Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

t Having counselled the advisability of exposing the ignorant and boast¬ ful, the Rishi utters a word of caution to the profession. If anybody becomes proud and harsh of speech and so prejudiced as to adopt the side of untruth and to always put off answering legitimate questions, he never succeeds in obtaining a mastery of the science. Habituated to speak ill of others, he loses all opportunities of improvement. — T.

§ ‘Time’ is another name for Death. "It is Time that creates and Time that kills. Time is all powerful. The universe itself melts away in Time and

p. 56

p. 442

CHA RA KA-SA M HIT A.

All misery which, having two for support, comes upon us, is" due to Ignorance. All happiness is established on clear Knowledge.73* This compilation, fraught with excellent import, and capable of enlightening the ignorant, is as the solar disc unto those whose organ of vision has been dimmed.80

Here are some verses containing a summary.

Ten principal ducts rising from the Heart, the names bestowed upon them, the tale of the six foremost ones ending with Ayana 6r course of life, the characteristics of those cognisant of the (medical) scriptures, the tale of seven and that of eight questions with the determination of each, how these should be answered and for what end, the six kinds of unlearned physicians, have all been declared in this Lesson called “Arthe Da^a Mahamula.’7 In this Lesson an abstract also has been given of all the lessons in this compilation.1-st re-appears again. The sway of Time is owned by all ; the very gods are not above it ; only Eternal Brahma is above it.” The identity of Time and Death or dissolution is thus made out. The net of Time or Death ( Kalapa?a ) is a Common saying in India. — T.

* This is one of those aphorisms that will remain true to the end of time. Pain or misery is due only to ignorance ; while pleasure or happiness is due to clear or stainless knowledge. This is the doctrine of the Sankhya system of philosophy. The knowledge by which ignorance is to be conquered and its consequence misery, is knowledge of Self, or realising the Self’s perfect inde¬ pendence of Prakriti or Nature. Self is distinct from the body. When this is realised, there can be no further sorrow. Agnive?a, however, in referring to these effects of ignorance and knowledge, does not recommend the SUnkhya Philosophy particularly. He uses the words Ignorance and Knowledge in their ordinary acceptation.

“Having two for its support” means physical and mental ; or, appertain¬ ing to this world and the next. I prefer the first interpretation. — T.

j- First occur, in this Lesson, the statements about the ten principal ducts rising from ‘Artha’ or the Heart. Then come the different names by which those ducts are known, viz., 'Dhamani', ‘Qrotas’, ‘Siras’, (vide verse u ante). Tnen comes the tale of the six foremost things, ending with ‘Ayana’ or mode of life, (vide aphorism 14 ante). As regards the characteristics of those conver¬ sant with the medical scriptures, ( vide aphorism 15 ante). Gangadhara blunders in his gloss on this, by saying that physicians that help life, those that help disease, those that move about in the guise of physicians, &c.,'are implied. He forgets that the characteristics of, not physicians, but of good physicians only,

CH. 4 RA I<A - SA M HI TA.

p. 443

As a thread is needed for garlanding together a number of flowers, even so this abstract has been compiled by the Rishi for putting together in brief the diverse topics.4

At this point ends the Sutra-sthana in the compilation of Agnive^a as revised by Charaka.5

Thus ends the Thirtieth Lesson called “Arthe Dapa Mahamuliya” in Agnive^a’s treatise as revised by Charaka.* are referred to. Hence, aphorism 15 is referred to. The seven questions are those indicated in aphorism 17. They begin with “what is Life ?” and end with “for what object should the medical scriptures be studied ?” The eight ques¬ tions are those that relate to verses 63 to 66 ante. They are Tantra, Tantrartha, Sthana, Sthanartha, Adhyaya, Adhyayartha, and Pra<;na, Praijnartha.

By ‘Ekadefika’ is meant one conversant with only a portion of the scriptures. Of course, a sciolist is implied. — T.

* The abstract ( 1 — 3 ) consists of couplets. The 4th also is so ; the 5th, about the termination of Sutrasthana, is a couplet though some Bengal texts print it as prose. — T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA

TRA NS LA TED INTO ENGLISH.

PUBLISHED BY

AYINASTI CHANDRA KAVIRATNA,

Editor of Charaka-Samhita and of Susruta-Samhita (in original) with Commentaries; Bengali and Hindi Translator of CharakaSamhita and of Susruta-Samhita'; Editor of ChikitsaSammilani (Medical Journal in Bengali) ; Prac¬ titioner of the Hindu System of Medicine, &c., &c., &c.

CALCUTTA:

Printed by Girish Chandra Chakravarti,

“Deva Press”, 27 College Street, and

Published at

200, Cornwallis’ Street.

( The right of translation is reserved. ) - — - . ’

ABSTRACT OP CONTENTS.

The contents of this fasciculus are varied and interesting. -

The division on Vimanam begins.

The object of Vimanam is to help the physician to acquire a knowledge of the analyses of the several tastes and the rest. 7 Stag