Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Then, again, objects do not become (efficacious) medicines simply in consequence of the puissance of their attributes.*27

Objects, in consequence of their own puissance, or that of their attributes, or that of both themselves and their attributes, in different seasons and coming in contact with diverse substrata, and depending upon different kinds of combination, produce results on the system.

less elaboration which is irrelevancy. The attributes have been spoken of in Lesson j, aphorism 48 (ante). As to ‘chetanavat’ and ‘ achetana,’ see Lesson I, adhorism 47. The five operations have been frequently referred to in the previous Lessons.— T.

* To become efficacious medicines it is necessary that the considerations of measure, time, place, &c., should also be attended to, — T,

CHA RA RA-SA M HIT A .

p. 301

The results produced are called their Action.

The virtue or puissance by which they produce these results is called their Energy.

The occasion when these results are produced is called Season or Time.

That by which they are produced is called the Means; and that which is finally accomplished is said to be the Purpose.*28

Depending upon the virtue (or puissance) of objects, place, and season or time, there are three and sixty varieties of Taste. We shall presently lay them down.29

Sweet combined with sour and the rest, and sour and the rest combined separately with what remains, — these groups each con¬ sisting of two tastes, — come up to five and ten in number.f30

Sweet with sour and the rest, combined with what remains, and so sour (with salt and the rest, combined with what remains), and so salt (with pungent and the rest, combined with what remains), and so pungent (with bitter and the rest, combined with what remains), — these groups each consisting of three tastes, — come up to twenty in number. { 31

* These are all technical terms which the Rishi explains here. The immediate and actual results produced on the system are called the Action or Operation of the drugs. That by which those results are produced is called Means. This implies measure, manner of combination, &c. — T.

t Taking the latters M, A, L, K, T, and K, , for the six tastes Madhura, Amla, Lavana, Katu, Tikta, and Kashaya, by first combining M, with the five others, we get MA, ML, MK, MT, and M K, =5.

Then combining A with those that follow, we get A L, A K, A T, and AJT,=4.

(If A be combined with what precedes, viz., M, it would be the same as M combined with A, for MA=AM.) Thus L combined with those that follow it, would give 3; K with those that follow it, would give 2 ; and T, with what follows it, would give 1. Adding these, 5 + 4 + 3 + 2 + 1 = 15.— T.

t Sweet with sour, combined with what remains, would give M A L, M A K, MAT, M A A", = 4. So sweet with salt, combined with the rest, would giveMLK,MLT, and MLJ,=3. Sweet with pungent combined with what remains would be MKT and

p. 302

CIIARAKA-SAMH/TA.

The combination of the Tastes taken four at a time would produce five and ten in number, as explained below.32

Sweet united with sour, combined with salt and the rest, taking each separately, and then combined with each of what remains, taking each separately, would give groups of four in respect of the Tastes. 3 3

Sweet united with salt, combined as before with pungent and the rest, taking each separately, and then combined with each of what remains, (would give groups of four).

So sweet united with pungent, (combined as before with bitter and the rest taking each separately, and then combined with each of what remains, would give groups of four).31

Sour united with salt, combined with pungent and the rest taking each separately, and then combined with each of what re¬ mains, would give groups of four.

So sour united with pungent, combined with the rest, would give a group of four.33

Sour and pungent, united with bitter, combined with as¬ tringent (gives a group of four).

M K AT=2. Sweet with bitter, combined with what remains, would give MTf, or I. The total, therefore, comes up to io.

Similarly, sour, with salt, combined with what remains .would give A L K, ALT, and A LA', =3.

Sour, with pungent, combined with what remains, would give A K T, and KKK—2 so sour with bitter, combined with what remains, would give only A T K, or I. The total, therefore, comes up to 6.

Similarly, salt with pungent, combined with what remains, would give L K T, and LK A', =2.

Similarly, salt with bitter, combined with what remains, would give L T K, or I.

So pungent with bitter, combined with what remains, would give KT K, or I.

The grand total comes up to 20. Algebraically stated, the combination of 6 things taken 3 at or time would give

— _ i _ = .6x5*4*3x2xi _20_t

]^x|_6-3 3x2xix;P<2xi

CH A RA KA -SA ME I TA .

By leaving out one (out of six) every time, groups of five would come up to six in number.36

Taken one at a time, the Tastes would come up to six in number.