Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

COPTCEPTION-INDUCING PREPARATION.

One desirous of progeny should eat ‘Rohita’ fish fried in ghee and boiled in such meat-juice of goat’s flesh as has been dressed with the juice of fruits, and then drink the remnant (that is left in the pot) of the meat-juice itselfif

* The use of the word ‘medhya’, meaning clean, evidently proves that pork was regarded unclean, by the people of India at the time of Agnivega’s work or even at the- time of itsrevision by Charaka. In the Mahabharata occur many passages which prove that pork, was not regarded as forbidden- food. — T.

t tArdrani’, literally wet, that is, not dry, implies fresh.

‘Qaphari’ is a sort of carp ( Cyprinus sophore). The mention of ‘gaphari after ‘matsya’ shows that by the latter the larger variety of fish are implied. — T.

. t To the meat-juice should first be added the expressed juice of such fruits as pome¬ granates, &c., and curds. Pieces of ‘Rohita’ fish- should be fried in ghee and then boiled

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1091

TWO PREPARATIONS OF CAKE HAVING APHRODISIAC VIRTUES.

Take some fish and fowl, and cut them into pieces.

Pound these pieces with assafoedita, ‘Saindhava’ salt, and corriander seeds.

Add wheat flour.

Make cakes of the product, with the aid of ghee. 18

Take some fish, and cut them into pieces.

Mix with them ghee , the expressed juice of pomegranates and other fruits of the same kind, and salt.

Boil the pieces, thus mixed, in the meat-juice of buffalo flesh.

When the meat-juice enters the fish, the fish should then be pounded. The bones should all be extracted.)

To the pounded fish should then be added pepper, cumin seeds, eorriander seeds, a little assafoedita, and new ghee.

The paste that results should be used as core or kernel of cakes-: made of the seeds of Phaseolus radiatus. 19-20

These two preparations of cakes possess nutritive virtues. They increase one’s strength. They promote cheerfulness and bring goodluck.

Capable of increasing the semen, these prove beneficial in the matter of the birth of progeny.* 21

MASHA CAKES OF APHRODISIAC VIRTUES.

Take some seeds of Masha ( Phaseolus radiatus ), Atmagupta {Mucuna pruriens), wheat-flour, ‘£ali’ rice, and ‘Shastika’ rice, and reduce them into a paste.

Take also sugar, Vidari (Batatus paniculatus), Ikshuraka ( Ruellia longifolia ), and reduce them to pulv.

Mix the paste and the pulv with pure milk.

Make cakes of the product and fry them in ghee.

in such meat-juice. One should first take the fish, and then the remnant of the meat-juice in which these have been boiled.

It is the father who has been directed to take this preparation. — T.

* ‘Tadgarbhamupakalpayet’ implies that the core or kernel of the cakes should consist of the fish-paste ; the coatings only should be made of the pounded seeds of Phaseolus

radiatus — T. . - - . .

p. 1092

CHAR A KA - SA MHITA .

Take the cakes first, and then drink milk.

Thus taken, the cakes soon strengthen the virile power.* 22-23

ANOTHER APHRODISIAC PREPARATION.

Of sugar take one Tula (twelve seers and a half) ;

Of the ghee of cow’s milk take also one Tula (twelve seers and a half) ;

Of the pulv of Vidâri ( Batatus paniculatus) take a ‘prastha’ (two seers) ;

Of the pulv of the fruit of Piper longum take also a ‘prastha’ (two seers) ;

Of Tugakshiri (bambu manna) take half an ‘adhaka’ (four seers) ;

Of new honey, take half an ‘adhaka’ (eight seers, because double the stated measure of a liquid should be taken) ;

Mixing all these together (by stirring them with a stick), keep the product in an earthen jar that has been allowed to absorb as much ghee as possible.

The dose should be agreeable to the measure of one’s appetite.

It should be administered every morning.

This preparation is one of the foremost of aphrodisiacs. It in¬ creases strength also, and promotes nutrition .24-26

GHEE CAPABLE OF INDUCING BIRTH.

Of (the infusion of) £atSvari ( Asparagus racemosus ), take a ‘Lalwana’ (or ‘Drona’ = 32 seers, but 64 seers are implied, the infusion being indicated) ;

Of (the infusion) of Vidfiri ( Batatus paniculatus) take also the same measure ;

Of each of these, viz., (the decoction of) Masha ( Phaseolus radiatus ), that of the seeds of Atmagupta (Mucuna pruriens ), and that of (^wadangshtara ( Tribulus lanuginosus ), take a ‘Lalwana’ (32 seers) ;

In these (mixed together) cook ghee of the measure of a ‘prastha’ (2 seers = 4 seers in consequence of its being a liquid) ;

When only 4 seers remain, it should again be boiled with milk of

* The grammatical construction is this : ‘Pishtakam’ (paste), and ‘churnani’ (pulv), ‘kshire samyojya, pupalikah ghrite'pachet.’ — T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 1093

8 times the measure (i. e., 8 x 4= 32 seers = 64 seers because of its being a liquid).*

Mix with the product sugar and honey (each of the measure of half a seer).

One desirous of getting children should take the ghee thus prepared. 27-28

APHRODISIAC BOLUSES.

Ghee , of the measure . of a ‘patra’, should be boiled with the expressed juice, of hundred times that measure, of Vidfiri (Batatus paniculatus).

When the measure of the ghee alone remains, it should again be boiled with cow’s milk of hundred times that measure.