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.
‘Guru’ is a preceptor or other senior. Some texts read ‘dyutasabham sabhajayan the the correct reading, it seems, is ‘anyatamam satam va samajam,’ meaning ‘any other assem¬ bly of good people.’ ‘While journeying on splendid vehicles’ would seem to mean while riding in triumphal or other processions, and while the man is the cynosure of a thousand eyes. At such times-it is impossible to stop the progress of the vehicle for answering calls of nature.
Fear has reference to the presence of the king, the master, and the preceptor.
‘Prasangat,’ implying ‘from companionship,’ has particular reference to assemblies of good or gentle people.
‘Hrimattwat’ implies ‘from modesty ;’ it has especial reference to the presence of ladies.
‘Ghrinitwat,’ meaning ‘from sense of abomination.’ It has reference to dirty or filthy places. Most people do not like to answer calls of nature in filthy places. Some texts read ‘agatani vatamutrapurisham’ for ‘agatan vatamutrapurishavegam’ which seems to be better. — T.
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CHARAKA-SAMHITA.
body, for strength sustains the body, and it is the body that sustains the man.* 10
(Here occurs a verse).
Giving up everything else one should preserve one’s own body, since, in the absence of the body, there is absolute negation of all things in respect of beings.f 11
We shall now expound the statement already made that waste (of the ingredients) is the cause of Phthisis.
When a man’s heart becomes excessively filled with grief and care, or when one is penetrated by malice, anxiety, fear, wrath, and other similar emotions, or when one that is emaciated betakes oneself to food and drink that are dry, or when one that is of a weak constitution totally abstains from food or takes food that is insufficient, then the juice residing in his heart becomes exhausted.
The person then, through loss of that juice, begins to waste.
If this state of the constitution be not mended by medicaments, the man is assailed, as the Consequence of such neglect, by phthisis whose symptoms we lay down. 12
When also a man, from excess of joy or excessive attachment, betakes himself to sexual congress with women in an excessive mea¬ sure, his semen, in consequence of such excessive indulgence in sexual pleasure, becomes wasted.
If, while his semen is being thus wasted, his mind is not with¬ drawn from women but, on the contrary, is attracted towards them, then, of that man whose mind is thus firmly set, no discharge of semen takes place when he unites in congress with woman, in conse¬ quence of his excessive weakness.
Of a person who thus exerts himself in sexual intercourse, the wind, entering the blood-bearing ducts forces out the blood from them.
* ‘Yogakshema,’ literally, means ‘acquisition of things unacquired or needed, and the preservation of things acquired hence, the sense is that of protection or preservation, and well-being.— T.
t The sense, of course, of this is that embodied beings have no need for anything when they have not the body. All articles of enjoyment must necessarily cease to have any value to one whose body is lost. — T.
CHAR AKA -SAM HIT A.
p. 983
The forced out blood possessed of attributes which agree with those of the wind, enters the semen-bearing ducts (emptied) in con¬ sequence of the exhaustion of the semen.* 13
Of such a person, in consequence of the waste of his semen and the flow of blood (into the semen-bearing ducts), the joints of the body become slack.
Dryness also comes over his system.
Further, weakness overtakes his body.
The wind becomes provoked.
The wind, thus provoked, courses through the dry body and dries up the blood and flesh, expels the phlegm and the bile, causes pain in the sides, seizes the shoulders, produces a tickling sensation in the throat, and afflicting the phlegm, fills the head with it.
Further, the provoked wind, afflicting the joints of the body, causes a relaxation of the limbs, disgust for food, and indigestion.
In consequence, again, of the expulsion of the phlegm and the bile, as also of its own abnormal course, the wind generates fever, cough, asthma, hoarseness of voice, and catarrh in the mouth and the nose. 14
Owing to the attack of cough, ulceration of the chest follows and the patient spits blood.
In consequence of this discharge of blood, weakness comes over the patient. i,5
The patient, thus afflicted by these morbid afflictions which have the effect of wasting the system, becomes gradually wasted.
Hence the man endued with intelligence, desiring to preserve his body, should preserve his semen, since this (viz., the semen), is the highest fructification of food. 16
( Here occurs a verse ).
The semen is the highest goal of food. One should preserve one’s semen by all means. If the semen undergoes waste, innumerable diseases result, including even death.
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