Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

That Thirst also which springs from ‘ama’ (undigested food-juice), is fiery in consequence of its being born of Sma as well as (provoked) bile.f

Its symptoms are disgust for food, flatulence of the stomach, and expectoration of phlegmonous matter, H

The (human) body results from ‘Rasa’ (food -juice). ‘Rasa’ is born of water.

From loss of ‘Rasa,’ one feels thirsty.

When such is the case, one becomes weak of voice, and is sorely afflicted, and swoons, and suffers from dryness of the chest, throat, and palate.{ 15

The Thirst that appears as a supervening ailment in persons whose bodies are afflicted with fever, gonorrhoea, waste or consump-

* The original is exceedingly pleonastic. There is a great difference between the style of Charaka and that of Dridhavala.— T.

-(• The original is difficult to understand. The commentators throw no light upon it, Gangadhara says, — ‘undigested food-juice’ is called ‘ama.’ That Thirst which arises from ‘ama’ is fiery. It is fiery because ama is generated by bile and thus the thirst born of ama springs from ama as well as bile which partakes the nature of fire.”

+ In this verse the author speaks of that variety of Thirst which is born of waste or loss. Of course, loss of ‘Kasa’ is meant,— T, tfegSON XXII.] CHARAâA-SAMlIltA. 16i§ tion, cough, asthma, and other ailments, dries up the System and is difficult to cure.* 16

All varieties of violent Thirst that manifest themselves in persons emaciated by disease, or in those that are afflicted with (violent) vomiting, and that Thirst which has violent supervening afflictions, should be known as fatal. 17

Without fire, or without wind, (operating as causes), there can be no thirst, since these two, when exceedingly predominant, are causes of drying up the watery ingredient of the body.

Verily, when the Water (of the body) is lost, one feels thirsty. 18

One feels thirsty when the ducts (of wind and fire) are obstructed by heavy food and milk and oils which mix with one another at the time of the digestion,

I n the engendering of such thirst also, the causes are the wind and the fire. r9

[Here ‘anala,’ meaning fire, has been used for bile. What the author says is that heavy food, &c., mix together when digestion goes on. They obstruct the passages through which the wind and the bile course. The wind and bile thus becoming excited cause the thirst.]

Alcohol, in consequence of its keenness, heat, and drying virtue, provokes the bile and the wind. These two dry up the watery in¬ gredient in the bodies of those who are accustomed to alcohol. 20

Water thrown upon sand heated (by the rays of the sun) dries up speedily (but supplies it with moisture), even so cold drink (though dried up supplies with moisture and) gives relief to those whose systems have been heated by alcohol.f 21

* In the second line, for ‘meha’ (meaning Gonorrhoea) Gangadhara reads ‘mbha’ Which means swoons or loss of consciousness. This can scarcely be correct. One feels thirsty Irl G®norrhcea, but hardly when one is afflicted with swoons. The Calcutta edition reads ‘(Jsoha’ for ‘Raga’ after ‘Kshaya.’ This is not correct.

Lastly, Gangadhara reads ‘atyupgrishtadehanam.’ The other editions have ‘adi’ after ‘gwasa.’— T.

-j- The original is really unmeaning. A simile or comparison is intended by the use of the particle ‘iva’ in the first line ; but the point of the comparison cannot be seized. Liter, ally rendered, the verse runs thus : ‘as water thrown on heated sand dries tip quickly, evenp. 204 nGi 6

CHI KITS A S THAN A.

[fRIS»NA.

Of one that bathes in cold water, the heat of the body becomes obstructed and, coursing into the stomach, engenders thirst.

Hence, one whose body has become heated, should not suddenly have recourse to cold water for purpose of bathing.* 22

In all these varieties of thirst (viz., those which arise from the eating of heavy food, milk, and oils), when the wind becomes attenu¬ ated, the symptoms that present themselves are those of bile-born Thirst.

I shall now explain what the treatment is of the various kinds of Thirst, agreeably to the causes which engender them. 23

That Thirst which arises from loss of the watery ingredient in the body, dries up the person and kills him speedily.

Hence, the person afflicted with such thirst should drink rain¬ water mixed with honey, or any other water possessing similar virtues. 24

[‘Aindram toyam’ is a beautiful expression. Literally, it means ‘water sent down by Indra, the deity of clouds.’ As regards ‘water possessing similar virtues,’ the commentators note that this means water which is exposed to the sun’s rays at day-time, and the moon's rays at night-time, and which is stirred all through the day and night by the wind. Of course, the water of rivers and large inland lakes is implied.]