Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

By following the prescribed way, a physician may or may not succeed in accomplishing his object, because the examples laid <down have neither been very elaborate nor very brief.f

After this, the drugs used for Anuvasana (oily enemata) are being explained. Anuvasana is oily enemata. This is of two kinds, viz., that having immobile objects for its source, and that having mobile objects for its source. The first may either be oil or not oil (z. e. liquid or not so).

Reckoning both of them as oils, in consequence of the oily essence predominating in both,- instructions are being laid down.

As regards Anuvasana of that kind which has mobile objects for its source, it is such as fat, marrow, ghee, and so forth.

The Scriptures lay down that such a person should not, in course of his round, visit more than three houses. If he obtains alms at the first house he visits, he ■should not visit a second ; if failing at the first, he succeeds at the second, he should not visit another. If he fails at the third, he should give up further attempt t»" find food. He should, again, visit a house when the smoke has Ceased Joccurl upwards from the cook-room; when the sound of the husking rod has ceased ; when plates, etc., are not seen to be passing and repassing ; when the very fire in the cook-room has been extinguished. ( Vide Manu, Chap. VI, verses 54 — 58). The little the Bhikshu gets proves sufficient for him. Hence, the simile is a happy one. — T.

* The words, ‘uha,’ ‘apoha’ and ‘vitarka,’ are dialectical technicalities. The first implies the laying down of a proposition that arises by implication or flows from what has been said. The second signifies the rejection of what is defective. The third means inferences arrived at in course of reasoning. — T.

+ The sense is this : Physicians gifted with intelligence can always select, reject, and reason, guided by what has been actually laid down in the treatises they study. If not blessed with intelligence, they cannot do so, but must follow slavishly what has been laid down. By doing this, success may or may not be achieved. Of course, if examples could be laid down elaborately, even those that are dull, might successfully treat disease by following the treatises.

p. 646

CHARAKA SAMHITA.

Amongst oils, fat, marrow, and ghee, the preceding one is better than the succeeding one in all disorders due to vitiation of wind and phlegm, and in which oily enemata are applicable.

In disorders brought about by vitiated bile, the succeeding one is better than the preceding one,

In disorders brought about by vitiation of all the faults (in whatever combination they may occur), all the drugs {viz., oils, fat, marrow, and ghee) are applicable in consequence of the diverse methods of correction (to which they may be subjected.)168*

Next, as to cerebal purgatives (or errhines), the following may be used.

Apamarga ( a ), Pippali {b), Maricha (c), Vidanga (d), Qigru {e),

* There are two kinds of enemata, viz., dry and oily. The former is called Asthapana, the latter, Anuvasana. Anuvasana is Sneha, that is, oil. It is of two kinds, viz., that derivable from immobile (or inanimate) objects, and that derivable from mobile (or animate) objects. Of the first kind are mustard and other oils ; of the second are fat, marrow, and ghee manufactured from milk. Anuvasana of the first kind, that is, oils derived from inanimate objects, may either be oils or not-oils. Chakrapani makes a confusion in explaining this. He quotes a passage from one of the Puranas which says that mustard oil is not, properly, oil. The word ‘taila’ is .derived from ‘tila’ or : sesame seeds. Hence, in applying the name ‘taila’ to mustard oil, there is a verbal absurdity. The true meaning, however, has been missed by Chakrapani. What is meant by oils and not-oils is this : Anuvasana consists of oils or of the solid seeds which yeild those oils. The latter are spoken of as ‘not-oils.’

In all the Bengal editions, there is a blunder in reading, in consequence of which the sense is missed. There is a full stop after ‘Creshtham.’ This is erroneous. The sense is that in disorders due to excitement of wind and phlegm, ‘ Yatha-purvam Creshtham’ ; in disorders due to excitement of bile, ‘Yathottaram Creshtham while in all disorders, ‘Sarve eva Yogamayanti.’ The blunder in punctuation makes nonsense of the passage.— T.

a. Achyranthes aspera , Linn; syn. Achyranthes bidentata , Bl.

b. Piper longum, Linn ; syn. Chavica Roxburghii, Miq.

c. Piper nigrum, Linn. Black pepper.

d. Embelia Ribes, Burnt ; syn. Embelia glandulifera, Wight.

e. Moringa pterygosperma, Gaertn ; syn. Hyperanthera moringa , Wit/d.

CHARAKA SAMHITA.

p. 647