to be given next day.

Clinical Vital Data Recording

Temperature, Pulse rate, Blood pressure, Respiratory rate etc. is to be recorded every day before and after the treatment. Routine pathological investigations are to be done on the first and last day of procedure. Vision test, photosensitivity test etc is to be carried out before and after treatment to evaluate the result.