Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* It is difficult to understand what the sense is of the word ‘ bhuta ’ that immediately follows ‘ puti.’ If the final vowel in ‘ puti ’ were long, ‘ bhuta * would be intelligible as meaning a thing become putrified/ All the editions read ‘ puti ’ with the final vowel short. I suspect 1 bhuta ’ may mean evil or malignant spirits. The belief in India is that evil spirits cast around them, as they pass from place to place, a repulsive ordor. In verse 128 it is worthy of remark, the word ‘ bhuta ’ occurs in connection with wind. There it has been taken as imylying evil spirits. To this day, many diseases of children and of women in a state of pregnancy are attributed to contact with the wind raised by evil spirits as they pass through the welkin. ‘ Bhuta ’ may also be taken as implying living creatures. ‘ Bhuta-gandha ’ then, in such a connection, would mean such ordors as are emitted by unwashed dogs, or moles, or tigers, or grown up goats or sheep, and worms and insects of certain species and ants of certain kinds. Not being sure of the word I omit it in the translation. ‘Anartava ’ scents are those which do not appertain to the seasons in which they are indulged in. There are flowers belonging to a particular season. If their scent is taken in the season in which they appear, such scent becomes beneficial. If, however, these flowers are made to bloom in another season, their scent, if taken, would, instead of being beneficial, be baneiul. The same may be said of unseasonable fruits. The mango, for example, may be, made to grow and ripen in all seasons. It is seem, however, that if taken in any other season than that to which it properly belongs, it actually becomes baneful. Its taste also is considerably impaired. — T.

t The adjective ‘ trividhah ’ applies to 1 ashtmyarthasamyogah.’ It will be seen, however, that with ragard to every one of the senses, four and not three kinds of1 samyoga ’ or ‘ yoga ’ have been spoken of, viz., ‘ Atiyoga,1 ‘ Ayoga,’ ‘ Hinayoga,’ and ‘ Mithyayoga.’ The first implies excess of contact ; the second, a total absence of contact ; the third, sparing or partial contact, and the fourth, contact with objects that are hostile. In speaking, however, of only three kinds of con¬ tact, in verse 134, it would seem that the third (or ‘ Hinayoga’) has been left out of consideration. The definition of ‘ asatmya ’ as something that ‘ sahatmyatam na yati ’ is a mere verval one.— T.

p. 684

CHARAKA SAMHITA

The diseases which spring from; the false, the excessive;, and' thepartial correlation of sounds and the rest (with the corresponding organs of sense), should be known by the learned by- the name of' “ diseases appertaining to the senses.”*135

Even these are regarded as the causes of all sensations which) are productive of misery.

As regards happiness, it is said that there is. only one cause, viz., harmonious correlation. It is extremely difficult of attainment. t186

* The Sanskrit langnage has an evident superiority to the English in the. matter of derivatives that may be formed from roots and stems. Thus, from the. word ‘Indriya,’ implying sense, is formed the word ‘Aindriyaka,’ meaning ‘ appartaining or relating to the Indriyas.’ There are many derivatives in English fromi the: word ‘ sense,’ but none of them would convey the signification of the Sanskrit deri¬ vative ‘ Aindriyaka.’ It will be seen that diseases, according to their causes, are divided into three classes : i. those due to impairment or destruction of the understanding, memory, etc., or, as it is otherwise called, ‘ Prajnaparadha,’ i. e.r faults of judgment ; 2. those which fall within ‘ Kalasamprapti,’ i. e., the influ¬ ence of time ; and 3. the improper correlation of objects with the senses bywhich they are apprehended. The first and the third; it would seem, are scarcely exclusive of each other. Some of the diseases, again, which fall under the second! class, may be due to the same causes, which being about those of the first and! the third classes. Altogether, the classification does not seem to be scientific: — T_