Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Then come 21. the lesson called Ashtaninditiya, and 22. that called Langhana, and 23. that called Tarpana, and 24. that called Vidhigonitiya. These four treat of the application of drugs to diseases.27

Then come 25. Yajjapurushiya, and 26. that called Bhadrakâpya, and 27. that called Annapaniya, and 28. that called Vividhagitapitiya. These four deal with the ascertainment of food and drink."

Lastly come 29. the lesson called Dagapranayataniya, and 30. that called Arthedagamuliya. These two deal with the lifebreaths and the ducts of the body as also the accomplishments of physicians.89

Thus Drugs, Health, the ascertainment of practices proper and improper, method of administering remedial agents, diseases,

CHAR A RA-SA MHITA.

p. 427

and application of medicines for effecting cures, these six topics have been treated of each in four consecutive lessons. The seventh topic is that which relates to food and drink. (This has been treated of in the next group of four lessons).40

The remaining two lessons deal with an abstract of the con¬ tents of the previous ones.

The tale of thirty is thus complete, of the division, called £lokas or Sutras, of this compilation. Full of grave import, this auspicious division forms, as it were, the very head of the com¬ pilation.41

In this division has been collected together groups of fours, each of grave import.*

This division has been called <^lokasth§na in consequence of its contents having been (generally) presented in £lokas or Verses.4®.

The division called NidSna consists of eight lessons. They are 1. the Nidana of fever, 2. that of Raktapitta, 3. that of Gulma, 4. that of Meha, 5. that of Kushtha, 6. that of £osha, 7. that of Unmada, and 8. that of Apasmara.4Sf

In the Division called Vimana, the great Rishi has spoken of these eight Vimanas, of different kinds, each of grave import.

* These groups of fours have all been mentioned above. — T.

1. This is an exhaustive chapter on the causes of Fevers.

2. Raktapitta is Bilious Hemorrhage, i. e., effusions of blood in consequence of the excitement of the bile.

3. Gulma is abdominal tumours with or without pains.

4. Meha is diabetes and other affections connected with the urine. There are more than sixteen varieties of this disease.

5. Kushtha is Leprosy and diverse other diseases of the skin.

6. Qosha is pulmonary consumption and other inflammations of the organs within the chest. They are so called in consequence of the gradual waste or emaciation that sets in of the patient.

7. Unmada is Lunacy in general as well as those forms of it which are believed to be due to the action of evil spirits and Rakshasas.

8. Apasmara is Epilepsy and delusions in general ; particularly those delu¬ sions which show the patient monsters in empty space and deprive him of con¬ sciousness.

p. 428

CHA RAKA- SA MH I TA.

They are 1. Rasa-vimana, 2. Kukshi-vimana with reference to the three portions of the Kukshi, 3. the Vimâna that relates to the destruction of inhabited areas (populous villages and towns and cities), 4. the Vimana relating to the three methods of acquiring knowledge of disease, 5. the Vimana relating to the ducts, 6. the Vimana relating to Roganika, 7. the Vimana that relates to the form or symptoms of disease, and 8. the Vimana that relates to Rogabhishagjita.44-*5*

* It should be remembered that the division on Vimana treats of the measures of both faults ( i. e., wind, bile, and phlegm) and medicines. In the division called Nidana, the causes of disease, the preliminary symptoms of disease, the forms of disease, the supervening incidents, &c., have been treated of. In the present division the Rishi speaks of the measure of the excitement of wind, bile, and phlegm, as also of medicines. This will appear clearly from the several Lessons included in it.

1. The first Lesson treats of the Tastes and their connection with the faults. The Tastes, — sweet, sour, saline, pungent, astringent, and bitter, — contribute to the growth of the body, when judiciously used. Injudicious use, however, of the Tastes leads to excitements of wind, bile, and phlegm. The Lesson called Rasavimana treats of how the Tastes affect the faults.

a. In taking food the stomach should be regarded as divided into three parts. One of these parts is to be filled with solid food ; another with such liquid food as is liqked or swallowed ; the third part of the stomach should be kept empty for movement of wind, bile and phlegm. Every kind of food, again, does not contribute to strength or health This Lesson deals with the effects on the wind, bile, and phlegm, of particular kinds of food taken in particular measures, e., in judicious or injudicious measure.