Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Punarvasus’s answer is that the Self is really unborn, being without beginning. What is meant by the unborn Self begetting itself, or the born-self begetting itself, requires to be first understood before the assertions are quibbled away. The Self pervades the conceived fcetus. Even this is the birth of the Self or the Self begetting itself. Its ow.t condition'd being net born

p. 720

CHARAKA SAMHITA.

The Self is said to be born in those (successive) conditions in which he (successively) exists. He is said to be would-be born (or unborn) in that condition which is as yet before him. Hence, he is both born and unborn at the same time.*

In the Self, therefore, both the states are possible, vis., the state of being born, and that of being to-be born (i. e., unborn).

Being born, he continues to take birth. In those changed conditions, again, that have not yet come in, he, being unborn, begets himself by himself.

The very passing of an existent being into a different con¬ dition is cailed the birth of that existent being- 'in that condition, be that condition one of time or age, or of other circumstances, f

These are examples :

or born, therefore, makes no difference. Itself unborn, it begets the born foetus, that is, it enters into the born foetus. Itself born, it.-begets the unborn foetus, that is, the foetus which was not, or non-existent, is pervaded or entered into by the Self. As soon as it enters it, is said to be born. Being it born in this sense, it quickens the foetus. It should be remembered, again, that the foetus itself, when it comes into being, is a combination of Self and the other ingredients. Punarvasu explains his meaning more clearly in the passage that follows. — T.

t The author of Gita says,—

* Born, that is, in relation to the condition in which he actually is or exists ; and unborn in relation to the condition which is before him ; that is, in which he is to be, or to which he is to go. In other words, he is born with regard to the condition that is present ; and unborn with regard to the condition which is future. Thus when an infant, he is born with regard to infancy and unborn with regard to youth and old age, and so on. — T.

Dehinoasmin yathS dehe kaumaram yauvanam jar5,

Tatha dehSntarapraptih etc.

The sense is that as boyhood, youth, and decreptitude are changed conditions of an embodied being, eVen so is the attainment of a different (or new) body, etc. The attainment of a new body is, of course, called birth. Hence, boyhood, youth, and decrepitude are also each so many births, birth, as explained by Punarvasu. being nothing else than the passing into, or attainmentof, a different condition.— T.

CHAR AKA SAM HU A.

7 21

Of existing beings made up of semen and blood, the con¬ dition of conceived foetus cannot be affirmed before the union of their constituent parts. When, however, the parts have united or come together, the condition of conceived foetus attaches to them.*

Of the same existing being, before he gets a son, the con¬ dition of fatherhood cannot be affirmed. That condition attaches to him only after the birth of a son.f

Afte? the above manner, the status of being born as also that of not being born, is said to attach to the existent foetus according as it remains in and passes into this or that condition of existence.1®

Verily, in all the conditions connected with conception, neither mother, nor father, nor Self, has perfect freedom of action.

They achieve something of their own will, and something through the sway of the acts of previous lives. Something, again, results from the power (or capacity) residing in their ‘ Karanas ’ (or faculties both external and internal).!

* The meaning is this : what is a foetus already conceived ? It is really semen and blood, etc., combined. The constituent elements had all existed before the formation of the foetus in the womb. The condition, however, of foetus did not attach to them ; that condition attaches to them only after their union or combination : that is, he speaks of these ingredients as foetus only often they have combined, and not before. — T.

t The sense seems to be this : a person gets a son and becomes a father. The condition of fatherhood did not belong to him before the birth of his son. It belongs to him only after the birth of the son. The man himself remains unaltered. The same man who was not called a father the day before comes to be called as such the day after. The accident that deter¬ mines this is the birth of a son. — T.

{ Like 1 Swavasat ’ and ‘ Karmavasat,’ ‘ Karana?akteh ’ is in the' abla¬ tive. ‘ Karanas 1 are of two kinds, viz., internal and external. The internal * Karanas ' are ‘ buddhi ’ (understanding) and the rest. Among the ex¬ ternal ‘ Karanas ’ are included the various organs of sense and action. Here, of course, by external ‘ Karanas ’ would be meant the organs of generation in particular, although the others also come in as subsidiary T.

p. 722

CHAR AKA SAMIHTA

In cases in which there is a wealth of‘ Karanas ’ such as mind and the rest, proportionate to the strength of those ‘ Karanas ’ is freedom of action.*