Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* ‘Amudha’ is the opposite of ‘mudha.’ It implies one that is freed from ignorance. Hence, a physician endued with wisdom.

‘Amoha-nimittajam’ means ‘born of non-ignorance’ ; that is, ‘resulting from wisdom’.

The simple sense is that the physician of wisdom attains to those results which spring from wisdom. — T.

t The first of these is explained in aphorisms I to the middle of 6 ; the next topic occurs in the remainder of aphorism 6 ; the matters ascertainable from Observation occur in aphorisms 7 to 10 ; and the matters known by In¬ ference, &c., occur in aphorisms 1 1 to 15. — T.

p. 64

p. 502

CHARA KA-SAMHITA.

LESSON V,

After this we shall expound the Vimanam about the ducts ( of the body ).

Thus said the illustrious son of Atri.1

Whatever embodied phenomena occur in a person, are all only especial forms ( or conditions ) of the ducts.

All phenomena ( visible ) in a person never make their ap¬ pearance, or never disappear (subside) without the ( action off the ) ducts.

Verily, the ducts are the conduits of the ingredients of the body, for bearing them (from one place to another),, during the process of their development ( or transformation ),

Then, again, some sages say that a person is only the sum totalof the ducts, because of the ducts being present in every part of the body,, and because also of the duets being the conduits of both the excitements and the alleviations- of the faults.

This, however, is not so.

Since he whose ducts they are, that which they develop ( or nourish ), and that in which they are located, — all these are differ¬ ent from them.2*

* By ‘Srotas’ is meant the ducts or channels, that is, the arterial and V'errous system of the body. It probably includes also the nervous system. ‘Srotas’ has forits synonymes ‘Dhamani’ and ‘Ciras’.

There is a stop after ‘ayanarthe’. ‘Napi’ is incorrect. It should be ‘Api', ‘Yacchavahanti’ or ‘yathavahanti’ is superfluous according to Chakrapani, Either should, therefore, be omitted.

What is stated here is a scientific truth of the highest importance. Some Rishis maintain that a human being is nothing more than a conglomeration of nerves and arteries gross and subtle.. There is no part of the body that would not disclose a conglomeration of the finest nerves, invisible to the naked eye. This is a truth that has dawned upon Western scientists only recently. One cannot but hold that the Rishis who discovered this did so from the inspiration of Yoga.

Punarvasu’s assertion that a person is not a conglomeration of nerves and arteries is correct only if ‘person’ be taken to signify that which is the result of a union of the soul and the body. As regards the body, or the material ease of the soul, the proposition is incontrovertible. — T.

CHA BA KA -SA MHITA.

p. 503

Indeed, some, in consequence of their exceedingly large number, say that the ducts are uncountable.

Others, again, say that they are countable.

Of those ducts, roughly, some varieties we shall expound, with reference to their roots as also to the knowledge we have of their excitement.

Those varieties ( that we shall explain ) will suffice for a comprehension of the unmentioned ones by men of knowledge as also by those that are dull or reft of intelligence.

They are as follow.

There are ducts for bearing life-breaths, water, food- juice, blood, flesh, adeps, bones, marrow, vital seed, urine, stools, and sweat.

Of wind, bile, and phlegm, again, which move through every part of the body, all the ducts are conduits.3*

Again, after the same manner, of the mind and others, which are beyond the ken of the senses, the body endued with animation is the conduit ( for their movements ) and the substratum ( upon which they rest ),

If the ducts are all in their normal state, the body cannot beaffected by any disease.4-!

* The Bengali texts of this aphorism are vicious. The correct reading is ‘anuktajnanaya jnanavatam’, and ‘vijnanaya chajnanavatam’.

What is meant by there being ducts for bearing flesh, &c. is that these ducts are the conduits of those substances which develop into flesh, &c. As regards wind, bile, and' phlegm, these have no especial ducts of their own, but move through all the ducts in the body, for they are present in every part of the body.— T.

f ‘Sattwa’ is the mind as understood in Hindu philosophy. The word ‘adi’ includes ‘buddhi’ or understanding, ‘ahankara’ or self-consciousness ; and the ‘Atman’ or soul. These are ‘atindriya’, that is, beyond the ken of the five organs of sense. The whole body, as long as it is ‘chetanavat’, i. e., animate, is the ‘ayana’ or conduit for their movements, and' is also the ‘substratum’ an which they rest.

As long as the ducts, i. e., the arterial (with the venous) and nervoussystem, are in a good order, so long the body remains free from disease.- — T.

5°4

CNARAKA SAM HIT A ,

Amongst these, of the duets that bear the life-breaths, the root is the Chest and the Great duct.

Of those ducts, when vitiated, the following are the especial' indications,