Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* The correct reading of the first sentence is ‘ prakritibhutanSm ’ and not ‘ prakritibhutS.’ The statement, however, is made in a rather round about way. Stated plainly, it amounts to this : conditions are seen of the constellations. See., which have altered the natural indications of the season. Chakrapan! observes that in summer the planets, See., should all appear bright and distinct. If, however, they appear otherwise in consequence of vapours or fogs, the true indication of the season disappears.

‘ Rasa ’ means juice j ‘ Viryya ' implies energy ; by ‘ Vipaka ' is meant what may be called assimilable virtue. Thus things sweet to the taste, when they enter the stomach or when assimilation begins, become sour. This sourness of sweet things is their ‘ Vipaka ’. ‘ Prabhava ’ is potency. For fuller explanations of these terms, vide Sutrasthanam, Lesson XXVI, pp. 301, 319 and 320.

‘ Atankaprayata ’ is a general outbreak of a particular disease, or the appearance of diverse diseases at the same time.

The last sentence has beenmisunderstood by the Bengali translators : what is meant by ‘ Fratikara-gaurava ’ is . pomp of treatment. The physician comes and orders many things, such as a change of room or climate, several medicines with several vehicles, a bath, a plaster, a rubbing of medicinal oils, &c., All this would not be needed if the Rishi's directions about the culling of drugs be attended to, — T.

CHAR A KA -SAM HIT A.

p. 473

ticular things and practices, mind, and age, be simultaneously destroyed by one disease ?**

Unto him answered the illustrious son of Atri :

O Agnivega, of men differing from one another in these parti¬ culars, viz., the circumstances of nature and the rest, there are other circumstances that are common (or similar) ; these last being perverted, diseases agreeing in point of time and of symp¬ toms, break out and become destructive of habitations.

Verily, there are these circumstances that are common to human habitations, viz., atmosphere, water, soil, and time (season)5f Amongst them, when the atmosphere becomes as follows, it should be known as destructive of health : viz., contrary to (what is proper for) the season ; exceedingly moist ; exceedingly changeful (as regards direction), exceedingly keen, exceedingly cold or exceedingly warm, exceedingly dry, constantly pouring vapours, fraught with awful roars, blowing from different directions and counteracted in respect of its currents, blowing in whirls, and fraught with disagreeable scent or vapour or sand or dust or smoke.6

When the water becomes exceedingly foul in scent, colour, taste, and touch, full of impurities, deserted by aquatic fowl, almost dried up in its receptacle, and disagreeable, it should be known as reft of its proper virtues.7

* ‘ Uddhritam ’ implies, as explained by Chakrapani, ‘kartavye kritam, ' i. e., the past is used for the future. Hence, the meaning is, — 1 suppose this has been done,' or ‘ grant that this has been done.’

What is asked is, how can destruction, through one particular disease, simultaneously overtake men when the latter differ widely from one another in nature, food, &c.?

By ‘ Satmya ’ is meant the suitability of particular things to particular constitutions.-- r.

f What the Rishi says is this : it is very ue that men differ in the particu¬ lars mentioned by Agniveca. But then there are some circumstances in which they must all agree. For example, all have to breathe, all have to drink, all have to expose themselves to the same sun and the same moon and the same constellations ; &c. It is when these circumstances, which are common to all men, become perverse that plagues set in, destroying cities and towns and villages. — T,

p. 474

CHA RA KA - SA M HI T A.