Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Once on a time, the son of Atri, and Bhadrakapya, and £akunteya, and the full-eyed Maudgalya, and the golden-eyed Kaugika^ the sinless Bharadwaja otherwise called Kumaragiras, the blessed king Varyovida, that foremost of all intelligent men, Nimi the ruler of the Videhas, Vadiga of high intelligence, and Kankayana-valhika, that foremost of all physicians of the Valhika country, — these Rishis, all of whom were old in years and learning and all of whom had subjugated their souls, came together to the delightful Chaitraratha woods, desirous of passing a few days in en¬ joyment and pleasure. As those Rishis conversant with every topic were seated there, the following discourse of grave import

• « Atreya-Bhadrakapyy’ implies * that relating to the son of Atri and to Bhadrakapya’; hence that Lesson so called represents a conversation or discourse between Atri’s son Punarvasu and some other Rishis amongst whom was Bhadrakapya.— T.

p. 296

CH A RA KA-SAMHl TA .

took place among them on the subject of the proper ascertainment of the ( different) tastes and food.*2-5

There is one kind of taste, said Bharakapya; which persons skilled in the subject regard as one of the five objects of the senses, viz., that which relates to the tongue. That, again, is not different from water.8

The Brahmana ^akunteya said that there are two tastes, their virtues being that one of them cuts or removes from the body all bad humours or ingredients, and the other only checks or curbs them.7

There are three tastes, said the full-eyed Maudgalya. Their virtues are cutting, curbing, and both.8

There are four tastes, said the golden-eyed KauQika. They are agreeable and beneficial, agreeable and not beneficial, dis¬ agreeable and not beneficial, and disagreeable and beneficial.9

There are five tastes, said KumaraQiras-Bharadwaja. They appertain to Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Ether ( or Space).10

There are six tastes, said the royal sage Varyovida. They are heavy, light, cold, hot, oily, and dry.11

There are seven tastes, said Nimi the ruler of the Videhas. They are sweet, sour, saltish, pungent, bitter, astringent and (strained) ashes.12

There are eight tastes, said Vadiga-Dhamargava. They are sweet, sour, saltish, pungent, bitter, astringent, (strained) ashes, and that which remains in an unmanifest form.13

The tastes are infinite in number, said KanSyana, that refuge of all the physicians of the Valhika country, in consequence of the infinite .variety of their virtues, operations or effects, and methods of correction ( or mixture for adding to their virtues, &c.).1*

The illustrious son of- Atri, viz'., Punarvasu, said that the number of tastes is truly six. They" are sweet, sour, saltish,

* It seems that the Rishis and royal sages named here are altogether ten in number, ‘ Purnaksha’ and ‘ Hiranyaksha’ are adjectives. The reading ‘ Sachanaghah’ is better than ‘ Cathanaghah’ as ‘ Catha’ would make the number eleven.— T.

CHA RA KA-SA MB 1 TA .

p. 297

pungent, bitter, and astringent. The source from which these six flow, i. e., their origin, is Water. Their operations or effects are of two kinds, viz., cutting and curbing. In con¬ sequence, again, of admixture or combination, they become both cutting and curbing at the same time. Agreeable and Disagreeable are their divisions that depend upon the likes and dis¬ likes of men. Beneficial and Not-beneficial are their powers. The refuge of the Tastes are the modifications of the five primal ele¬ ments ( of Earth, Water, Fire, Wind, and Ether or Space ). The Tastes, again, depend upon the ( original ) nature of their refuge, the modifications of that refuge, combinations of the substances that form their refuge, as also place, and time.*15

The virtues or properties (attaching to the Tastes) occur in those which constitute the refuge (of the Tastes), called objects. Those virtues are heavy, light, cold, warm, oily, dry, and others.14