Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

By ‘atmaguna’ is meant qualities of self ; i. e., suitability of practices and articles to oneself. Like ‘satmya/ which is a technical term, the word ‘suitability’ ought to be made a technical term for avoiding a periphrasis. — T.

j- ‘Sandharanam’, as it comes first, implies, as explained by Chakrapani, ‘varjjana’ or avoidance. This meaning of the word is peculiar. ‘Atiyoga’, as explained in Sutrasthanam, means excessive correlation. Vide Lesson I, p. 5 ; also Lesson VIII, p. 88.

‘Gatimat’ here is a technical word, meaning urine and excreta. Hence, ‘udirnanam gatimatam sandharanam’ would imply ‘not suppressing the urgings of nature that have become pronounced’. — T.

} What Agnive^a’s question really implies is this : if it be the fact that the life of human beings, as regards its period, be indeterminate, i. e., not pre¬ ordained, to what cause then is it owing that some die timely and some die

CMA RA KA -SA M HI TA.

p. 487

The illustrious son of Atri said unto him, — Listen, 0 Agnivefa ! As a wheel attached to a car, endued by nature with all the qualities of a wheel, possessed of all the necessary equip¬ ments, and turning round (as the car is drawn), meets with destruction at the proper time in consequence of the wearing out of its frame, after the same manner, life, entering In the body of a strong person duly served (with food, exercise, and other beneficial practices), naturally comes to an end in consequence of the exhaustion of its own limit.50*

Such death is said to be death in proper time.

As also the same wheel meets with premature destruction in¬ consequence of an excessively heavy burthen being placed over it,, or of (its moving over) an uneven road or a place over whichthere is no road, or of the breaking of its circumference, or of the faults of the load or the animals drawing it, or of the coming out of the pin that attaches it to the axle, or of the overturning of the car itself, or of its not being oiled, so life, too, comes to a premature end in consequence of exertions disproportioned to strength, or of taking food disproportioned to the digestive fire, or of disposing the body in improper attitudes, or of excessive sexual congress, or of association with the unrighteous, or of suppressing such urgings of nature as have become pronounced, or of not suppressing such urgings as deserve to be suppressed, or of afflictions caused by evil spirits and poisons and fires, or of wounds or of abstention from food.

Such death is said to be untimely death.51t untimely ? By untimely death, of course, is meant premature death, as by timely death is meant death at the proper age, that is, at the expiration of the full period allowed for a particular Yuga. — T.

* ‘Akshagunairupetah’ refers to the qualities of the material of which it iscomposed, &c.

‘Sarvogunopapannah’ refers to the merits of its construction by the carpenter, the facility with which it turns round, the oiling of the axle to which is at¬ tached, &c. — T.

t Wheels break in consequence of excessive pressure. By 'vishama patha’ is meant an uneven road. By ‘apatha’ is meant the absence of a road ; i.e., a place where there is no road. ‘Akshachakra’ is the circumference or circular piece of wood to which the spokes are attached.

p. 488

CHA RA KA -SA Mill TA.

So also vve see that untimely death takes place from diseases like fever and the rest not being skilfully treated.82

Then Agnivefa said, — Why, O illustrious one, is warm water largely given by physicians to persons assailed by fever, for drink ?

Indeed, cold water is not given.

There are temperaments affected by fever, which admit of treat¬ ment with the help of cold drink.53*

Unto him the illustrious son of Atri said, — Observing the symp¬ toms of the body of the person afflicted with fever, as also the place and time, physicians prescribe warm w’ater for aiding the digestion of all the undigested humours.

‘Vahya-vahakadoshat’ implies the faults of both ‘vahya’ and ‘vahaka’. . The former includes both animate and inanimate freight ; while the latter implies either the animals that are drawing the car or the driver that holds the reins. If the freight be not properly placed, the wheel may break. So also, through fault of the driver or of the animals the same result may happen. The correct reading, as noticed by Chakrapani, is ‘Alimokshat’ and not ‘anirmokshat’.

‘Paryasana’ is an act of overturning.

‘Anupanga’, as explained by Chakrapani, is neglect to oil.

‘Antara’ is an indeclinable, meaning ‘before the proper time’.

Exertions disproportioned to one’s strength shorten life, such as excessive work, or work more than what the body can bear.