Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

J The word ‘ Manajava ’ is explained variously. Chakrapani takes it as implying tendency or a an inclination of the mind. ’ This, however can hardly be the meaning. The question asked by Agniveca, is — how does the Soul or Self get into one body from another ? The Rishi in answering it should speak of the soul or self and not of the mind or any tendency or inclination of it. In Hindu philosophy, the soul is distinct from the mind. The mind is a possession of the soul generally speaking, the mind is regarded as only a sixth sense ; the intellect ( budhi ) being .considered as above it. The function of the mind is to doubt. It is, in the usual phraselogy, SanCHAR AKA SAM HIT A.

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The Soul (or Self) is all-pervadifig. He is the sustainer t>f all bodies. He is the creator of the universe. He has the universe for his form. He is the source (or origin) of conscious¬ ness. He is beyond the ken of the senses. He is (till Eman¬ cipation) always united (with mind and primordial matter). He is always (till Emancipation) united with desire.*51

It should be understood that in the body are the six and ten elements derived from juices and the Soul and the mother and the father.

Four (of these) are attached to the Soul, and in those four is the Soul3af kalpavikalpatmika. The function of the Intellect is to ascertain or determine, for it is said to be 1 nicchaylltmika ’. Here ‘ manas,’ or mind, is used as including ‘ buddhi ’ or intellect. Gangadhara’s interpretation seems to be correct. He explains that the Soul or Self not having any inclination of its own, the inclinations of the mind are spoken of as those of the Soul.

The theory is that the primordial elements have two forms, the gross and the subtile. The latter are called tanmalras. When the gross body is destroyed, the subtile body, or ‘ linga carira,’ consisting of only the ‘ bhutatanmatfels,’ remains. In consequence of these, the Soul as invested with the tanmatras, gravitates towards congenial tanmatras and thus comes to be invested with an equine,- a bovine, a porcine, or a human body. The vestment of the Soul (before entrance into the womb) is spoken of as * karmStmaka, ’ that is, having karma or acts for its aliitan or body or material. Being such, it is invisible to all save those who have that spriritual vision which * yoga ’ bestows. — T.

* * Sarvacarirabhrit, ’ as applied to the Soul or Self, implies that the Soul sustains all bodies into which he enters or witnin which he dwells. The theory is that it is the Soul that sustains, or keeps together, the particles composing, the body. Even in sleep or in swoons, the Soul is awake and discharges this function. When death ensues, that is, when the Soul abandons his tenement, the particles of the body fall off. The Soul is the source or origin of consciousness. If the Soul were not, there could not be self-con¬ sciousness. — T.

t The six and ten elements of the body are 1. the form derivable from 1 rasa ’ or the juice into which food is resolved ; it is this juice that develops into, or rather, enters into, the composition of blood and flesh and bones and marrow, &c. These have elsewhere been called ‘ aparaja bhutani ; 2. the four derivable from the soul ; these have elsewhere been called:* karmajaui

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CHARAKA SAMH1TA.

The elements derived from the mother and the father, viz., blood and semen, they say, are in the foetus.

Those elements by which blood and semen are made to .grow are born of the juice (into which food is developed)."

Those four (primordial) elements which are derived from the acts (of previous births) and which adhere to the Self, enter into the foetus ; since the case consisting of the four elements (in their subtile form) is endued with the virtues of a (vegetable) seed. The Self going, the subtile case also goes into diverse bodies.'4* H bhutani ; ’ 3. those derived from the mother ; and 4. those derived from the sire ( vide verse 25 of this lesson). These four sets of four make up six and ten. Of course, the four of which each set consists are earth, water, light or heat, and air. Space or either is excluded by the Rishi for, as already explained, it is untransmutable and occurs in all substances. Gangadhara and the vernacular translators have made a mess of this verse. One of the latter mentions the two and twenty tatwas in detail, which, he thinks, are implied but counts them as twenty. His list is juice, soul, the four derived from mother and father, the ten organs of sense and action, and the six dhatus of the body. Another gives one and twenty tatwas , which he . thinks are implied, but counts them as twenty. His list is juice, soul, the four derived from mother and father, the ten organs of sense and action, and the five attributes of of sound and the rest. There can be no doubt that the same sixteen elements are referred to in this verse which have been referred to in verse 25 ante, — T.

* The original is very abstruse and no wonder that it has been in¬ terpreted differently by different commentators and translators.