Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna
The text is shown on its own: no facing layer is held for this issue.
The translator’s English as printed (Avinash Chandra Kaviratna). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
When the foetus in the womb does not get proper suste¬ nance, it becomes either wasted or is brought forth prematurely. Such foetus the mother brings forth after a considerable lapse of time ; indeed, it is brought forth only when it is developed, in an uncovered state, or that has been seen by old beggar-women. She should not go to the river side or a tank for washing raw fish. At noontide, again, she should never go to a garden in which there are large trees. She should never remain in an impure state for any length of time. While asleep, she should keep a piece of iron under her pillow or bed. If she neglects these and many other precautions well-known to every matron, she is sure to be ‘ possessed ’ by evil spirits.— T.
CHAR AKA SAMHITA
p. 701
be that development delayed by even many years.14
If in consequence of the acts of previous lives, the seed consisting of both semen and blood becomes divided into two unequal portions, both grow in the womb, one becoming larger, the other becoming less. Even this is the reason why one in a twin becomes more developed than the other.*15
Agnivega said, — Through what cause (or causes) is born a Dwiretas , or a Pavanendriya, or a Samskdravdhin , or a male Skanda, or a female Shanda, or a Vakri, or an Irshyabhirati , or one that is a Vdtikashanda ?f 1 6
Punarvasu said, — A ‘ Dwiretas ’ (hermaphrodite of both sexes or common sex) is born of seed that consists of blood and t It is difficult to render the words used in the text. Hence, it is proper to retain them in their original form. Sech explanations as may be gathered from the etymologies of the words as also the observations of the commentators, are appended below.
* In verse 10, the questions asked by Agnive9a are 9 in number. Those 9 questions are answered by Punarvasu in verses 11 to 15. The theories expounded here are exceedingly crude. Western science has scarcely been able to explain these problems satisfactorily. The semen contains bacilli known by the name of spermatozoa. These entering into the uterus get into the fallopian tubes and through them into the ovaries, with the result that a particular ovum or ova comes or come out. This may be quite true, but how to account for the resemblance of the child, male or female, with the sire ? The action of the sire, therefore, cannot be limited to that of the bacilli in the semen bringing out an ovum or ova. The principle of heridity, ia matters both physical and mental, is a stumbling block to the accepted theory of western science about procreation being the result of only the spermatozoa in the semen. — T.
(1) ‘ Dwiretas,’ literally, signifies, * double-seeded,’ indicating ‘ one whose seed consists of both blood and semen.’ The word is used to signify a hermaphrodite who is neither a male nor a female, but whose sex is purely neuter.
(2) A ‘ Pavanendriya ’ is a male whose vital seed has been dried up, or who is bereft, from birth, of virile power.
(3) A ‘ Samskaravahin ’ is a male who is capable of sexual congress only under the influence of aphrodisiacs.
(4) Shandas are hermaphrodites. A nara-shanda is a male hermaphrodite.
p. 702
CHARAKA SAMHITA.
semen in equal measures or of semen whose productive power has been burnt up.
The wind destroying the organism, which contains the semen, of the foetus (that would produce a male) in the womb, begets that variety of impotence which is called1 Pavanendriyatwam.’17
The wind, grinding the outlet of the organism containing the semen, generates that class of impotent persons who are called ‘ Samskaravahins.’
Parents emitting seed i. e., (blood and semen) that is not possessed of vigour and that is small in measure, parents that are weak, or those that are cheerless at the time of procreation or those whose seed is sterile,* are causes of the two defective births {viz., ‘ Nara-shanda ’ and ‘ Nari-shanda ’).lS
Through the unwillingness of the mother and the weakness of the father’s semen, a ‘ Vakri ’ is generated.
A ‘ Nari-shanda ’ is a female hermaphrodite.
(5) A ‘ Vakri ’ as Gangadhara points out, is called in Su^ruta, an ‘ Asekya.’ Commonly, such a person is called ‘ Mukha-yoni.’ It is a form of impotence under which a ‘ Vakri ’ or ‘Asekya1 labours. He is incapable of sexual excitement unless he drinks another person’s seed. According to some, a ‘ Vakri 1 is synonymous with ‘ Kumbhika.’ Su9ruta mentions ‘ Kumbhikas.1 They are persons who act as catamites before they can have any sexual excitement.
(6) An ‘ Irshyabhirati ’ is noticed by Sugruta also. He is otherwise called ‘ Irshaka 1 or ‘ Drigyoni.’ It is a form of impotence under which an ‘ Irshaka ’ suffers. He is one whose sexual appetite is never excited unless at the sight of some one else gratifying such appetite.
(7) ‘ Vatikashanda ’ is one who has no testicles and is consequently impotent.
No commentary for this page under the selected tracks.
There is commentary on page 1.