Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

blood', kindling the digestive fire;, and digestion' of the faults, the? best rules id respect of food and drink, the methods for restoring then wind and the- stools to their normal course, the corribinations for alle¬ viation, the- divers sorts of ghee, the different kinds of enemata, the different combinations- in respect of whey, the- principal ‘arishtas’’ (spirits) with- sugar, the means by which dry Piles may be alleviated,, the symptous of Piles that discharge bloodi the’ desirable medicinesfor Piles with two- supervening characteristics (wkj.wind and phlegm),, decoctions for the stoppage of blood,, the pastes of diverse ingre¬ dients, the best rules: in- respect of the oils add ghees to be drUnk, asalso of food and drink, the methods of sprinkling,, of washing, and of plasters, the curatives that should be applied after stopping copiousdischarges of blood', — all these ways of treating. Piles have been laid down in this Lessen.. l-1

Thus ends Lesson XIV, called Treatment of Piles, in the Divi¬ sion called' Chikitsitam of the Treatise of Agnive^a as revised by Charakai

LESSON XV.

TREATMENT OF DISEASES OF THE GRAHANI.

We shall rtow expound the treatment of the diseases of the Grahani. Thus said the illustrious one of Atri’s race. 1

The period of life, complexion, strength, health, exertion, growth, lustre, ojas, energy, animal and other kinds of heat, and the lifebreaths, have all been said to have the digestive fire for their cause, *

When this fire becomes extinguished, a person dies. When it burns within the body, one lives long without ailments of any kind. When it becomes vitiated, one becomes afflicted with disease. For these reasons, this fire is said to be the root (of all). $

That food nourishes the body, the ‘dhatus,’ the ‘ojas,’ the strength, the complexion, &c., is due to fire as the operating cause, since from food that is not digested, ‘Rasa’ and the other ingredients never arise. 4

It is the life-breath called' Prana that seizes food (and drink). Tt then sends that food (and drink) to the stomach. When there, the solidity of what is thus taken is. dissolved by liquid juices. It is then softened by oily matters. 5;

Then, in time, the fire, blown upon by the life-breath called! ,Samana’ blazes forth and digests the food that has been taken, equally and properly. The result of this is the Continuation of the period of life. 6

The (digestive) fire, remaining below, cooks (digests) the food In the stomach, converting it into ‘Rasa’ and refuse, even as (exter¬ nal) fire and water cook grains of rice in a vessel, for purposes of food.* 1

When digestion begins of the food, consisting of the six tastes, which is just swallowed, from the condition called sweet, springs, at

* The example cited is well-adapted. External fire and 'water cook rice grains in a vessel for purposes of food. Even so the digestive fire, with the aid of the liquid phlegm, cooks or digests the food in the stomach. The stomach is always spoken of as a vessel.— T.

14X2

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

the outset, that which is called 'phlegm’ and which has the form of froth.* 8

A little while after, the food, when it becomes only half-digested in' course of digestion, a condition of sourness arises. The food, in this state, passes out of what is called the ‘AmSgaya’ into what is called the ‘Pakkagaya.’ Then springs from it a liquid substance called ‘Bile.’ 9

When food passes into the ‘Pakkagaya,’ it begins to be dried up by the fire. Cooked by the fire, it is converted into a sodden mass. From its condition of pungency arises the wind.

Agreeable food, endued with agreeable scent and the rest, when eaten (and digested), gratifies (enlivens) scent and the rest, ‘Prana’ and the other life-breaths, and the organs of sense also in the body, separately.! 11

Since the five heats, viz., that appertaining to earth, that to water, that to fire, that to air, and that to ether, digest earth and the other properties, respectively, numbering five, of the food eaten, 12

Therefore, the material properties in the body (that is, those that relate to the five material substances already named) are nourished, respectively, by their correlative elements.

The earthy properties (in food) nourish the earthy elements in the body. The rest nourish the rest, in detail. *3

They who sustain the body, viz., the ‘dhatus’ (i. e., ‘Rasa’ or juice, blood, flesh, adeps, marrow, bones, and vital seed), are cooked by their seven respective fires.

* What is stated here is this : there are, in all, six tastes. These six are principal classes within which all the tastes may be included. Every kind of food may not have all the six tastes. But food, in general, is described as possessing the six tastes. When digest¬ ion begins with the help of the fire in the stomach, a frothy substance arises that is called phlegm. This, according to the Rishi, is due to the action of the taste that is sweet.— T.