Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

He who succeeds in bearing hunger, thirst, and the heat of the sun, and in bearing also cold and physical labour, who can eat and digest agreeably to the vigor of his digestive fire, is seen to have a proportionate measure of growth.15

In reducing the bulk of persons that are very corpulent, food that is heavy and such dietary regulations and other practices as fall within Atarpana, are beneficial. For the nourishment, however, of persons that are very lean, food that is light and such dietary regulations and other practices as fall within Santarpana, are beneficial. J1

* The sense seems to be this : both corpulency and emaciation are worthy of con¬ demnation ; still if it be asked whether one is worse than the other, then the answer should be that emaciation is more tolerable than corpulency, the reason being that though the situation in other respect is nearly equal of the corpulent man and the emaciated man, yet when a supervening disease, such as fever, comes, it is seen tq afflict or torment the former more than the latter. — T.

+ ‘ Sama-mangsa-pramanah’ is taken by the Commentators as implying ‘ one who is neither very tall nor very short, and neither very corpulent nor very lean ; the word f mangsa’ is used to imply growth.— 71

X ‘ Atarpanam’ and ‘ Santarpanam’ are two WPfds that should be understood properly. The first literally implies ‘ food that does not gratify’ and the second, ‘ food that gratifies.’ They are, however, technical words ; and as such, Santarpanam means, as Will appear later on, a soothing course of treatment or indulgence iii oily food and certain practices (such as sleep at day time &c,) which exercises a sedative and nutritive effect pn the physical system. Atarpanam is the reverse of this.— T.

cearaka-samhita.

p. 237

Such food and drink as are destructive of wind as also of phlegm and fat, and dry, and warm, and keen enemata, and dry unguents,71 the use of Guduchi (a) and Bhadramusta (6) and of the triple fruit, the use of butter-milk and vinous spirit, the use of honey,18 and Viclanga, ( c ), ‘Nagara (d), Kshara ( e ), pounded black iron and honey, the use of the flour of barley and pounded Amlaka (/), is said to be very beneficial (for reducing corpus lency).*19

The use also of the five ingredients beginning with Vilwa, ( g ), mixed with honey, and the use of £ilajatu ( h ) with the juice of Agnimantha (?), are also very beneficial.20 a. Tinospora Cordifolia ; syn. Menispermum Cordifalium.

b. A variety pf Cyperus rotundas, Linn.

c. Embelia Ribes ; syn. Embetia Glandulifera.

d. Nagara is dry ginger reduced to powder.

e. By Kshara that of barley is meant, or, as it is called, Yavakshara. Vide note,/, in page 17 ante. — T.

f. Phyllanthus Emblica , Linn.

* Pounded black iron that is referred to here consists of a very impalpable powder e that will float on water and will pot irritate the eyes when applied to them. It is usual to rub the iron with cow’s urine apd roast it about a hundred times. On chemical analysis it is found to be a mixture of the proto and peroxide of iron.’ Mat. Med. of the Hindus , by U- C. Dull. The triple fruit is, of course, the Chebulic, Embleic, and Belleric myrobalans.

The mention of honey a second time implies that it is to be mixed with what goes before.— T.

g. Panchamula may be of various kinds. There are two principal divisions ; one is called the Swalpa and the other the Mahat. When said to begin with Vilwa, what is meant is the infusion or decoction of the barks of these five, 1. Mgle Marmelos, 2. Cqlosanth.es lndica, syn. Bignonia lndica , 3. Gmelina Arborea , 4. Stereospermum tSuave-olens ; syn. Bignonia Suave-olens, and 5. Premna Serratifolia , Linn, syn. Premna spinosa, Roxb.

h. “ Silajatu literally means stope and lac. The term is applied to certain bitu¬ minous substances said to exude from rocks during the hot weather. It is said to be pro¬ duced in the Vjndhya and other mountains where iron abounds. It is a dark, sticky, unctious substance resembling bdellium in appearance. It has a bitter taste and a strong smell, resembling stale cow’s urine. Over platinum foil, it burns with a little in¬ flammable smoke and leaves a large quantity of ashes consisting chiefly of lime, magnesia, silica, and iron in a mixed state of Proto and Peroxide, "—Mat. Med. of the Hindus, by U. C. Dutt.

%. Commonly called Gapiari, Premna Serratifolia. syn. Premna spinosa.

p. 238

CHARAKA-SaMHIIA.

Prasatika (a), Priyangu ( b ), £yamaka (tr), Yavaka (d), Yava (g), Jurnahbha {/), Kodrava (g), Mudga ( h ), Kulathwa (2), Mukushtaka (/), the seeds of Aclalci ( k ), with Patola (/), and Amlaka (m), should be given to the patient for eating, who should, afterwards drink water mixed with honey.21-28

Such vinous spirits also should be taken in judicious measures as are destructive of fat, flesh, and phlegm, for reducing excessive corpulency.23 Night-keeping, sexual intercouse, physical exercise, mental exertion, should also be gradually indulged in if one desires to reduce once's corpulency.24