Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* In the original, the whole of this passage is in prose. Dr. Sircar’s version given in p.p 275 and 76 of Vol. IV., No. 7, of thej Calcutta Journal of Medicine , is charac¬ terised by many material errors. The word Sauhitya does not, as he erroneously takes it, mean, wherever it occurs, ‘ satiety,’ but except in one place, it has throughout been used, in this passage, in the sense of ‘ gratification of hunger,’ or, as the Commentator expressly states triptimdtram. The distinction between light and heavy food is shewn antithetically, by stating that the former, even when taken to satiety, is not very injuri¬ ous, whereas the latter, even when taken' to the point of only gratification of hunger, is fraught with great injury. Of course, atisauhityam, in connection with light food, means ‘ satiety,’ in consequence of the particle ati. Then again tribhagasauhityam and arddhasauhityam do not mean, as Dr. Sircar renders them, “ a third or half is to be taken as the measure of satiety ” but have reference to the measure of gratification which is directed to be sought not in full but by three-fourths or a half.— T.

t In this country, paddy unhusked is boiled, and while still soft, is flattened by pres¬ sure. It is then exposed to the sun and dried. The Sanskrit word for this preparation is Chipitaka and the Vernacular is Chira.— T.

+ Dr. Sircar makes a blunder, due only to carelessness, in translating the second half of the second line of this verse. The passage does not mean that ‘ * meat should not be given to those who have become emaciated through starvation.” The Commentator explains kricam as afushtam, and lest any one should still miss the right meaning, he adds rogdduparatamrigddisambhavam. I think Dr. Sircar’s Kaviraj was misled by the causal form of the final verb.— T.

52 CHAR A KA-SAMHITl.

phaseolus radiatus, the paddy called yavaka, should not be used as habitual diet.*8

The paddy called Shashthika, and £ali, phaseolus mungo, rock salt, emblic myrobalans, barley, rain-water and dew, clarified butter, meat of wild fowl and animals, and honey, should be made habitual food.*

That should every day be used as diet which is subservient to he.ilth, and which prevents the development of unborn diseases,*

After this, purposing the keeping up of health, we shall speak, according to their qualities, of collyria and such other things which should certainly be used for the body.f8

That collyrium which is known by the name of Sauvira is beneficial for the eyes and should be applied every day. On every fifth or the eighth night, Rasanjana should be applied for causing discharge from the eyes,JT The eyes of one who uses collyrium acquire strength. Such a person, again, becomes especially free t Kdryam is explained as avacyam karaniyam. — T.

* Yavaka is not ICulathwa lcalai as Dr. Sircar supposes, but a kind of paddy that yields a very hard and. undigestible rice. — T.

% “ Galena or sulphide of lead is called Anjana or Sauvirdnjana in Sanskrit, and Krishna surma in Vernacular. It is called anjana , which literally means collyrium or medicine for the eyes, from the circumstance of its being considered the best application or cosmetic for them,

" Sauvirdnjana is said to be obtained from the mountain of Sauvira, a country along the Indus, whence it derives its name. The article supplied under its Vernacular name Surma is the sulphide of lead ore. Surma is usually translated as sulphide of antimony, bat I have not been able to obtain a single specimen of the antimonial ore from the shops of Calcutta and of some other towns. The sulphide of antimony occurs in fine streaky, fibrous, crystalline masses of a radiated texture. The lead ore, on the contrary, occurs in cubic masses destitute of rays and is tabular in its crystalline arrangements.” Mat. Med. oftke Hindus, by U. C. Dutt.

To the above I should add that the Commentator says that Sauvirdnjana comes from the river called Suvira. Very probably, Suvira is the name of the Indus for some miles above its fall into the sea.

For Rasanjana vide note e in p. 22 ante. A misprint, viz., Rasanja, occurs there for Rasanjana, — T.

CHA RAKA-SAMHITI

p. 53