Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

A judicious recourse to such acts as are opposed to (or capable of neutralising the effect of) place, season, and attributes (or peculiarities) of body, and to such modifications of food and drink in proper succession (as are opposed to the same), a judicious correlation with all things, suppression of such excreta whose urgings are not felt, non-suppression of such excreta whose urgings are felt, and avoidance of all acts of temerity and foolhardiness, these are laid down as the regimen of the healthy for pre¬ servation of the harmony of the constituent elements of their body. *9 or elects. ’ The compound is otherwise explained. ‘ Karana ’ means ‘ process, ' and ‘ lakshmana ’ means ‘ attributes. ’ Hence, the compound may be taken as meaning ‘ such effor s (in the form of food and drink) as are known to be hostile in consequence of (methods of) preparation and attributes.’ — T.

* The word ‘ Vipa itanam ’ is connected grammatically with ‘ dega, ’

‘ kala, ’ and • atmaguna ; 1 hence, the sense is 1 those acts which are hostile to or which are capable of neutralising the effects of place, time, and bodily or physical attributes, i.e., peculiar!' ies of the body. ’ Chakrapani gives the following illustrations : of acts neutralising the effects of ‘ dega ’ or place, is sleep in a desert. The sense, perhaps, is that in a desert one feels thirsty. If, however, one goes to sleep while in such a place and while one is thirsty, the thirst may be allayed if not quenched outright Of acts neutralising the effects of season is instanced physical exercise in the season of spring In this season, the body becomes heavy with juifces. Hence, physical exercise (particularly walking) is needed in this season for neutralising the heaviness caused by accession of juices. Among acts capable of neutralising the effects of particular attributes or conditions of the body, is mentioned hard exercise and avoidance of sleep by one whose body is characterised by obesity. Absence of exercise, aided by sleep, is sure to increase one’s obesity.

The compound ‘ aharavikaranam ’ (in the genetive plural) is gramatically qualified by ‘ dega-viparitanam. ’ Hence, such kinds of dietary modifications, that is, different kinds of food and drink manufactured by different processes, are meant as are capable of neutralising the effects of place, time or season, and attributes or peculiarities of the body.

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CHARAKA SAMHITA.

The constituent elements of the body attain to increase through use of dietary modifications which are endued with qualities that are wholly, or in a large measure, accordant with them.

These attain, again, to decrease or attenuation through use of dietary modifications that are wholly, or in a large measure, unaccordant with (or hostile to) them.10

In this connection, the following are (some of) the attributes of the constituent attributes of the body. A knowledge of these attributes is capable of enabling one to distinguish different objects from one another.

They are, —

heavy and light ; cold and hot ; oily and dry ; mild and keen ; compact and mobile ; soft and hard ; clear and slimy ; smooth and rough ; minute and gross ; and solid and liquid.11

Amongst these, those constituent elements which are heavy, are nourished through use of such modifications of food and drink as are heavy in quality; while those which are light become attenuated (through use of such food and drink).

Those constituent elements, again, which are light, are nourished through the use of such modifications of food and

‘ Sarvabhiyogah ’ is the correct reading, and not * Sarvatiyogah ’ as in some blundering manuscripts of Chakrapani’s gloss. The word means ‘ judicious correlation with all things, ’ that is, with ‘ kala, ’ 1 buddhi, ’ and the objects of the senses. Of course, the absence of 1 Atiyoga, ’ ‘ Ayoga, ’ and 1 Mithya-Yoga ’ is implied.

‘ Anudirnanam gatimatam sandharanam ’ implies the absence of the very objectionable and injurious habit of seeking to expel all kinds of excreta even when no urging thereto is at all experienced. ‘ Gatimat ’ is, literally, ‘ anything endued with motion ; ’ here, all kinds of excreta which escape out of the body.

The avoidance of all acts of rashness or temerity is absolutely necessary for the preservation of the harmony of the constituent elements of the body. Danger operates injuriously on many temperaments.— T.

CHARAKA SAMHITA.