Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

+ What is stated here is this : the organs of sense, when dissociated from the mind, cannot do anything. It is only when they are associated with it that they succeed in bearing knowledge or ideas to the mind. The mind, after the appre¬ hension of sensuous objects, begins to act upon them. Certitude of knowledge, however, is not its function. The mind doubts, saying, — “ Is this so, or, Is this not so ? ” Then comes the Intellect which discriminates and says either this is so, or this is not so. Hence, the Intellect is said to have certitude for its essence. After the Intellect has, by discrimination, brought about certitude of apprehension, one begins to act, guided by the Intellect.— T.

CHARAKA SAMHITA.

The (five) organs of sense, whose existence is indicated by five (different) functions, are connected with the (five) primal elements beginning with ether and the rest, each succeeding one apprehend¬ ing one more (of the latter) than each preceding one.*51

The arms and legs, the anus, the organ of generation, and the tongue, are the five organs of action.

The legs are used for locomotion.

The anus and the genital organ are for the discharge of se¬ cretions. The two arms are for seizing and bolding.

The tongue is the organ of speech. It should be noted that that speech which is truthful is represented as light ; while that speech which is false is represented as darkness.52- 5

The great primal elements are ether (space), air, fire (or light), water, and earth. Their (respective) attributes are sound, touch, form (vision), taste, and scent.

Each of the great elements has one of these attributes ; . while each succeeding one has (in addition) the attribute or attributes of the preceding one or ones. Thus ether has sound ; air has touch and sound ; fire (or light) has form (or vision) and touch and sound ; water has taste and form, and touch and sound ; and earth has scent, and taste, and form, and touch and sound.5*-35

Roughness, liquidity, mobility, and heat are (respectively) seen

* It is extremely difficult to render such terse verses as this. What is said here is this : ether (or space), air light (or fire), water, and earth are the five elements. The organs of sense are the ear, the skin (or touch), the eyes, the tongue, and the nose. The ear is connected with ether (or space) ; the skin (or touch) with ether and air ; the eyes with ether, air, and light (or fire) ; the tongue with ether, air, light, and water ; and the nose with all those forms and earth. The connection arises in this way ; the ear or hearing apprehends sound ; sound depends on ether or space for its manifestation ; the skin apprehends all kinds of touch ; these are dependant for their manifestation on air ; and so on. The usual order of naming the primal elements is Kshityaptejomarutvyoma , meaning earth, water, light or fire, air, and ether or space. In the verse, this order has been reversed, for space comes first. Each sense apprehends one of these as its own particular object ; while each succeeding one (in the order of enumeration) apprehends the object or objcets of that or those before it. — T.

CHARAKA SAM HIT A

to be the properties of earth, water,, air, and fire ; while, of ether the property is non-resistibility.*34’

Every one .of these properties is cogmsibl'e by the sense of Touch-, for by the sense of Touch are perceptible not only all kinds of touch but also the absence of touch.f35

It has been ssid (in Lesson XXVT — Bhadrkapyiya — of Sutrasthana, ante) that the attributes of the primal elements existing in the Body are (the) indications (of those primal' elements)!

Sound and the rest should be known as ‘ Arthas r (objects of the senses) : they are also called Gocharas r ‘ Visbayas ’ and ‘ Gunas.’’ I86

* By ‘ linga,' which I render ‘ property,’ is meant attribute which indicates the existence of the thing which owns- it as such.. The words ‘ attribute ’ and * property ’ are used in the text as convertible terms-..

f It may be readily understood that all the senses may be reduced to the sence of Touch. The ear is touch-, for there can be no hearing without what is called sound coming into actual contact with the auditorium or the nerves of the auricular drum. The eye is touch, for there can be no vision without the rays of light that are reflected by the object seen coming into contact with the retina and the inner nerves that connect it with the brain. The tongue is touch, for there canbe no taste without an object coming into- contact with the-lingual nerves. The nose also is touch, for there can be no scent without the effluvia, emitted by an object coming into contact with the olfactory nerves,