Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

If the assembly be indifferent (2. e., impartial or uninclined in favour of either party)* and consists of members that are endued with heedfulness, information acquired from converse with various persons, knowledge, wisdom, retentive faculty, and power of speech, one should talk with great carefulness and mark the measure of the merits and defects of one’s opponent.

If upon marking his merits and demerits, one comes to regard him as one’s superior, one should not then engage in a disputation with him. One should, however, while declining a disputation, still take care to conceal one’s inferiority.

When, however, one becomes impressed with the inferiority of the opponent, one should soon discomfit him.20

In this connection, the following are certainly the means that may be adopted for quickly discomfiting disputants that are inferior. They are these :

An opponent that is weak in the Scriptures should be vanquish¬ ed with citations of lengthy aphorisms.f scriptures. — T.

* ‘ Qrutahina ’ is one that has not properly studied the medical

f ‘Vijnanahina’ is one who has not properly seized the sense of the scriptures though he' has read them through. What is recommended for vanquishing such a one in a disputation is something like an indulgence in Greek-quotations, which, as has been aptly remarked, very often do duty for reasons. — T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

p. 563

An opponent that is bereft of wisdom should be vanquished by the use of phrases fraught with words whose sense is difficult to catch.*

An opponent that is^unable to quickly catch the sense of the words he hears, should be vanquished by reciting lengthy apho¬ risms fraught with crooked words.

An opponent that is wanting in reproductive faculty should be vanquished by using diverse kinds of words, as also words each of which has diverse senses. f

An opponent that is bereft of clear and eloquent utterance should be vanquished by jeering imitations of his half-uttered words and expressions.

An opponent that is vain though not pos-essed of skill and mastery over the science, should be vanquished by one's putting him to shame (by exposure of his ignorance). ij:

An opponent that is wrathful should be vanquished by provok¬ ing his wrath.

An opponent that is timid should be vanquished by exciting his fear.

An opponent that is heedless should be vanquished by ad¬ herence to method.21

{Here are two verses).

In hostile disputations (with an inferior opponent), one should conduct oneself according to the above directions.

As regards an opponent that is possessed of a real mastery over the science (and that is, therefore, superior), one should not engage in hostile disputations with him.

* ‘ Pratibha ’ is that faculty by which what is retained in the mind is quickly reproduced when needed. This is the reproductive faculty of the Hamiltonian school. There are men who are learned and who possess retentive memory, but when the occasion comes, cannot readily bring out their stores of knowledge. Such men are said to be ' Pratibhahina. — T.

f An ‘ avifarada is one that is a ‘ pragalbha ’ though ' apandita.’ — T. t /. e., disposing it to be inclined favourably towards one. — T.

5^4

CH A RAKA-SAMHITA.

The reason of this is that the language, used in hostile disputa¬ tions, brings about intense enemity as regards some men.

There is nothing that a person excited by wrath may not do. There is nothing that such a person may not say. Hence, they that are wise do not applaud disputations in assemblies of the good.22"28

By these means one may soon vanquish an opponent that is inferior.

When a hostile discussion is about to begin, before actually engaging in it, one should endeavour to act as follows :

Making an understanding with the assembly, one should cause it to name that as the subject of discussion with which one is perfectly familiar, or which will be exceedingly difficult to one's opponent, or, one may cause such a subject to be brought up as runs counter to the sentiments of the assembly.*

When the assembly is seated, one should say, — It is not proper for both of us to say anything (regarding the subject to be taken up for discussion). Here is your assembly. It will fix the subject of discussion as also the limitations that should regulate the discussion, agreeably to its own wishes, as also to considerations of propriety, and to our intentions.

Saying these words, one should observe silence.24

In this connection it should be said that the following are regarded as limitations for regulating discussions : this should be said ; this should not be said ; if this happens, the di sputant shall be regarded as vanquished.25

The following are the categories which the physician must be acquainted with in order to acquire a knowledge of the ways of discussion or disputation :