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1subject. Then Bhela and the others followed. All of them recited their works to a conclave of sages headed by the son of Atri. The learned auditors applauded all the works and their authors equally. Somehow the treatise of Agnivef a superseded those of his fellow-£&udents. Sometime after, Agnive^a’s treatise was edited and corrected by Charaka whose name it now bears. At the end of each book of the work it is stated that this Tantra (scientific treatise) is composed by Agnivefa and corrected by Charaka. Mention is made by a later writer of the name of Vagbhatta, in the introduction to his work called “Ashtanga-Hridaya Samhita,” that this treatise was compiled from the earlier works of Agnivesa, Harita, Bhela, Saswata, Susruta, Kavala, and others. It would thus seem that the six disciples of Punarvasu were no mythical persons, for two of them at least are named by Vagbhatta. Punarvasu is said to have taught his pupils “on the breast of Himavat.” It is impossible, at this distance of time, to identify the country where the sage resided and lectured. The name of Punarvasu, as also of his sire Atri, frequently occurs in the Vedas. Atri was a renowned sage and a law treatise is extant bearing his name. Nothing can be known also of the nativity of Charaka. It is mentioned, how¬ ever, by Dridhavala who added some sections to Charaka’s work, that the latter was a native of “Panchanada,” evidently meaning the Punjab or the country of the five rivers.
2The work of Charaka abounds with weighty aphorisms about dis¬ ease and its causes as also about the way of avoiding disease, the truth and beauty of which, considering the age in which they were composed, will extort the admiration of the modern reader. Some years ago, Dr. M. L. Sircar, while introducing only the first chapter of this work to English readers, observed that “there is much in it that even an accomplished physician will profit bjr learning.” Speaking, for example, of the causes of disease, the following aphorism, as laid down by the author, may be cited as an instance of the wisdom the reader may expect in the following pages “Correlation, adverse or absent or excessive, between time,, mental faculties, and objects of the senses, constitutes in brief the threefold causes of disease affecting either the body or the mind.” Time, in the above, is regarded to be of two kinds ; first, the different'states or periods of life, as childhood, youth, manhood, old age, and second, the seasons of the year. That which is [ iy 1
3done or borne by a person in a certain period of his life and a certain season of the year, may not be suitable to him in another period of life and another season. Then again the relation, ad¬ verse or friendly, of mental faculties with both time and objects of the senses, is another fruitful cause of disease or a condition of health. Western medical science has recently recognised this truth, disease having for a long period been viewed only as a physical derangement brought about by gross physical causes. If properly elaborated, this verse of two lines may be seen to include every possible cause of the diseases to which humanity is subject. It is impossible to suppose that generalisations such as these represented only the hap-hazard guesses of the medical authorities of ancient India. Without doubt, they, were arrived at after careful observation for centuries. Omitting all reference to those portions of the work that deal with pathogenetic conditions, the portions that are purely hygienic and treat of how best to keep health, are in¬ valuable to all classes and races of men. The reader will find that some of the highest and latest discoveries of hygienic science were well known to the ancient medical authorities of India. A life of purity, of cleanliness, and freedom from stirring emotions, is recommended in language that often rises to the dignity of poetry and is unquestionably ennobling throughout.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
1subject. Then Bhela and the others followed. All of them recited their works to a conclave of sages headed by the son of Atri. The learned auditors applauded all the works and their authors equally. Somehow the treatise of Agnivef a superseded those of his fellow-£&udents. Sometime after, Agnive^a’s treatise was edited and corrected by Charaka whose name it now bears. At the end of each book of the work it is stated that this Tantra (scientific treatise) is composed by Agnivefa and corrected by Charaka. Mention is made by a later writer of the name of Vagbhatta, in the introduction to his work called “Ashtanga-Hridaya Samhita,” that this treatise was compiled from the earlier works of Agnivesa, Harita, Bhela, Saswata, Susruta, Kavala, and others. It would thus seem that the six disciples of Punarvasu were no mythical persons, for two of them at least are named by Vagbhatta. Punarvasu is said to have taught his pupils “on the breast of Himavat.” It is impossible, at this distance of time, to identify the country where the sage resided and lectured. The name of Punarvasu, as also of his sire Atri, frequently occurs in the Vedas. Atri was a renowned sage and a law treatise is extant bearing his name. Nothing can be known also of the nativity of Charaka. It is mentioned, how¬ ever, by Dridhavala who added some sections to Charaka’s work, that the latter was a native of “Panchanada,” evidently meaning the Punjab or the country of the five rivers.
2The work of Charaka abounds with weighty aphorisms about dis¬ ease and its causes as also about the way of avoiding disease, the truth and beauty of which, considering the age in which they were composed, will extort the admiration of the modern reader. Some years ago, Dr. M. L. Sircar, while introducing only the first chapter of this work to English readers, observed that “there is much in it that even an accomplished physician will profit bjr learning.” Speaking, for example, of the causes of disease, the following aphorism, as laid down by the author, may be cited as an instance of the wisdom the reader may expect in the following pages “Correlation, adverse or absent or excessive, between time,, mental faculties, and objects of the senses, constitutes in brief the threefold causes of disease affecting either the body or the mind.” Time, in the above, is regarded to be of two kinds ; first, the different'states or periods of life, as childhood, youth, manhood, old age, and second, the seasons of the year. That which is [ iy 1
3done or borne by a person in a certain period of his life and a certain season of the year, may not be suitable to him in another period of life and another season. Then again the relation, ad¬ verse or friendly, of mental faculties with both time and objects of the senses, is another fruitful cause of disease or a condition of health. Western medical science has recently recognised this truth, disease having for a long period been viewed only as a physical derangement brought about by gross physical causes. If properly elaborated, this verse of two lines may be seen to include every possible cause of the diseases to which humanity is subject. It is impossible to suppose that generalisations such as these represented only the hap-hazard guesses of the medical authorities of ancient India. Without doubt, they, were arrived at after careful observation for centuries. Omitting all reference to those portions of the work that deal with pathogenetic conditions, the portions that are purely hygienic and treat of how best to keep health, are in¬ valuable to all classes and races of men. The reader will find that some of the highest and latest discoveries of hygienic science were well known to the ancient medical authorities of India. A life of purity, of cleanliness, and freedom from stirring emotions, is recommended in language that often rises to the dignity of poetry and is unquestionably ennobling throughout.
The source text as printed, transcribed diplomatically. Where the source language uses a non-Latin script that reaches us only through a Victorian romanisation, this layer is labelled transliteration, because that is what we hold.
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