Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Thus, having altered the normal conditions, the excited phlegm causes different varieties of Prameha to become either chronic or incurable. 7

The impurities of the body, united with phlegm and adeps, enter the kidneys, are transformed into urine, and become affected by these ten abnormal attributes of phlegm :

They are I. white, 2. cold, 3. hard, 4. slimy, 5. limpid, 6. oily, 7. heavy, 8. sweet, 9. condensed or solid, and 10. partially condensed and partially liquid. ( a )

It then receives a distinctive appellation, which is essentially a qualitative, according as it is decidedly affected by one or more of the above qualities.! 8 this particular disease. Lastly are laid down the ‘dushyas’ or those ingredients of the body which are assailed by the particular ‘dosha.’ The origin of the disease is thus expounded fully.— T.

* Large circular eruptions, characterised by pain and foetid sores, are called ‘garavika.’

By ‘kachcchapika’ is meant enlarged scrofulous glands. — T.

(a) The crrect reading, it seems, is ‘* * sandra-sandraprasadagunaih’ and not ‘* * ‘sandraprasadagandhaih.’ The fact is, ‘sandra’ is the 9th in the list, and ‘sandraprasada’ is the 10th. This is supported by the enumeration of the several varieties of Meha in the next aphorism. — T.

+ What is said in the second portion of this aphorism is this : the impurities become transformed into urine. They, or, rather, the urine is then affected by one or more of the properties en umerated above. The result of this is that the urine (or the disease) comes

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 963

Those ten varieties of 'Prameha’ are known by the following ten distinctive appellations :

They are 1. Udaka-meha, 2. Ikshuvalikarasa-meha, 3. Sandrameha, 4. Sandraprasada-meha, 5. (^ukla-meha 6. (^ukra-meha, 7. £itameha, 8. Sikata-meha, and 9. £anair-meha, and 10. Alala-meha.* 9 These ten varieties of Prameha are all curable, in consequence

1. of the adeps (whose njorbid condition produces them) being pos¬ sessed of the same properties (as the phlegm which excites the adeps),

2. of the predominance of the phlegm, and 3. of the same treatment being efficacious in checking both the phlegm and the adeps. f 10

Here occur some verses which explain the nature of the different varieties of Prameha due to the action of the phlegm. 11

In consequence of the excitement of the phlegm, the, man who is afflicted by ‘Udameha’ passes urine that is limpid, copious, white, cold, inodorous, and like unto water.! 12

In consequence of the excitement of the phlegm, one passes urine that is exceedingly sweet, cold, slightly slimy, turbid, and like unto the expressed juice of the sugarcane. § r3 to be called by the name of that particular property which decidedly or considerably affects it. If more properties than one affect it, they give their name to it. This will be understood from the aphorisms that follow.

The word ‘gauna’ here simply means ‘appertaining to ‘guna’ or property. Literally, it may be rendered ‘qualitative.’ It is not a correlative of ‘mukhya’ here, though Gangadhara endeavours to explain it that way. — T.

* These names have been explained lower down. — T.

t Phlegm is the ‘dosha’ which produces the disease ; and the adeps are the ‘dushya’ which are affected by that ‘dosha.’ Both the phlegm and the adeps being of the name nature, and the same treatment being efficacious in checking them when morbid, all these varieties of ‘Prameha’ are curable. — T.

t It will be seen that the urine in ‘Uda-meha’ possesses more than one of the ten proper¬ ties enumerated in aphorism 8. Indeed, it possesses 3 of those attributes. Without- being named after any of those three attributes, this Meha is called ‘Uda-meha,’ ‘Uda’ meaning water. The observation, therefore, about designation, that occurs in aphorism 8, does not apply to every variety of Meha. Gangadhara endeavours to show that that observation does apply to ‘Uda-meha’ as well, for out of the three attributes, white, cold, and limpid, two at least belong to water. Hence the name is derived from that of water. The endeavour is certainly absurd, for none of the three attributes themselves furnishes the name. — T.

§ The frame of the definitions in both 12 and 13 should be observed. In 12, some indi¬ cation is afforded of the designation by the word ‘uda-meha,’ that is one afflicted by ‘udameha.’ In 13, no direct indication occurs of the name. It is to be gathered from the words ‘ka.ndekshurasa-sanka.Qam,’ implying ' ‘like unto the expressed juice of the sugarcane.’ This variety of ‘meha,’ it should be inferred, is designated ‘kandekshurasa-meha.’

96 4

CHARAKA-SAMH1TA

He whose urine, sometime after its emission, becomes, in conse¬ quence of the excitement of phlegm, condensed in the vessel which holds it, is regarded as afflicted1 by ‘Sandra-meha.’* * * § H

He whose urine, in consequence of the excitement of the phlegm, becomes partially condensed and is partially watery, is regarded as afflicted with ‘Sandraprasada-meha.’f 15

That person who, in consequence of the excitement of the phlegm, repeatedly passes urine that is white in hue and like unto pasted rice dissolved in water, is regarded as afflicted with ‘(^ukla-meha.’J 16