Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

In this, all (these) are said to be causes.1'*

Those incedents of the foetus which are born of assimilable food and drink, and those which it obtains, in course of its development in the womb, from assimilable food and drink we shall expound below. These are health (freedom from disease), activity (freedom from sloth or idleness), freedom from cupidity, cheerfulness of the organs (of both knowledge and action), wealth of voice, of complexion, and of blood and semen, and excess of gladness.

* Having said that conception is due to congenial food and drink, and that sterility is the effect of addiction to uncongenial food and drink, the Rishi takes care to qualify the assertion by explaining that it is not true that they who are addicted to uncongenial food and drink prove sterile. Such addiction is undoubtedly one of the conditions of sterility ; but then it does not bring about sterility unless the three faults, becoming excited, injuriously affect the semen, the blood, and the womb. It is seen, again', that men and women who are habituated to congenial food and drink! whose semen and blood and womb are all healthy, and who unite in sexual congress at the proper time, do not bring about conception ; the reason, in such cases, being the absence of Jiva or Self ready to fall into the womb. It is Jiva or Self that falls into the womb when the time comes for it to take birth. Hence, in the presence of all other conditions but the absence of a Jiva or Self ready to be reborn, there can be no conception. The fact is, all the conditions are necessary before conception can possibly occur.— T.

CHARAKA SAMHITA

7 25

These are born of food and drink properly assimilated.17*

Conception is born of the juices also. Without the juices the very life of the mother cannot be sustained ; what then about the origin of conception ?

It is not, again, seen that the juices, imbibed in insufficient measure, bring about conception.

Nor is it seen that the juices imbibed in sufficient measure, bring about conception.

In this matter (of conception) even the sum total of the circumstances is said to be the cause.>8

Those incidents of the foetus which are born of the juices, and those which it obtains from the juices in course of its growth in the womb, we shall expound below. They are as follows :

The birth of the body and its growth and development ; union with the life-breaths ; gratification ; nourishment ; and activity.

These are born of the juices.15f

* ‘ Yani satmajani ’ and ‘ Yani satmatah sambhavatah sambhavanti ’

are explained by Gangadhara as follows : the first implies those incidents which appertain to the foetus after its birth, (understanding by birth, deli¬ very from the womb in a developed state). The second refers to those incidents which the fcetus derives from the assimilation of proper food and drink by the parents, in course of its development in the womb. The fact is, ‘Satmatah’ is an ablative ; ‘ Sambhavatah ’ is a genetive. The incidents set forth are ‘ Jatsya Garbhasya ’ as also ‘ Jayamanasya Garbhasya,’ that is, of the foetus as born and developed after delivery, and of the fcetus as developing or growing in the womb. ‘ Praharsha bhuyastam,' meaning ‘ excess of gladness,’ is exlained by Gangadhara as implying the pleasure that results from sexual congress. — T.

+ In this aphorism also, ‘ Yani rasajani ’ and ‘ Yani rasatah sambhavatah sambhavanti ’ refer to two classes of incidents derived from ‘ Rasa ’ or the juices into which food and drink are developed. The first refers to ‘ Jatasya Garbhasya,’ and the second to 1 Jayamanasya Garbhasya,’ that is to the fcetus as born or delivered from the womb in a developed state, and to the fcetus as growing in the womb. Here also 1 rasatoh ’ is an ablative and ‘ sambhavatah ’ is a genetive. ‘ Prananubandha ’ implies the union of the fcetus with the life-breaths. These penetrate it while it is in the womb.— T.

p. 726

There can be no doubt that mind is the uniting agent, which, touching Jiva, binds it to the body. Upon its - flight (from the body) being near, the very character of Jiva becomes altered ; its devotion (to piety, etc.,) falls off ; all the organs (of both action and knowledge) become afflicted ; the strength of the body decreases ; and ailments increase.

Divested of it (wholly), Jiva casts off the life-breaths. It is, again, that which causes the senses to seize their respective objects.

It is called Manas.

It is of three kinds : I. Pure ; 2. pervaded by Rajas (passion) ; and 3. pervaded by Tamas (darkness). Even so.* 40 uniting agent.’ Tho Rishi, Punarvasu, repeats the assertion about Mind being the uniting agent as regards all incidents derived from the other sources, viz., 'Self, father, mother, etc. The repetition becomes necessary in view of the emphatic contradiction by Bharadwaja.

* ‘ Aupapadikam,’ or, as some texts read, ‘ upapadukam,’ implies ‘ a