Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The diseases that spring from (injudicious) Santarpana and those that spring from Apatarpana, with the medicines for each class, have all been mentioned in this Lesson called That about Santarpana.2

Thus ends the Twenty-third Lesson, called That about Santar¬ pana, in the treatise of Agnivesa as revised by Charaka.

LESSON XXIV.

We shall next expound the Lesson called “Vidhi-£onitiya.”* Thus said the illustrious son of Atri.1

The rules that have been properly laid down about food and practices of such persons as conduct themselves in judicious cor¬ relation with habitat and season and constitution are the rules by which the blood of embodied creatures, when generated in the system, becomes pure.2f tin the Lesson called ‘Tasyagitiya,’ rules have been elaborately laid down about the food and practices of such persons as conduct themselves in judicious correla¬ tion with the place of dwelling, season (with reference to both time in general, and age, i. e., infancy or youth or manhood, &c.), and the character of the constitution. What is said here is that those rules, if observed, contribute to make the blood that is generat¬ ed, pure. The consequences of pure blood are laid down in the next Verse. _ T.

*“Vidhi” means rules or ordinances, and ‘gonita’ is blood. The compound ‘Vidhi-gonitiya’ indicates ‘that about the rules or considerations affecting the blood.” Some are for taking the compound as meaning the ordinances according to which the blood becomes pure or impure,’ Instead of taking it, however, in such a limited sense the wider meaning would be more rational. — T.

p. 33

p. 258

CHAR A KA-SAMHITA .

Verily, it is pure blood that brings about strength and com¬ plexion and (the) happiness (of health) and longevity, for the very life of living creatures is dependant on blood.3

Through use of food that has become noxious, or that is ex¬ ceedingly keen or hot, or of too much alcohol, or of other food of a similar kind, as also food that is very saline or alkaline, or that is sour or pungent,1 or through use of Kulatthwa (a) or Masha (6) or Nishpava ( c ), or sesame oil, or of Pindalu ( d ) and radishes and other roots and potherbs and vegetable leaves of all kinds,5* or through use of the flesh of aquatic animals or thosejinhabiting marshy regions and in holes or of beasts and birds of prey, or the use of curds and sour milk or whey or flour of fried corn or wines and sour gruels, 6 1 or through use of such] food as is made up of inharmonious elements (such as 'milk and meat) or is jFoul or putrified, and through sleep at day time after eating such food as is liquid or heavy,7 through eating excessively so as to overload the stomach, through indulgence in wrath, and exposure to sunshine, and endur¬ ing the heat of fire, through] suppression of the urging to vomit, through omission to let blood at the proper time,8 and through ex¬ haustion brought about by labour, assaults done to the body, grief, stuffing the stomach with food when indigestion has set in or before digestion has been complete of what has been taken previously, as also through the very nature of the season of autumn, the blood becomes impure.

In consequence of the blood becoming impure, different kinds of diseases spring up. These are sores in the mouth, pustules in

* ‘Harita’ ordinarily implies ‘of potherbs and vegetable leaves. The Commentator Gangadhara understands it to include black-pepper:and other spices. — T.

+• ‘Prasaha’ includes beasts and birds of prey. — T.

a, Dolichos uniflorus, Lamk, syn. Dolichos biflorus Roxb .

b. Phaseolus Roxburghii, syn. Phaseolus radiatus , Roxb.

. c. Dolichos sinensis, Linn.

d. Called in Bengali Chubri-alu. Dioscorea globosa ;'Roxb.

t ‘Ajirnadhyafanat’ means ‘eating upon indigestion and before digestion has been complete of what has been taken previously.’ Indigestion is a disease, while ‘before digestion’ has been complete does not imply indigestion. — T,

CHA RA KA-SAMHITA.

p. 259

the nose, suppuration of the globe of the eye, Ozoena, foetid smell from the mouth,10 abdominal tumours, Syphilis, Erysipelas, hemorr¬ hage, general lassitude or enervation, deep-seated abscesses, dis¬ charge of blood through the urinary channel, dismenorrhsea and menorrhagia. Leprosy,11 paleness of complexion, loss of the diges¬ tive fire, thirst, sensation of heaviness in all the limbs, sensation of heat in the body, excessive weakness, disgust for food, headaches,12 pungent taste in all food and drink, bitter and sour eructations, general exhaustion, excessive wrath, stupefaction of the under¬ standing, presence of a saltish taste in the mouth,13 excessive perspiration, foetid smell in the body, all the appearances of intoxition, tremours, hoarseness of speech with even loss of voice, drowsiness, excessive sleep, darkness of vision,14 itching of the body, pains, Urticaria evanida, eruptions, tubercular leprosy, and the cutaneous eruptions called Charmadala *

All these diseases should be known as due to diseased blood.15