Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

relate to the contents of the compilation, each having reference to a special or particular view of those contents. Larger divisions are called Sthanas ; sub¬ divisions are called Adhysyas ; &c. — T .

f ‘Pallavika’ is one who is conversant with only a limited portion of the medical scriptures. Of course, quacks are implied. The calamities caused by quacks are compared to those caused by flights of locusts or of little birds who by the force of number destroy every sort of vegetation in the region which they visit. The sensible are alarmed at these quacks as really as at the visitations of locusts, •&C.---7’.

+ ‘Ekadefika’ is another word for ‘Pallavika’. The simile is, no doubt, original. These men run away from consultations with- physicians of learning. The very sound of the medical scriptures is enough to scare them. — T.

p. 440

CHA RAKA-SA MHI TA.

In consequence of the general weakness of a herd of animals, some animal ( really weak ) comes to be regarded as a wolf. Such an animal, however, encountering a wolf possessed of strength, assumes its real nature.70

After the same manner, an individual really ignorant though boastful in words, establishes a reputation of his own learning in the midst of only those that are ignorant. Encountering, however, a man of real learning or wisdom, such a one’s disguise is pene¬ trated.71*

One having little intelligence and little learning, resembles ( in the midst of men of learning and wisdom ) an old mungoose concealed in a heap of wool. What can such a person say in a consultation ( of physicians of real learning ) even as a person, upon whose birth there is a stain ( in the midst of men of stain¬ less origin ) ?7aJ

With a physician of even little learning but of good behaviour, a physician o' real 'earning should not contend. As regards others, viz., those that are full of vanity, he should demolish them by the eight questions. 77f

* ‘Bhidyate’ implies ‘broken’. It is better to take the word as signifying, in this connection, ‘hath his disguise penetrated,’ or ‘hath his mask torn off’. — T.

+ Some texts read ‘Babhrurmudha iva’. There can be no doubt, however, that the correct reading is ‘gudha iva.’ The idea of an ignorant man sitting silent and shrinking from prominence in an assembly of the learned and wise, is most natural. He would never open his mouth. His resemblance, therefore, to an old mungoose concealed in a heap of wool, is very natural. A man, again, of stained birth, sitting silent in an assembly of persons of unstained blood, offers another simile to the author for illustrating the position of a quack in the midst of learned physicians.

Another construction of 72 is proposed by Chakrapani. It is to take the words ‘babhrurmudha iva urnabhih’ with the last part of the second line of 71. The meaning then will be, — “Such a man, encountering a person of real learn¬ ing, is soon pierced or gored through like a foolish, mungoose by horned rams if he ventures into their company.” This is, no doubt, ingenious, but it is far¬ fetched. — T.

t The sense of the first line is that if one practising the medical science and possessing only a little knowledge of it, happens to to be of good behaviour, the physician of real learning should not expose or demolish him by a discussion on the medical scriptures. A practitioner of an opposite character should not receive such consideration. — T.

CM A RA KA-SA M HI TA.

p. 441

Those that are insolent, talkative and ignorant, indulge in copious twaddle. Those, on the other hand, that are sweetspeeched and good, very generally speak little, and that little is always to the purpose/4

For extending the knowledge of (medical) science, physicians, without having recourse to arrogance, should never tolerate such disputants as are of small calibre, ignorant, and characterised by boastful twaddle/5* * * §

These persons, who are endued with great compassion for all creatures, and who in consequence of a knowledge of the truth have become filled with illimitable mercy, feel disposed to put down wrong expositions of science/5+

Those men who have adopted the side of error, or who postpone answers to enquiries by alleging their inopportuneness or their own illness ( such as head-ache and the rest), or who are boastful and insolent in speech, and disposed to speak ill of others, never succeed in obtaining a mastery of their science/8:}:

One should avoid that man who speaks disrespectfully of the ( medical ) scriptures, even as one should avoid the net which Time throws for enmeshing living creatures.

Only those foremost of physicians who are characterised by coolness, by knowledge, and by science, should be adored/8§ f The object of this verse is to show that the desire to put down wrong expositions of science, instead of implying any cruelty, really proceeds from illimitable mercy to all creatures. As a matter of fact, mercy or consideration shown to quacks and wrong-headed practitioners is really tantamount to cruelty or indifference to all living creatures. — T.

* The true reading is ‘marijayet’ and not ‘darfayet’. The meaning, of course, is that ignorant physicians should, without being tolerated, be ex¬ posed. — T.