Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Life, and the (diverse) means (there are for alleviation and cure of disease), the physician should prescribe that which is neces¬ sary.*51-52

After this, the six classes of the Tastes are being explained as also how those six are counted as arising from the five primal elements.

The Waters have their origin in Space or Ether. They partake the nature of Soma (moon). They are, by nature, cool, and light The taste residing in them is unmanifest. Falling from the sky, they fall down (on the Earth) and become endued with the attri¬ butes of the five primal elements, and refresh (or cool) the forms of all mobile and immobile objects in which forms of objects the six tastes become displayed.53

Among the six Tastes, that which is called Sweet arises from a preponderance of the attributes of Soma.

From a preponderance of the attributes of Earth and Fire, arises the Taste called Sour.

From a preponderance of the attributes of Water and Fire arises the taste called Saline.

charaka-samhitA.

* What is stated in 51-52 is this attributes cannot have attributes for their, refuge. The Tastes are themselves attributes, pf material substances, for it is material substances to which the tastes attach themselves. We speak of Sugar as having a sweet taste. Chillies as having a pungent taste, &c. The attributes of the tastes cannot reside in the tastes, for the tastes are themselves attributes of material substances. The correct view, therefore, would be to take the attributes of sweetness, bitterness, &c. of the tastes as residing in material substances that have taste for their attribute. There is one school of Hindu philosophy which does not affirm the separate existence of substances ; substances, according to it, being only a combination of their attributes, for substances cannot be known except by their attributes. According to another view, substances are unknown essences to which the attributes only attach themselves, these being separate from the essences to which they attach. Punarvasu seems to be a follower of the latter doctrine. The whole discussion, however, seems to be more verbal than real. Sweetness is an attribute of the taste called sweet. To what does sweetness as an attribute inhere ? That is the question here raised. Sweetness and the taste called sweet are the same thing. Instead of saying that Sweetness is an attribute of the taste called sweet and, therefore, inhering to that taste, it is more intelligible to say that it inheres to the material substance that has a sweet taste. — T.

From a preponderance of the attributes of Wind and F'ire arises the taste called Pungent.

From a preponderance of the attributes of Wind and Ether arises the taste called Bitter.

From a preponderance of the attributes of Wind and Earth arises the taste called Astringent.

Even thus arises the sixfold character of the Tastes from the specialities in respect of the insufficiency or preponderance of the five primal elements, even as specialities of color and form arise of all material objects, mobile and immobile.54

In consequence, again, of Time being characterised by six seasons, specialities of insufficiency and preponderance in respect of the (five) primal elements arise in the case of Time also.*55

Amongst these, those Tastes that have Fire and Wind for their soul, generally act on the upper parts of the body, in consequence of the lightness and mobility of the Wind and the upward course of Fire.

Those Tastes that have Water and Earth for their soul, gener¬ ally act on the lower parts of the body, in consequence of the heaviness of Earth and the downward course of Water.

Tastes that have all the above elements in a combined state as their soul, act both on the upper and the lower parts of the body.t5S