Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* In the disease called * Mukhapaka,’ the mouth becomes filled with sores. — T. t This verse may be translated otherwise as follows : ‘one whose death is near, receives impressions of touch contrawise, that is, perceives a thing that is hot to be cool, or a thing that is rough to be smooth, or a thing that is mild to be keen.’ I prefer the wider meaning.

t It should be asked that by practising rigid penances or Yoga, one attains to super¬ human powers. A Yogin, for example, beholds the whole earth as a fruit on the palm of his hand. He has knowledge, again, of the past, the present and the future. If, how¬ ever, a person without yoga puissance perceives things beyond the ken of the senses, that is abnormal and indicates the near approach of death. — T.

§ The Bengali translators, following Gangadhara, make utter nonsense of this verse. If Gangadhara’s reading, which has been adopted above, be correct, what the Rishi says is this : without speaking of the eye, but speaking of only the other four senses, he who fails to perceive by those four senses their respective objects, or perceives them contrawise, soon meets with death. In reality, a dying man loses the other four senses first. His eyes do not (generally) lose ther power till the very last.

According to Gangadhara this verse means — he dies soon who perceives by his eye the objects of the other senses.’ This is simply ridiculous. Can any one, in illness, perceive smell or sound or taste or touch by the eye ? Chakrapani, however, adopts an entirely different reading, viz.,

Indriyanamrite drishterindriyarthanadoshajan Narah paQyati yah kagchidindriyairna sa jivati.

Following Chakrapani, the version should be, — “ He who, without possession of the power of the senses, perceives such objects of the senses as are not made manifest through, any vitiation of theirs, meets with death.”

An example'is necessary to make the meaning clear. One afflicted by jaundice sees things to be yellow that are not, in reality, yellow. This yellowness of every object is due> to a vitiation of the eye. If, however, one whose eyes are not afflicted by jaundice, sees white or red or green things to be yellow, he does not live. Then, again, if one who has totally lost the power of vision, suddenly begins, in illness, to see things, that symptom indicates the near approach of death,

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

If even healthy men in consequence of confusion (or loss) of understanding, perceives on many occasions contrary impressions of the objects of the senses, the physician should assign their death to be near. 25

( Here is a verse containing a Summary ).

That physician who is truly conversant with the Science of the senses (as expounded above) is fully acquainted with the subject of death and life.

Thus ends Lesson IV. called Indriyanika, in the Division called Indriya, of Agnivega’s treatise as revised by Charaka.

LESSON V.

OF PREMONITORY SYMPTOMS.

We shall now expound the Lesson on the Premonitory Symp¬ toms, relating to the senses, of life and death.

Thus said the illustrious son of Atri.

Generally, when such objects of the senses as are not manifested through any vitiation of the senses, become perceivable notwithstanding the feet that the senses themselves have lost their powers, it is regarded as an abnormal sign foreboding death. Hence, the sudden recovery of a sense, during illness, after its loss for a long while, is an abnormal symptom indicating the near approach of death.

The adjective ‘adoshajan’ (qualifying ‘indriyarthan’) is used simply for excluding such cases of perception as do arise in consequence of a vitiation of the senses. In other words, all perceptions which would not be possible if the senses were in their normal state, indeed, which become possible owing to a vitiation of the senses, are excluded by this adjective. Of course, those perceptions are abnormal, but then they do not indicate death, being, as they are, due to known and explicable causes. The fact is, when there is no vitiation of the senses, — when, indeed, the senses themselves are not, — and yet percep¬ tion takes place, it is a sign of death, such perception being exceedingly abnormal.

In the verse immediately preceding, perceptions have been adverted to of a kind that transcend the powers of the senses'. Such perceptions are possible for Yogins. When, however, they occur to ordinary men, they are abnormal and, therefore, indicate the near aproach of death.

Chakrapani’s reading is undoubtedly better than that of Gangadhara. It has been already observed how Gangadhara, having adopted an incorrect reading, has explained the verse incorrectly. — T.

CHAR A KA-SAMH1TA.

For enhancing the knowledge of physicians we shall now declare the general and especial premonitory symptoms of incu¬ rable diseases naming the latter separately. 2