Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Prossor Max Muller : — I have no doubt you ought to publish an English translatjonof Charaka. The book is of great importance. I shall be very glad to help you in any way you may wish — Writing again in November 1893. he says — * * * I am surprised that your excellent and most useful translation has not attracted more attention * * * Our Regius Pro¬ fessor of Medicine, Sir Henry Edward, was much interested in it.

Sir Monier Williams, K. C. I. E. : — I have received your kind gift of the successive parts of the Charaka and Susrata Samhitas. I regard them as a valuable addition to my library. No doubt, an English translation would be very interesting.

Dr. Reinhold Rost, C. I. E. late Librarian to the India Office — * * * Your excellent translation * * * a. most valuable and praiseworthy work% which will not fail to make ancient Hindu Medicine better understood and appreciated in the West * * * I shall draw the attention of Oriental scholars to your difficult and meritorious work * * * Many important additions to our Sanskrit dictionaries will be gleaned from your translation.

Austin Flint, Esq-, New York U. S. A. : — I have read with much pleasure the first fasciculus of your translation of Charaka Samhita and shall be very glad to receive the rest of the work. It cannot fail to be of great interest to the medical profession, which will be under great obligation to you.

A. H. Edgren Esq., Gothenburgh, Sweden : — I am deeply interested in anything Indian, p nd I need not say that I shall consider it as a gain to obtain whatever 'nsight I may into the subject treated of in your valuable translation.

Professor A. V. Williams Jackson., Columbia College , New York,

TJ- S. A. — I must congratalate you, with true appreciation of your efforts.

I should very much like to make a little note, in one of our papers, of the praiseworthy work you are doing. Be assured, Sir, of my hearty thanks and approbation and ol my deep interest in India and antique lore.

Mons A. Birth., Paris : — Your efforts to place within reach of the readers of ancient literature a work of so interesting a nature both to the Oriental scholars and to the men of medicine, are very praiseworthy, and I shall be happy to bring the work to the notice of the French public, or, at least, of those who take an interest in these researches.

Mons. B. St. Hilaire , Paris I praise you on your undertaking and wish you all success. The work is of interest to all learned men and to medical men and the commentaries written on it- prove its value and utility.

I will put in a notice in the Journal des Savants as soon as I can. and shall be happy to do you justice.

Professor H. Jacobi, Bonn University , Germany : — The work you have undertaken will interest Sanskritists as well as medical men who care for the History of their science. I shall not fail to draw the attention of some eminent physicians whom I know personally, to the ancient work of Charaka.

i Herr. R. Garbe, Prinzenstram Keningsburg , Germany : — The English translation of Charaka Samhita is perhaps, at least from an historical point of view, the most important work of the medicinal literature- of your country.

ABSTRACT OF CONTENTS,

Part XXIII contains the concluding portion of Lesson II and the greater portion of Lesson III.

In Lesson II, the several kinds of impotence are explained ; the causes also are laid down which lead to the birth of impotant children. Lesson III is very important. It explains how Concep¬ tion takes place. Eunarvasu finds an uncompromising critic in Bharadawja who challenges almost every proposition that the former lays down. The answers of Punarvasu to Bharadwaja’s objections are not always happy.

It is impossible to give an intelligible summary of the discus¬ sions contained in this Lesson. Each aphorism requires to be studied carefully in order to understand its sense.

The conditions under which the Self becomes invested with a material case have been explained. The true meaning of the word birth is. set forth. Altogether, Lesson III is more a philosophical than medical disquisition, considering the specula¬ tions it contains on the nature of the Self.

ERRATA.

Various circumstances have delayed the publication of Part XXIII. Few people could work continuously at Calcutta during the plague. The press in which our work is done had to be shut up for some months.

We regret to state that the present Part is disfigured by a number of printer’s errors. These require to be corrected. The following is the list of errata. Subscribers are requested to make the corrections in their books.

In p. 699

line 3j for odnwright.

read downright,p. 27 sech

„ such

» 7°4

.. 33 sustenanee

„ sustenance.

» 705

11 10 got

•1 get

11 ••

» *5 form

„ formed

» 7o6

.1 19

11insummation

„ insemination

11 11

p. 24

‘Kashata’ is word

„ ‘Kashta’ is a word

» »

.. 25 swallen

„ swollen

In p.

p. 706

linep. 26 for well ead hillp. 36 soul

„ soul ;

p. 36

budhi

„ buddhip. 37 phraselogy,

„ phraseology,p. 708p. 14 either

„ etherp. 33 tautoligical

„ tautologicalp. 710p. 10 said