Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna
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The translator’s English as printed (Avinash Chandra Kaviratna). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
An ignorant physician regards a symptom as an ‘Arishta’ which without being a real ‘Arishta’ only puts forth, the appearance of an Arishta.’ Similarly, such a person fails to detect an ‘Arishta’ in a symptom that is really so. Both these are due to a deficiency of the understanding. 4
Listen, for the increase of knowledge we shall, by reference to the indications that precede death, lay down instructions about diverse kinds of persons in whom flowers have appeared.* S
One from whose body are constantly emanated diverse scents resembling the scents of diverse flowers, like a forest of diverse trees and creepers that has flowered, is regarded by the wise as a person that has blossomed with all the indications of death.
Such a person, it is certain, casts off his body within a year’s time. 6-7
Similarly, if a person’s body puts forth only individual scents, agreeable or disagreeable, resembling the scents of individual flowers, he also is regarded as one that has blossomed with all the indications of death, f 8
The physician should regard that man also as having blossomed with the indications of death in whose body he smells many dis¬ agreeable scents combined into one. 9
If agreeable and disagreeable odors emanate, contra wise and causelessly, from a person’s body that is smeared or unsmeared, such person is regarded as having blossomed (with symptoms of death )4 10
* ‘ Pushpitan naran, literally, ‘men that have flowered implying persons in whom ‘Arishtas’ or indications of death have already appeared. — T.
+ What is said here is this : there may be a person whose body produces many scents like a forest of many trees and creepers in the flowery season. There may also be a person in whose body only one scent is perceptible at a time, and that scent like that of a particular flower. The former class of persons is indicated in verse 7 ; the latter, in verse 8.-T.
t What is meant is this : a person rs his body with a fragrant odor, but
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CHARAKA-SAMH1TA.
As an example of this : Chandana(«), Kushtha(<$), Tagara(t), Aguru(tf), honey, floral garlands, urine, stools, corpses (of animals), human corpses, or all other odors of diverse essences and diverse origin, should upon such condition, be regarded as having become abnormal.*! 1-12
For explaining what has not been expressly said, we shall de¬ clare (generally) this principle appertaining to smells, a knowledge of which will enable the physician to tell the time of death.13
That man will not live out the year in whose body a scent, agreeable or disagreeable, appears without any apparent cause and continuously.! !4
This much upon the Science of Smells.
We shall now duly expound the Science of Taste in the bodies of persons afflicted with disease.
That juice which is born of the bodies of men who are in a normal state, assumes an abnormality of two sorts when men reach their last stage.! 6
The juice in some becomes exceedingly tasteless ; while in others it becomes exceedingly sweet. 1 7 unfragrant odor arises therefrom. Such a person is regarded as having blossomed with symptoms of death. So if one smears oneself with an unfragrant odor and if a fragrant odor arises therefrom, one is, under such circumstances, regarded as having blossomed. It should be remembered that the emanation of a contrary odor should be due to no apparent cause. — T.
a. Santalum album, Linn.
b. Saussurea auriculata ; syn. Aplotaxis auriculata.
c. Tabernamontana caronaria, Linn.
d. Aquilaria Agallocha, Roxb.
* The sense is as follows : Chandana and the rest are agreeable odors. Urine and the rest are disagreeable odors. If a person smears himself with the agreeable odors with the result that disagreeable odors issue from his body, or if he smears himself with dis¬ agreeable odors with the result that agreeable odors arise from his body, the conclusion should be that he has blossomed with the symptoms of death. The very odors, agreeable or disagreeable, should be regarded as having become abnormal through contact with such a person.
‘Mritani,’ Chakrapani explains, refers to corpses of animals, while ‘ Kunapani’ refers to human corpses. — T.
t ‘ Viyoni’ is ‘without any apparent cause.’ ‘ Vidura’ is continuous. When the smell is such that it does not disappear after a bath or in consequence of anything that one may do, it is then that death is regarded to be certain before a year expires.— T.
CHARAKA-SAMHITA.
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It is by the following consideration that the juice should be regarded as having become abnormal.
In what manner can men become acquainted with the taste of the juice in men ?
Flies, leeches, gad-flies, and gnats, keep away from the tasteless body of a person whose death is near.18-19
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