Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

'Vidhi 1 has reference to the class under which a malady falls, i. «., whether constitutional or accidental, or whether born of wind, or bile, or phlegm, or whether curable or incurable, or mild or violent.

‘ Vikalpa ’ is ascertainment of the precise measure in which the faults have been excited.

‘ Dosha, as has been explained several times in the place of Aphorisms, means Wind, Bile and Phlegm.

< Prabhava ’ is potency. It has been explained in the Place of Aphorisms.

The above are all technical terms which the Rishi has himself explained in the previous portion of his work.

* “ Improperly used " has reference to both excessive use and the absence of use to the desireable extent. — T.

■f "Disease of diverse kinds here the word 'vidhaih' (kinds) implies cons¬ titutional or accidental, &c. The word * vidhi,’ as already explained, is a technical term. — T.

CHA RA KA -SA MHITA .

p. 447

Among tkese, groups of threes excite, and groups of threes allay, the three faults.

Pungent, bitter, and astringent excite the Wind,

Sweet, sour, and saline allay it.

Sweet, sour, and saline excite the Phlegm,

Pungent, bitter, and astringent allay it,*

When tastes and faults come together, It is seen that those tastes excite those faults with which they correspond entirely, or very largely, in respect of qualities.

Those tastes, again, allay, when repeatedly taken, those faults to which their qualities are wholly antagonistic, or very lagely so.

For tl>e sake of only expediency it is laid down that the tastes, as unconnected with one another, are six, and that the faults, as unconnected with one another, are three.

Infinite Is the assemblage of the variety of combinations in which the tastes and the faults may occur, since the distinctions of variety are Innumerable,8*

Without doubt, in this connection it should be stated that in the case of articles endued with more than one taste, and in the case of diseases characterised by the excitement of more than one fault, the potency of particular tastes and particular faults should be first carefully ascertained : then should the inquiry be taken up about the potency of the articles and the diseases themselves. This procedure, however, does not apply everywhere.

In this matter ( it should be said that) in things which havemany tastes and in diseases characterised by (the excitement of.) many faults, the power of tastes and faults should at first be as¬ certained singly and then the power of the things and the diseases should be settled.f

* What is said here is this : the tastes may occur in- innumerable combina¬ tions ; tile faults also may occur in innumerable combinations. The subjects are thus unmanageable. For the sake of expediency or convenience, it is said that there are six tastes as existing independently of one another. — T.

f What is stated here is. this : there are many objects in which more than one taste exists, as there are many diseases in which more than one fault has been excited. The question is how to ascertain the power of these objects and of

p. 448

CHAU AKA SAM I-IIT A.

This ( procedure), however, does not apply in all cases.

Indeed, in the case of those ( articles and diseases ) which represent combinations that are unnatural or unequal, or both unnatural and unequal, or which represent combinations of in¬ gredients that neutralise one another, or which represent combina¬ tions of ingredients in different forms, it is not possible to settle what the truth about the virtue ( or force, or potency ) is of the whole from an ascertainment of the virtue ( or force, or potency ) of the ingredients constituting the whole.7* these diseases. The Rishi’s answer is that when an object is found to possess many tastes, the power of each taste should first be separately ascertained. From such separate ascertainment, the power of the object should be known. An object may be sweet, astringent, and bitter. The properties of sweetness, of astringency, and of bitterness should first be studied. By this, the virtue of the object which contains those tastes in a combined state, may be known.

Similarly, a disease may be due to an excitement of bile, or of wind, or of phlegm, qr of any two of these, or of all the three. The qualities should first be ascertained of each fault, and then the force or character of the disease may be known.

In brief, the Rishi says, that an examination of each detail separately as regards its virtues qr power or potency, is needed for ascertaining the virtue or power or potency of that which is the result of the combination of those details. — T.