Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

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„ the

p. 711

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„ ‘ Paurusha ’

p. 712

p. 11

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„ ailments should directed .

„ should be directed.

p. 21

word

„ words

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„ whencep. 35 and not two ;

„ and not two) ;

p. 34

every

„ very

7i4p. 14 the Sutrasthâna

„ Sutrasthana

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Sattwasampraysga

„ Sattwasamprayoga.

p. 34

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„ would indulge

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„ desire

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„ affirm

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„ sheep

p. 16

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„ Phaseolus

p. 719

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„ tude ;

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„ semen

p. 30

Punarvasus’s

„ Punarvasu’sp. 720p. 17 is said to be

„ it is said to be

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„ ment of

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„ incidents ’

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p. 25

Garbhasya

„ Garbhasya

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p. 27

bhuyastam

„ bhuyishtham

p. 35

‘ rasatoh ’

„ ‘ rasatah ’

p. 726

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„ the

p. 737

29-

‘ Ajatau ’

„ * Ajatau ’

p. 729

predominent

„ predominant

CHARAKA SAMHITA.

p. 699

The suspension- of the menstrual flow of a woman, caused by (vitiated) wind, is sometimes regarded as conception by men reft of intelligence and learning. In such cases, the menstrual blood not coming out, presents the aspect of a growing conception..*7 . \

Beholding not the foetus but only the blood flowing out through.^ ,y. the effects of fire, or the sun, or excessive toil, or grief, ok? / ^ disease,, or through the effects of heat-producing food and ". . '

drink, some men reft of knowledge say that the conception'' ... - has been done away with by evil spirits.f8

Of night-wanderers, who have the ojas for their food, the body is never agreeable as food. If, indeed, they would do away with the foetus, why would they not, having got the opportunity, eat up the mother’s of as

* The last half of the second line of this verse is read incorrectly in. some texts.. The true reading is ‘ asrigasrltvi,’ meaning the unflowing, blood, that is, the suspended menstrual flow.. The word before ‘ asrik;’ may be taken either as ‘ Tad ’ or ‘ Tada.1 — T.

t The first half of the second line is incorrectly read in some texts.. The correct reading is, — ‘ d'rishtwasrigekam na cha garbhamajnah,’ mean¬ ing, — ‘ seeing only the blood but not anything; in, the form of fcelus, some ignorant men, etc.’

J The argument contained in this verse is. so childish that it is diffi¬ cult to believe that either Punarvasu or Charaka. could have used it. It seems that the verse is an interpolation.

‘ Rajaniehara ’ is, literally, a night-wanderer. The word is- used tosignify evil spirits and Rakshasas. The popular belief is that these spirits feed on the ojas , meaning the essence of the heart’s blood.. They do not affect the flesh. Hence it is said that when only blood is seen to flow but no foetus comes out, it cannot be taken that the foetus has been eaten up by evil spirits. Indeed, if evil spirits get the opportunity of attacking a woman that has conceived, they would eat up her ojas and kill het odnwright. Why would they be content with eating up the foetus alone ?

It should be stated here that in India a woman that has conceived is forbidden to expose her body, particularly in the morning or the evening twilight, or while passing along a solitary road. She should not allow the end of her cloth, called anckala , to drop down on the ground. She should not eat or drink anything that has been brought along a road

p. 89

7oo

CHARAKA SAM HIT A

Agnjvega asked, — Why, (O illustrious one), does a woman give birth to a daughter ? why to a son ? why to a son and daughter together ? why to one of a particular sex separately ? why to twin sons ? why to twin daughters ? why to many at a time ? why, again, does she deliver (sometimes) after a much longer time than usual ? why also does one of a twin-birth attain to development (while the other languishes) ?1Q

Punarvasu said, — If blood predominates (in the seed), the result is a girl ; if semen predominates, the result is a boy. If the seed becomes divided into two portions (through the action of the wind), the result is a twin of opposite sexes accord¬ ing as blood or semen may predominate in each portion.11

She who gets (injected into her womb) seed divided into two portions in each of which semen predominates, brings forth a twin consisting of males only. She, on the other hand, who gets seed divided into two portions in each of which blood predominates, brings forth a twin consisting of females only.11

If the wind, exceedingly excited, entering (into the womb), divides the seed, which always consists of semen and the men¬ strual blood, into several portions, then as many children, each governed by his or her acts in previous lives and irres¬ pective of his or her own will, are brought forth as the number of such portions.13