Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The wine manufactured from Dhataki ( Woodfordia floribunda, Salisb ; syn. Grislea tomentosa, Roxb.) promotes cheerfulness and relish, is dry, creates taste for food, and promotes the appetite.189

Like the wine called Madhwika (manufactured from honey) is that manufactured from Uvae passos and the juice of the sugar¬ cane. The latter, again, is not very hot.190

The wine manufactured from honey promotes relish for food, increases the appetite, creates cheerfulness, adds to strength, and is destructive of bile. Further, it cures constipation, is destructive of phlegm, and slightly excites the wind.191

* Pakkarasa is a technical term, by which the juice of the sugar-cane, when old or properly fermented for a long period, is known. — T.

+ “Lekhana or attenuants remove bad humours and altered constituents of the body by thinning them gradually and clearing the system of them.” U, C. Dutt’s Mat. Med. of the Hindus,

CHA RA KA -SA M HIT A,

p. 365

The wine manufactured from the diverse varieties of Yava ( Hordeum hexastichum, Linn.), with their Manda or barm, is dry and hot; and provocative of wind and bile. It is, again, heavy, and is not digested without producing sensation of heaviness in the stomach and temporarily suppressing both faeces and urine. That called Madhulaka (viz., manufactured from a particular variety of Yava which is so called) is provocative of phlegm.193

The wines called Sauviraka and Tushodaka promote the appetite, assist the digestion, are destructive of thoracic diseases as also chlorosis, anaemia, and jaundice, and of worms. They are, again, beneficial in diseases of the Grahani and in piles. They, further, operate as Bhedanas (by purging the intestines without producing watery motions).193

The sour gruel of rice, by touch, is alleviative of such fevers as are characterised by a burning sensation of the skin. If drunk, it alleviates wind and phlegm, cures constipation, operates as a purgative, and promotes the appetite.194

Generally, all new wines are heavy and excite the faults.

When old, they are corrective of the ducts, promote the appetite, are light, and correct relish.195

In such a state they induce cheerfulness and joy, are nourish¬ ing, increase the strength ( by operating as tonics ) and are alleviative of fear, grief, and fatigue.

They also induce self-reliance, energy, brilliancy of intellect, satisfaction, nourishment, and strength.196

Wines, used duly and reasonably by good men, become bene¬ ficial as nectar.197

Thus has been declared the seventh Group on the subject of Wines.

The Group on Waters.

The water that falls. from the sky,i.e., from the clouds, is of one kind. Falling and fallen, it takes the qualities of time and place.198

p. 366

CHA RAKA -SA M HIT A.

While falling from the sky, coming in contact with the sun, the moon, and the atmosphere, eacli of which is dependent upon season (for its own virtues), water becomes possessed of the attributes of being cool or hot, or oily, or dry, &c., all of which appertain to the earth.199

By nature, the water that falls from the sky is possessed of these six attributes, viz., cool, pure, beneficial (to the body), clear, without any filth (or transparent), and light.

Fallen from the sky, it depends for its properties upon the vessel or receptacle which holds it.200

The water that falls on a soil that is white becomes possessed of astringent taste.

That which falls on soil of a pale yellowish hue becomes possessed of a bitter taste.

That which falls on soil of a tawny color becomes endued with alkaline ashes.

That which falls on saline soil becomes possessed of saline taste. 201

That which falls on mountainous beds becomes possessed of a pungent taste.

That which falls on a soil made of black earth, becomes sweet.

These are the six properties of water as dependant on the kind of soil on which it falls.202

The water that is poured by the deity of the clouds, that which is obtained from (dissolved) hail, and that from (dissolved) snow, have an unmanifest taste.1*208

That water which, created by the deity of the clouds, falls from the sky and is held in such vessels as have been directed to be

No particular taste attaches to such water. — T.

p. 367

used for the purpose, is called Amdra water by the wise. That is the foremost of all waters and deserves to be drunk by kings.204

All the properties of water, in season and out of season, are now being mentioned.

That water which is slightly astringent-sweet, exceedingly subtle, clear, and light, not dry, and which never deposits anything at the bottom, is regarded as the best.205

The water that belongs to the season of rains is heavy, leaves a deposit below, is sweet, and new.208

The water that falls in autumn is generally subtle (thin), light, and never deposits anything at the bottom. That water is applaud¬ ed for use, in the four kinds of food, by those persons that are very delicate, and those also that take oily food or food in copious measure.*207

That which falls in the season of dews is slightly lighter than the above. That water, again, is alleviative of phlegm and wind.

The water that falls in spring should be known to be astringentsweet and dry.209

The water of summer leaves no deposit. This is certain.