Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* Bharadwaja’s argument is this : action cannot be the cause of birth ; action follows the agent, for without an agent preceding or pre-existing, there can be no action. Then, again, as action pre-supposes.an agent, no action can be met with that has not been

27Q

CM A RA KA - Sa Mil 1 TA .

Kankayana said, — This is not so ; since, if it were so, action would not have produced fruits. As regards Nature, the accom¬ plishment of existent objects may or may not flow from it.21 But Prajapati (the Primeval Patriarch) the offspring of Brahman, possessed of immeasurable will, is the creator of this universe of animate and inanimate objects, as also of happiness and misery*22

He of Atri’s race who had betaken himself to the mendicant order said, — This is not so ; since the primeval Patriarch, who always desires the good of creatures, cannot, like a wicked per¬ son, always attach misery to his own progeny.?® Man is the off¬ spring of Tjme. His diseases also are born of Time. The whole universe is subject to the sway of Time. Time is everywhere the cause. f24

While the Rishis were thus wrangling with one another, Punarvasu said unto them, — Do not dispute ! Truth becomes un¬ attainable in consequence of the taking of sides (by enquirers).25 When assertions and contradictions are urged and advanced in the guise of certainties, the disputants never attain to the end of the matter under discussion, even as a person who is turned round and round on an oil-pressjng machine never attains to the end of his journey.2? Casting off this wrangle, do ye think only of the truth. Unless the thick gloom (of ignorance) be dispelled, correct

.done by someagent. An undone act cannot be conceived, whose effect would be man or the agent of acts. ‘Tejoantanam’ implies ‘those which have Tejas for their end hence, .earth, & c., or the primal elements. — T.

* The argument of Kankayana is this : Nature is not the cause ; for if it were the cause of existent objects, no action would have been necessary to produce anticipated results. Men cultivate the soil and sow seeds thereon, and as the consequence of that act, get crops. Men study with effort and acquire knowledge. If Nature were the pause, tilling of the soil or laborious study would not have been necessary for the acquisi¬ tion of crops and knowledge. These would have come of themselves. Most editions read ‘hyarambhaphalam’ ; the reading ‘hyarambhe phalam’ would not be incorrect. Prajapati means, literally, a patriarch. The oflspring of Brahipan, Prajapati Kagyapa (or Daksha) is the creator of all things. He is possessed of immeasurable will, for otherwise the vast universe could not flow from him. — T.

t ‘Atreya’ is descendant of Atri’s race. ‘Bhikshu’ is a person of the medicant Order. The Rishi whose answer is represented by these Verses is, therefore, a person qf Atjri’s race who belonged to the mendicant order, — T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA271

knowledge can'riot be attained in the matter under enquiry.27 If those elements, whose existence in a state of excellence keeps a man in healthy become deteriorated, they generate diverse kinds of diseases.*28

Having heard these words of the illustrious son of Atri, Vam'aka the ruler of the K-agis, once more asked- the illustrious son of Atri, saying, — What, O illustrious one, is the cause of the origin and growth of diseases which (as thou hast said) are born of the deterioration of man who (as a healthy creature), is the product of the excellence (of the elements that are in him) ? —

Unto him the illustrious son of Atri said, — The use of benefi¬ cial food, is the one only cause of the growth of a person ; while the use of food that is injurious is the cause of disease.28

Unto the illustrious son of Atri who was saying so, Agnivega said, — How, O illustrious one, shall we succeed in ascertaining, without the possibility of error, the indications of food that is bene¬ ficial and of food that is injurious ? We see that in consequence of differences of measure, time, preparation, habitat, body, faults, and persons, food that is beneficial and food that is injurious pro¬ duce the very opposite efEects.f30

Unto him the illustrious son of Atri said, — 0 Agnivega, those kinds of food that cause the harmonious elements of the body to

* In Verse 27, ‘Adhyatmam’ is used for ‘Truth.’ In. India the oil-pressing machine consists of a plank, besides other contrivances, upon which a man may sit or lie down. The plank goes round and round (with the person upon it) as the bull walks round and round. — 71