Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Or, that is redundancy which consists of a citing of the scrip¬ tures of Vrihaspati or Uganas or any such irrelevant matter while the subject matter of talk is connected with medical scriptures.

Or, that which is a repetition of matter that is even relevant is redundancy in consequence of such repetition.

Such repetition is of two kinds : viz., repetition as regards sense (or meaning,) and repetition is respect of words.

A repetition of sense is where one uses different words ex¬ pressive of the same meaning, as Bheshaja, Aushadha, Sadhana, &c.

A repetition of words is a repeated use of the same word, as Bheshaja , Bheshaja.™

Unmeaningness, verily, is where a speech affords no sense but

* The presence of these is destructive of the true sense. Hence, their absence is conducive to the true sense being caught. — T.

p. 576

CHAR AKA -SA MHITA .

consists of a group of letters only, such as those which have been distributed into five classes.*59

Incoherence, verily, is a combination of words each of which has a meaning but which meanings are unconnected with each other; for example, whey — wheel — race — thunder — morn.50

As to Contradiction : Contradiction of speech is that which is opposed to the example (cited,) also to the conclusion, and the occasion.

Amongst these, Example and Conclusion have been already spoken of. As regards Occasion, it is of these kinds : occasion relating to the Science of Life, that relating to Sacrifices, that relating to the scriptures on Emancipation, &c.

Amongst these, as regards occasion relating to the Science of Life, — Medicine consists of four ingredients.

As regards occasion relating to Sacrifices, — Animals should be offered up as sacrifices (to the deities).

As regards occasion relating to the scriptures on Emancipation, — compassion to all creatures. Amongst these, anything uttered inconsistently with the occasion is impertinent. t61

* The letters of the Sanskrit alphabet consist of five classes, called vargas , a varga consisting of 5 letters. There are some additional letters as the comple¬ ment of the alphabet. Mere letters uttered in any order would not give sense. — T.

f What is meant by ‘Viruddha’ is hostile, or impertinent, using the latter term in its original sense. A speech that is opposed to the example cited, or to the conclusion, is of this kind. What is said of occasion is this : When the Science of Life is the subject of talk, one should speak of Medicine as consisting of four ingredients, viz., drugs, physician, patient, and attendant or nurse. If one speaks, at such a time, of propitiation of the deities, and similar rites, as possessed of curative virtue, one . should be held as saying what is impertinent.

So, on occasions relating to Sacrifices, in which animals are ordained to be slaughtered, if one says that animals should not be slaughtered, or that com¬ passion towards all creatures should be the rule of human conduct, one must be held as saying what is impertinent.

Also when the subject of talk is the Scriptures on Emancipation, one should

CH A RAKA-SA M HIT A .

p. 577

Perfection of Speech : Perfection of speech is as follows : that speech which is not insufficient, and redundant, not meaning¬ less, not incoherent, and not inconsistent, which is not fraught with well-expressive and suitable words, is unobjectionable, hence it is applauded (as perfect).62

As to chicane (Cchala) : chicane, verily, is speech fraught with cunning, plausibility, and diversion of sense, and which consists of words only as its essence. It is of two kinds : i. chicane as regards words only, and 2. chicane based on the undistributed middle.

Of these, chicane as regards words only is as follows':

One says, — This physician is a Navatantra.

The physician may say in reply, — I am not a Navatantra but an Ekatantra. The other side may say, — I don’t mean to say that you are a Navatantra (that is, a person of nine scriptures) but that you have studied your scriptures only recently.

The physician may say, — I have studied the scriptures not nine times but many hundreds of times.

This is an illustration of chicane as regards words.*65

As to chicane of undistributed middle (Samanya :) of such chicane the following is an example. One says that medicine is for allaying disease. The other may say that an existent thing is for allaying an existent thing.

not speak of anything except compassion to all creatures as the prime duty. A reference to animal slaughter at such a time would be impertinent. — T.

* The word ‘Nava,’ in Sanskrit, means either nine or new. When, there¬ fore, the first speaker addressed the physician as a ‘Navatantra,’ the physician, instead of taking ‘Nava’ as new, takes it as implying nine. His answer, there¬ fore, is ‘I am an Ekatantra,’ that is, ‘of one tantra.' When the first speaker rejoins, saying, — No, I don’t mean to say how many tantras you have, but my intention is to say that you have studied your scriptures nava or newly, the physician, taking ‘Nava' even here as meaning nine, answers, saying, — No, I have studied the scriptures not nine times but many hundreds of times.