Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

-j- ‘Upakrita’ is taken by Gangadhara as ‘bhuktam’ or eaten. ‘Yuktam’ is understood after ‘Gandhadibhih’. ‘Prithak’ qualifies ‘Prinati’. ‘Prana’ and the rest, meaning all the five life-breaths, as also ‘indriyani’, that is, the organs of sense, of course exist in the body. What is meant by ‘Gandhadini’, i. e., ‘scent and the rest’, as existing in the body, is not so clear. It is explained lower down in the text.— T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

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. This process of cooking which they undergo is of two kinds in consequence of the ‘Kitta’ (refuse) and the ‘Prasada’ (pure substance) Which results from it.* * * § 14

From ‘Rasa’ (juice) arises blood ; from blood is flesh ; from flesh is adeps ; from adeps is bone ; from bone is marrow ; from marrow is vital seed : from the vital seed arises the fcetus. rS

As regards women, from ‘Rasa’ are both milk and blood ; from blood are ducts large and small ; from flesh is fat or adeps and six varieties of skin ; and from adeps is the origin of the tendons and muscles.f *6

The above are the transformations of ‘Prasada.’ That which Is called the ‘Kitta’ (refuse) of the food taken, consists of stools and urine ; the ‘Kitta’ of ‘Rasa is phlegm ; that of blood is bile ; that of flesh are the filths of the body, including the secretions (from the nose, the ears, &c.) ; while sweet forms the ‘Kitta’ of adeps, I7

The ‘Kitta’ of bones is hair (of the head and the body) ; that of marrow is the oily -substance in the body ; that of the skin is the secretions flowing from the eyes.

From digestion (of the food eaten) thus arise, it is said, both ‘Prasfida’ and ‘Kitta’ of the ‘Dhatus.’J 18

‘Prasada’ and ‘Kitta,’ In consequence of being the supports of each other, sustain each other in the body.

Those articles (of food and drink) which are classed as ‘Vrishya’ and the rest, (if taken), speedily increase strength.§ 19

* This sudden mention of seven fires after having numbered them as Jive, requires ex' planation. The fact fs, as there are seven ‘dh5tusr, and as those seven derive nourishment from the food eaten, there must be seven fires to cook the food into seven substances, food itself containing seven elements corresponding with or capable of nourishing the seven ‘dhatus’. — T.

f The growth of the ‘dhatus’, as explained in 15, is true in the case of both males and females. In the case of the latter, something especial happens ; that is stated in 16. Thus from blood, besides jlesh, are the ducts •, &c., &c. — T.

+ From digestion of the food eaten are the ‘Dhatus,’ vis., juice, blood, &c. The ‘Dhatus’ have both ‘Prasada’ (which aids them in their growth) and ‘Kitta.’ The ‘Kitta’ or refuse of each of the ‘Dhatus’ has been mentioned in detail. — T.

§ Those drugs and articles of food which promote nutrition are called ‘Vrishyas.’ They include ‘Jivaniya,’ ‘Vringhaniya’, and. the other groups. — T.

*4M charaka-samhjta.

Some are of opinion that the transformation (of one 'dhStu' into another) takes place in six days and nights. Of food and the ‘dbitus’ this transformation goes on eternally like (the motion of) a wheel.# 20 Unto the preceptor who said so, the disciple (Agnivega) said,— How does blood arise from ‘Rasa’ (juice into which food is con¬ verted) that Is dissimilar (to blood) ? 21

Then, again, of ‘Rasa’ there is no colour. How is it that it as¬ sumes redness (when it Is transformed into blood) ?

From the blood, again, of human beings, which is a liquid sub¬ stance, how does flesh, which is solid, arise ? 22

How, again, from flesh which Is solid and which arises from a liquid substance, does fat arise (which Is also white) ?f

How is It that from flesh and fat, which are soft, bones arise which ■are so hard ? 23

How also in bones that are hard does marrow originate which Is •oily and soft ?

:If the vital seed springs from the transformation of marrow, 24 it should be remembered that this is inconsistent with what the •wise say, vis., that the vital seed has the whole body for Its seat.

Then, again, the vital seed of embodied persons Is (said to be) ■within the marrow (which itself is within the bones) : 25

No -holes are visible in bones. How then does the vita! seed <Moome out?

Thus addressed by the disciple, the preceptor -replied, 26

Through that which is called the ‘Tejas’ (energy) of the juicy 'matter (arising from food) of all human heings, and the redness of the Ibile-heat, ‘Rasa1 becomes transformed into red blood,J £7

* The reference to the motion of a wheel implies'that the process goes on eternally, sso that transformation of one ‘dhStu’ into another does not extinguish the transformed ■*dh5tu,J for there is a constant snpply.— ' T.

IT I adopt the reading of Gangadhara. The patt within parentheses is taken from -t he ' Calcutta edition. — T.

hf This professes to be the answer to the first question Of Agniveja. There is some error Ha1 the language, although the reading of all the editions is exactly the same. In fact, the

CHARAKA-SA MBIT A.

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By the energy of air and water, mingling with heat, the blood, ■attaining to solidity, is transformed into flesh.

The flesh, again, becomes cooked ‘by its own heat. 28

Becoming oily and distinct through its own energy and the .virtue ■of water, the flesh is transformed into fat.