Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

In the Lesson on the causes, in brief, of diseases, time in respect of the’? accession of disease has been explained. This in¬ cludes the topics, as previously explained, of the accession, excite¬ ment, and alleviation of bile and the rest, the seasons ending with the rainy, marked by characteristics that are false, excessive, or attenuated, as causes of diseases ; rules about timeliness and un¬ timeliness in respect of food eaten or in course of digestion or after digestion ; forenoon, noon, and afternoon, and the three divisions, called ydmas , of the night ; particular diseases which spring up in particular times laid down ; fevers which appear on every alternate day ; those which appear with intervals of - two days between successive paroxysms ; and those which appear with intervals of three or four days between successive . paroxysms. These set In, each at the fixed time, their accession of strength being due to time. These and various other diseases, all of which set in when their time comes, are to be treated by the physician who is conversant with • the measure of their strength and the fixed times of their accession, before they make their appearance.fi 17-n”

* What is said in the last sentence is this : Acts have two elements, •viz., mental and physical. The physical element is excluded. Acts that are faults of judgment are, the Rishi says, all mental. — T.

t The three expressions, viz., ‘ Dhidhritismritivibhrangca,’ * kalakarmanam samprapti,’ or simply ‘ kalasamprapti,’ and ‘ asatamyarthagama,’ (vide verse 105, ante , of this Lesson) are gradually explained. The first is explained generally

68o

:CBAkARA SAMHTtA.

With the development ;of Time, decrepitude, death and such diseases as are not due to known and defined causes, are seen to 2in verses 106 to 108, ante , of this Lesson. It is then Said that ‘ dhidhritismritivibhrangca ’ is otherwise called ‘ Prajnaparadha.’ The acts which constitute ‘ praynaparadha ’ are then laid down in verses 109 to 116 Then comes ‘ kalasamprapti.’ This is explained in verses 1 17 to 120. By ‘ kalasamprapti ’ is meant Time in respect of the accession of disease or its immediate causes. It includes such topics as the accession, excitement, and alleviation of the faults, viz., wind, bile, and phlegm, and the others mentioned lower down. Generally speaking, morning is the time for the accession of phlegm ; noon for that of bile, and evening for that of wind. As regards the night, leaving out the first quarter, the second is the time for the accession of phlegm ; the third for that of bile, and the fourth or the last, for that of wind ; so each of the three principal seasons is favourable to the accession of each of the three faults : thus, summer is the time for the accession of bile ; the rainy season for that of of wind ; and winter for that of phlegm. The seasons may not present their natural characteristics. Indeed, as regards their usual or natural characteristics, the three kinds of improper correlation, viz., the false, the excessive, and the attenuated, may arise. In winter, certain days may not be cold at all, or excessively cold, or only slightly so. Certain days of winter may also present the characteristics of the rainy season. The rainy also may present, on certain days, the characteristics of the two other seasons, or its own proper characteristics may show themselves excessively or slightly. So with regard to summer also about the manifestation of its own characteristics. If will thus appear that though summer is the time for the accession of bile, the rainy season for that of wind, and winter for that of phlegm, yet even summer may help the accession of wind and phlegm, the rainy season of bile and phlegm, and winter of wind and bile, contrary to their respective natures. By ‘ jirna ’ food is meant food that has been already digested ; by ‘ bhukta ’ is implied food that is just taken ; and by 1 prajirna ’ is implied food in course of digestion. Each of these owns the influence of Time in respect of the accession, accumulation, and alleviation of the several faults and, therefore, of the diseases due to them. Thus during meals it is the phlegm that accedes or accumulates ; during digestion it is the turn of bile : and after digestion, in comes the turn of wind. Hence, in taking one’s meals, one should avoid the morning, the morning being the time that favours the accession and accumulation of phlegm ; &c.’ Each of these acts or operations, it would thus appear, owns the influence of Time. There are, again, diseases (notably fevers) whose accession, strength, and alleviatin, own the influence of Time. Some of them appear at intervals of one day, or two days, or even four days. Some, again, appear on particular lumar days, such as days of the full morn or the new moon. These, therefore, are included within the topic of ‘ kalasam¬ prapti,’ — T.