Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Verily, with the aid of all these three means of knowledge, one should in the first instance fully examine a disease. The diagnosis that is then arrived at becomes faultless.5

Truly, by only one of these means of knowledge,, knowledge does not arise of everything that should be known.

Among all these three means of knowledge, the knowledge derived from the instructions of the inspired comes first. After this, comes examination, with the aid of Observation and Inference.

What would one,, that has not been instructed (by the inspired) in the first instance, succeed in knowing by examining with the aid of Observation and Inference 2

Hence, with persons possessed of knowledge, there are two. methods of examination : Observation, and InferenceCounting Instruction, the methods are there.

These are the points regarding which those that are possessedof intelligence lay down instructions, ms., — is called an ‘Apta’ whose knowledge of things- is not derived by a posteriori methods. They do not depend upon reasoning, nor upon memory, that is, observation, for the business of memory is the conservation of all that has been observed. They behold all' things without ‘priti’, {, e., pleasure or satisfaction, and without ‘upatapa’, i. e., pain. This means that such men are free from, emotions, or passions of every kind. They view everything with an equal eye, — without, that is, being moved. They are unimpassioned judges of truth. Generally, by ‘aptas’ are meant men who by the success of their penances, see the truth of everything. Hence, ‘inspired’ would give the sense better than

‘Dushtadushta’ means ‘good and bad’, i.e., sometimes behaving well, at other times behaving ill. Hence, ordinary men. — T.

*' As ordinarily understood, ‘pratyaksha’ implies all that is acquired by the senses. As the mind, however, is regarded in Hindu philosophy as the sixth sense, that which is acquired by the mind is included within the word.. ‘■Mind1, in Hindu philosophy, means the acquisitive, the conservative, and thereproductive faculties. It is the servitor of ‘Buddhi’ or the understanding^ which, of course, is the faculty of comparison or Reason. — T.

p. 496

CffA RAKA-SA MH I T A

Diseases individually are such and such ; the strength of the disease is so and so ;

the origin of the disease is so and so j this is the soul (or character) of this disease ; .

this is the seat of the disease ;

this is the manner in which the disease makes itself known ;

these are the sound, touch, colour, taste, and smell pertaining to the disease ;

these are the supervening afflictions of these diseases ;

this is the aggravation, this is the evenness, (or usual state), and this is the attenuation (or mitigation) of this disease ;

this is the development of this disease j this is the name by which this diease should be known ;

in this disease, for its treatment, this should be done, or this should be abstained from.

All these are known from the instructions (of the Inspired).6*

* ‘Avayava’ means a part or fractional portion. When three methods of knowledge are indicated, any one of them would be called an ‘avayava’.

In treating of disease, the first requisite is the instructions of the inspired or wise. Then come Observation and Inference. In examining a disease, the foremost requisite is instructions ; the other requisites are Observation and Inference.

■Jnanavatam' implies 'with men of knowledge’, that is, those that have obtained instructions of the wise. With such there are two methods of exami¬ nation, viz., Observation and Inference. Counting instructions, the methods or means are three.

‘Men possessed of intelligence’ refers to persons who have received instruc¬ tions of the wise.

‘Prakopanam’ or strength of the disease means the degree of excitement of the particular fault that has caused the disease.

By ‘Yoni’ is meant the ‘nidiinam’ of a disease, that is, the original cause.

By the ‘soul’ (atman) of a disease is meant its predominant feature, as ex¬ plained by Gangadhara. Thus, certain diseases have cold for their soul ; others, heat for their soul. Chakrapani takes it in a different sense. He explains ‘soul’ as ‘swabhava’ or nature. Thus the nature of ‘apoplexy’ is its rapid aggravation and death.

CHA RAKA-SA Mill TA.

p. 497

One desirous of ascertaining the truths about disease with the aid of Observation, should examine, with all one's senses, all the objects of the senses occurring in the body of the patient, except taste which should be ascertained otherwise. They are as fol¬ lows : —

Noise of the bowels, cracking of joints, as also of the fingerjoints, the peculiarities of voice, all other sounds pertaining to the body, should all be examined by the ear.

Colour, form, measure (of the body), lustre, the normal or abnormal state of the body, and all other things whatever that are objects of vision, should be examined by the eye.7