Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* The modifications of the five primal elements constitute the refuge of the Tastes. Every substance is formed by modification of those elements. What is said, therefore, is that material substances are the refuge of the tastes, i.e., the Tastes inhere in them, ‘ Bhakti ’ implies like or desire. The agreeable or disagreeable character of the Tastes arises not from anything in the Tastes themselves but from the likes or dislikes of men, so that what is sweet to one man may not be so to another. ‘ Prakritivikriti . . . vacah’ Chakrapani explains that ‘vacah’ is to be taken with each of the words preceding it. Hence, what is said is that the Tastes depend upon ‘ Prakriti,’ ‘ vikriti,’ ‘ vichara,’ ‘ de9a,’ and ‘ kala.’ Thus Mudga ( Phaseolus Mungo) is astringentsweet. Its nature, however, is light. This lightness depends upon the * prakriti’ or nature of Mudga, and not upon the astringency and sweetness of its taste. Indeed, if taste were to determine the property, in this case the astringency and sweetness would have produced the property of heaviness. ‘Vikriti,’ as fried paddy, which is light ; but cakes of rice are heavy. ‘ Vicharah’ is a technical term in medicine, implying admixture or combination. Chakrapani cites the instance of honey mixed with ghee. This is as baneful as poison, regardless of the taste that inheres to the combination. ‘ Deea’ stands both for places on the Earth as marshy tracts, mountainous countries, &c., and limbs of the body also. Certain objects growing in marshy tracts have one kind of taste. The same objects, when growing on mountains, have different tastes with different virtues. Then, again, different tastes inhere to different parts of the body. The bones of a deer have one kind of taste ; its flesh again has another kind, &c. ‘ Kala’ similarly implies 2both seasons of the year and periods of life. An object of a certain taste is beneficial at a certain season but not so in another ; or, it may be beneficial to a child but not so to an old man.— T.

CHARAKA-SAMHi TA.

Kshara (strained ashes) are so called from their being produced by ksharana (dropping down or straining), This is not a taste. It is, on the other hand, an object. It is, in fact, produced from many kinds of taste. Hence, it has many tastes. Among them, pungent and saline predominate. It is composed of many objects of the senses. It is manufactured with the aid of different processes.*1 f

Without doubt, in their original refuge tA unm^fest existence (or presence) of the Tastes. So also in their combinations where particular ones predominate. So too in objects in which are combinations (of the Tastes) with particular ones predominating.f18

In consequence, again, of the diversity of such conditions of their existence as the refuge in which they inhere, (their properties, operations, &c.), the quality of innumerableness does not attach