An English Translation of the Sushruta Samhita, Vol. III: Uttara-tantra — trans. Kaviraj Kunja Lal Bhishagratna (1916)

Rules for Summer S -Physical exercise, toil, hot and excessively drying articles of fare (e.g. those prepared with pulses), as well as those abounding in

[Chap. LXIV.

UTTARA-TANTRA.

p. 401

heat-producing (e* g< pungent, acid and saline) tastes should be avoided in summer. Large tanks, lakes and rivers as well as charming gardens and cold rooms should be resorted to, and the finest (refreshing) sandal-pastes and garlands of flowers of lotuses and lilies, soft breeze from palm-leaf-fans and necklaces (of precious stones and pearls) as well as light clothes should be used in summer. Sweet-scented and cooling Pdnakas and Manthas with abundance of sugar should be used. Sweet, liquid and cold food mixed with clarified butter, and boiled milk sweetened with sugar, etc , taken at night-time would be found (tasteful and) beneficial at that time. One should at that time lie on a bed strewn over with fullblown and fresh flowers in some palatial building with his body besmeared with sandal-pastes and refreshed by cooling breeze, n.

Rules for Prsfvr it (rainy) season*

Articles of the three (viz. sweet, acid and saline) heavy Rasas as well as milk, tepid meat-soup, oil, clarified butter, and everything which is Vrimhana (fat-making) and Abhishyandi (secreting) in its nature are beneficial after the end of the summer season i. e . in the rainy season. The bodily Vdyu which is liable to be aggravated and which actually begins to aggravate in the summer should be pacified by wise men with V£yusubduing remedies. 12 A.

River-water, Ruksha (non-demulcent) and heatproducing articles, Manthas prepared with abundance of water, the sun's rays, physical exercise, day-sleep and sexual intercourse should be avoided in this season. Old barley, old Shastika-ncz, old S'dli- rice, and old wheat

* A period of four months has been ascribed to the rains. Of these the first two months are ealled Prkvrit, and the last two Varshd— »both meaning the rainy season. See chapter VI, Sutra-stMna.

SI

p. 402

THE SUSUUTA SAMHITA

[ Chap. LX1V.

should be used as food, and the bed to lie upon should be stretched inside a room where there is no blast of wind and should be covered over with a soft bed-sheet. The rain-water (in and after its descent on the earth) becomes poisoned with the excretions, urine, salivation, sputum, etc., of poisonous animals as well as with the poisonous atmosphere peculiar to the rainy season ; its use should, therefore, be strictly avoided in this season. The naturally aggravated bodily VAyu(in this season) should be duly pacified, or the rules for Varsh& (ie. the rainy season) should be duly observed in this season*. 12.

Whoever observes these rules for the different seasons of the year does not suffer from the evil consequences due to the change of seasons. 13.

Different kinds of food : — Now we shall deal with the twelve different kinds of food (and drink). They are -Cold, hot, Snigdha (demulcent), Ruksha (non-demulcent), liquid, dry, taken once a day, twice a day, taken with medicine, taken in smaller quantity, taken for the pacification of (any aggravated Dosha) and taken for subsistence. 14.

Persons afflicted with thirst, heat, alcoholism, burning sensation, Rakta-pitta, poisoning and epileptic fits as well as those suffering from the effects of sexual excess should be treated with cold food (and drink) ; while persons afflicted with the aggravation of bodily Kapha and Vayu as well as those already treated with purgatives or Sneha and those whose bodies are full of Klcda (physical moisture) should be treated with warm food (and drink). 15-16.

Persons suffering from the aggravation of bodily VAyu and from a parched (Ruksha) condition of the

* The whole of this Para is an interpolation in as much as Jejjata does not read this.— Pall ana.

Chap. LXIV.]

UTTARA-TANfRA.

p. 403

body well as those suffering from the effects of sexual excess and those accustomed to physical exercise should be treated with Snigdha food (and drink) ; while persons with an excess of bodily Medas and Kapha as well as those suffering from Meha and those previously treated with a Sneha should be treated with Ruksha (or non-demulcent) food and drink. 17-18.

Weak, parched and thirsty persons should be given Drava (liquid) food ; while those suffering from Meha and ulcers as well as those whose bodies arc full of Kleda (bodily moisture) should be given dry (nonjuicy) food. Persons with impaired digestion should be given only one meal every day, so that the digestive fire may have opportunities to) be rekindled ; while persons with the proper amount of digestion should be given two meals a day. 19-20.