Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

J ‘ Faults' here should be taken as implying wind, bile, and phlegm. Such food and such practices as correspond with the qualities of wind, bile, and phlegm, must, of course, increase wind, bile, and phlegm ; vide aphorism 43, in page 4, of Lesson I of Sutrasthanam. It is said there that “of all things, at all times, similarity is the cause of increase ; and dissimilarity is the cause of decrease.” Food and practices, therefore, whose effects are similar to those of wind, bile and phlegm, must necessarily aggravate wind, bile, and . phlegm. Such aggravation cannot but lead to a vitiation of the ducts. After the same manner, food and practices whose effects are hostile to the ingredients (dhatus) of the body, such as blood, flesh, &c., must lead to a vitiation of the ducts or the physical organisation. For ‘ dhatuvigunah,’ some texts read 1 Rituvigunah,’ meaning food and practices not corresponding with ' the seasons ’. — T.

5io

CH A RA KA-SAMHJTA.

Excessive generation (or flow, of food-juice, blood, and other ingredients of the body), or stoppage or attenuation (of these), or cystic tumours, or diviations (of the elements from their own into other channels), are regarded as indications of the vitiation of the ducts.81

The ducts should be of the colour of the elements they respec¬ tively bear, round, gross or subtle, long, and of the form of the stem of a creeping plant.52*

Of ducts that bear the life-breaths, and water, and food, when they have become vitiated, the treatment that should be followed should consist (respectively) of these, viz, the adoption of oper¬ ations that improve the breath, of operations that allay thirst, and of operations that cure the disorders of indigestion.!8t

The medicines that have been indicated in the Lesson on diverse kinds of food and drink for the vitiation of the several elements of the body beginning with Rasa, should be used for allaying the vitiation of the ducts that respectively bear these elements beginning with Rasa.M%

Of the ducts that bear urine and stools and sweat, (when these become vitiated,) the treatment should (respectively) be as follows ; viz, that which is prescribed for diarrhoea and that which is prescribed for fevers.35

( Here are some verses containing a summary. }

The roots of the three and four (kinds of) ducts, the general indications of their vitiation, the different names by which the

* Blood-bearing ducts should be of the colour of blood ; See. They should all be round. Some of them may be gross or thick, while others subtle or thin. Every one of them should be long. Their form should, therefore, be like that of the stem of a creeper. — T.

t 1 Amaprodoshini,’ as explained in a previous lesson of this Division, implies the treatment that is prescribed in the case of the ‘ amaijaya ’ being disordered, i.e., in all irregularities brought about by indigestion. — T.

$ The Lesson on diverse kinds of food and drink is numbered XXVIII of the Sutrasthanam ; vide page 391 ante. The correct reading is 'RasadigrotasanV in the second line.

CH A R A KA -SA MH I TA .

ducts are known, the circumstances attendant on their mutual’ provocation, the causes of the vitiation ot each class of ducts one after another, the medicines that should be prescribed for each class (when vitiated) have been laid down in this Lesson on the Vimanam of the ducts, as also the important truth at the outset {viz., that the body is only a conglomeration of ducts.1-3

He to whom the body is known in all its aspects, as also all the diseases that pertain, to it, is never stupefied in the applica¬ tion of remedies.**

Thus ends the Fifth Lesson, called' the Vimanam. of ducts, in. the treatise of Agnivefa as revised by Charaka..

LESSON VI.

We shall, after this, expound the Vimanam about groups of diseases.

Thus said the illustrious son of Atri-.’t

There are two groups of diseases, judged by difference of origin or nature, viz., Curable and Incurable.

There are two groups of diseases, judged by difference of strength, viz., Mild and Violent.

There are two groups of diseases, judged by difference of substratum viz., those that have the mind for their substratum,, and those that have the body for their substratum-

* The roots of the three and ten kinds of ducts occur in aphorisms 5 to 12The indications of their vitiation occur in the concluding portions of the same aphorisms. The different names of the ducts occur in aphorism. 13, The cir¬ cumstances attendant on their provocation occur in aphorisms 14 and 15. The causes of the vitiation of each class of ducts occur in aphorisms 16 to 31.. The medicines that should be prescribed for each class of ducts when vitiated, occur in aphorisms 33 to 35. The truth at the outset, about a person being a conglomeration of ducts, occurs in aphorisms 1 to 4. — T.

1" ‘ Anika’ literally means many or multitudinous. Hence, ‘ Roganika’

implies multitudes of diseases. In this lesson something like a classification is attempted of diseases- — T.

p. 512

CHAR AKA SAM II IT A.

There are two groups of diseases, judged by difference of their causes, viz., those due to disorders of the constituent elements, and those due to accidental causes.