Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Observance of fasts (in honour of particular deities) ;

Performance of propitiatory rites (for warding off evil influences of every kind by worshipping the deities, &c.) ;

Bows and prostrations (to the deities and seniors and Brahmanas) ; Journeys to (sacred waters and shrines).*

* ‘Mantras or sacred texts are to be recited by priests and other learned Brahmanas. The belief is very general in this country in their efficacy. Sometimes ‘mantras’ are written on barks or leaves and then inserted within small drums of gold or silver or copper or Iron. These drums are tied to the arms oraround the neck of the patient. Gems of certain kinds are believed to have efficacy in warding off misfortunes and evil spirits and bringing good fortune.

‘Vali’ means such offerings to the deities as are made in sacrifices. They consist of goats, sheep, &c., though grain and sweets are also included.

‘Upahara’ implies ordinary offerings of flowers, &c,, made in ‘pujahs’ or worship. /Of

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CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

Thus have the five varieties of Insanity beeii expounded.20

Distributed according to the consideration of Constitutional and Accidental, or of Curable and Incurable, the varieties of Insanity, though numbered five, really become two. 21

These two varieties sometimes run into of become blended with each other in consequence of the union of the causes, as already stated, of each.

In such cases, the incubatory symptoms of each become blended, as also their developed symptoms.

In this connection it should be said that if an incurable case of constitutional Insanity blends with an incurable case of Accidental Insanity, or if a curable case of one variety blends with an -incurable case of another variety, it should be regarded as Incurable.

If a curable case of one variety blends with a curable case of another variety, it becomes curable. The method of cure, it should be known, consists of a blending of the methods which cure both.* 22

( Here occur some verses ).

Neither the deities, nor Gandharvas, nor Picachas, nor Rakshasas, nor the others, afflict a man. The truth is, man afflicts himself.f 23

This affliction is not on account of those deities and others who pursue the man, for the latter (in reality) is afflicted by his own acts.

Indeed, in the matter of this affliction, the deities and others have no direct agency.^ 24 course, ‘valis and ‘upaharas’ are to be given -away by priests and learned Brahmanas on behalf of the afflicted person.

So also ‘Homa’ and vows and expiatory rites and ceremonies of propitiation, &c., are performable by others in behalf of the afflicted. The insane person himself cannot possibly perform them. — T.

* What is stated in this aphorism is this : the two varieties of Insanity, viz. , Constitu¬ tional and Accidental, may be sometimes seen to blend together ; i. e., there are cases which are partly Constitutional and partly Accidental. Similarly, the two varieties, viz., the Curable and the incurable, may also be seen to blend together. The results are then set forth of the blending of Curable and Incurable cases. — T.

+ It is not the deities that affect a man with Insanity. The truth is, a man, owing to his own sinful acts of this or the previous lives, becomes liable to the affliction. Insanity is a punishment. Man brings down the punishment on himself by his own acts. — T.

+ The real cause of. the affliction being the man himself, 7 e.‘, his own sinful acts, the

CHA R4 KA.-SA MHJTA.

p. 1001

When the disease is generated by error of judgment, an intelli¬ gent person should regard it as born of the diseased man’s own acts. He should never name the deities, or the Pitris, or the Rakshasas as the cause. 25 , .

One should regard one’s own self as the agent of one’s own plea¬ sure and pain. Hence, one should betake oneself to the path which leads to what is good, and never swerve from it.* 26

Contributing to the gratification of the deities and others, practice of all that is good, and avoidance of everything that leads to a dis¬ agreement with them, — all these are within one’s own competence.-! 27 ( Here occurs a verse containing a summary ).

Here, in this Lesson on the Nidana of different kinds of Insanity, the varieties of the disease, its causes, the two kinds of symptoms, viz., Incubatory and those which belong to the disease when it has been developed, curability and otherwise, as also the aphorisms rela¬ ting to treatment, have all been expounded (by the Rishi).J 1

Thus ends Lesson VII called ‘Unmada-Nidana’ (causes of In¬ sanity) in the Division called ‘Nidana, in the treatise of Agnive^a as revised by Charaka.

LESSON VIII.

We shall, after this, expound the ‘Nidana’ of ‘Apasmara’ or Epilepsy.§ deities, &c., are only ‘nimittas’ or subsidiary agents and not direct agents. It will be remem¬ bered that in'the ‘Gita,’ Krishna, when asking Arjuna to slay the warriors assembled on the field of Kurukshetra, explains to him that he, Arjuna, would only be the ‘nimitta’ of the slaughter, for Krishna himself had already slain them. Krishna was the direct agent of the act. Arjuna was to be only a subsidiary agent. — T.

* Gangadhara reads ‘nottraset’ for ‘na bhraset.’ The latter is undoubtedly the correct reading.— T.