Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* The Hindu system of physiology recognises five airs or breaths as supporting the body. They are Prana, Apana, Samana, Udana, and Vyana. The first is the air that is inhaled ; the second is that which has a downward course ; the third is considered as essential to digestion ; ihe fourth is that which rises up either in the form of eructations or passes into the head ; and the fifth is

p. 85

p. 20

CHAR AKA SAM HIT A.

The Mind is unconscious and active. It is the Supreme (Soul) that makes it conscious.

When that puissant one becomes united with the Mind, it is then that actions are imputed to him.81 that which pervades the whole body and moves in various directions, transverse and otherwise. By mentioning only the first, or the first and the second, the rest are indicated.

The opening and the closing up the eyelid are mentioned for indicating all kinds of similar motions which are apparently involuntary.

By ‘ Jivanam ’ is meant that portion of time which is called ‘ Ayus ’ or the period of life.

‘ Manaso gati,’ literally implies the movement of the mind. It should be noted that the mind is the lord of the senses. It moves from one sense to another. The expression certainly includes what follows, viz., 1 the passage (of the mind), from one sense to another.’

‘ Puranam ’ implies the same, viz., the despatch of the mind to a particular object ; and 1 dharanam ’ is holding it, thereby meaning the initial and the sub¬ sequent stages of attention.

In dreams a person sojourns to places other than those where he remains and sleeps.

‘ Panchatwa-grahanam ’ is acceptance of the state or condition of five (mean¬ ing the five primal elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether or space). This, of course, implies death. Life must terminate in death.

Hindu physiology takes it that an object that is seen by the right eye is really perceived by the left eye, and that what is seen by the left eye is perceived by the right eye. The point is certainly curious. Those blind of one eye cer¬ tainly see and perceive by the one eye they possess. This would disprove the assertion.

Verse 78 is evidently an adaptation of Gautama’s well-known defini¬ tion of the Soul, which runs as follows : 1 Ichccha-dwesha-prayatna sukha duhkha jnanani atmano lingam,’ meaning ‘ desire, aversion, and will, pleasure and pain, and cognitions, are the attributes or indications of the soul.’ This corresponds with the Kantian distribution of mental phenomena, viz., the cognitive faculties, the feelings (of pleasure and pain), and the conative phenomena (of desire and will). Only the order is otherwise. Perhaps, as explained by Professor Bain, feelings should come first, then desire and will, and lastly the cognitions.

By the word ‘ Paramatman,’ as used in verse 78, should be understood the Supreme Soul as invested with a body ; hence, the Jiva-Soul. According to the system of philosophy expounded by the Rishi in this passage, it is evident that no distinction is contemplated, as regards essence, between the Supreme

CHARAKA SAMHITA

p. 21

Since the soul is' endued with consciousness, therefore is it regarded as the actor. In consequence of its being unconscious, the Mind, even though active, is not said to:be actor.

As one cannot be the controller of another, every living creature despatches his Self along, with the life-breaths, by his own Self according as the case may be to different orders of Being.f

Soul and the Jiva Soul. The only distinction lies in the fact of the presence or absence of surrounding conditions.

When death ensues, whatfremams as the residue is the five primal elements. The soul leaves the body. The residue being the five elements, death is fre¬ quently spoken of as the condition of fiveness. (The word ‘ fiveness ’ is con¬ venient to explain the; Hindu idea of death).

* ‘ Manas,’ it should be noted, is the sixth sense. It is the lord of the senses. It controls them, directing them now to one thing, now to another.. In the Katha Upanishada it is said : —

Indriyani paranyahuh, Indriyebhyah param Manah,

Manasastu para Buddhih, Buddheratma mahan parah..

This means that * the senses have been said to be superior (to their ob¬ jects) ; Manas is superier to the senses ; superior to Manas is Buddhi, and the Soul, which is great, is superior to Buddhi.' This then is the gradation laid down. The senses, that is the- eye and the rest, are material substances, and, therefore, unconscious. Manas, or Mind, which is their controller, and is numbered with them, is equally unconscious. It is the Soul that imparts con¬ sciousness to it.

Acts are ascribable to the Soul as their agent. By itself (or himself) the Soul cannot act. When united with Manas which has the senses under its. control, the Soul is capable of acting.

Objects that are unconscious may have activity ; such as the wind ; gun¬ powder coming into contact with fire ; the various organs of the physical system.

Manas is active. But being unconscious, it cannot be spoken of as an agentIt is the Soul that acts and is the agent.