Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The practices that should be- adopted in Hemanta and in £i§ira are of the same kind. Indeed, those of ^i^ira differ only slightly (from those of Hemanta). In the season of l^ira, in consequence of the Sun’s taking, the property of dryness is deve¬ loped, as also that of coldness arising out of clouds, winds, and (occasional) downpours.11

For this reason, all the practices ordained for Hemanta be^ come desirable (for adoption) in (Jifira also, with this exception that in the latter season chambers that are still better protected from the wind and that are a little more warm, should be used. In the season of £i<jira, food and drink that are pungent, bitter, and astringent, that have the property of the wind, that are light, and that are cooling, should be avoided.12-13

The phlegm that is stored in Hemanta, is excited (in the season of Vasanta) by the Sun through his rays. That phlegm checks the digestive fire within the body, This causes diseases of many kinds.14 For this reason, the usual purging operations should be gone through in the season of Vasanta. In this season food and drink that are heavy, sour, cooling, and sweet, as also sleep during the day, should be avoided.15 Upon the advent of the flowery season (viz., Vasanta), athletic exercises, the use of unguents, of

* Aguru is Aquilaria Agallocha. Both Sandal wood and Aguru are rubbed on a stone with a little quantity of water, and the soft paste so obtained is extensively used in India for plastering the temples, the forehead, and other parts of the body. The paste proves very cooling, and cures skin diseases of many kinds. When made thick, it keeps the body warm, fqr it is_soon dried but the particles adhere to the body, — T.

p. 70

OHARA K A-S AM HIT A

smoke, of collyrium of the measure of two tolahs, and the practice of bathing and cleaning the body and limbs with cool and fra¬ grant water, should be resorted to.*1®

In that season, smearing one's body and limbs with sandal and Aguru paste, one should eat barley and wheat, and the meat of Carabha, £a9a> and Ena, and Lava, and Kapinjala.f17

One should in this season also eat Nigada, and drink Sidhu and Madhwika wines. Vasanta should be known as the season when women and vegetables acquire the state of youth.18

In the season of summer, the Sun, by means of his (hot) rays, sucketh up the moisture of the universe. At that time food and drink that are agreeable to the taste, cool, liquid, and oily, are beneficial.1 0

That person never becomes weak who in this season eats £ali rice with ghee and milk, and cool barley meal mixed with sugar, and the flesh of animals and birds obtained from the forests.J20

In this season wine should not be taken in even the smallest dose ; or, if taken at all, it should be taken after diluting it very largely with water. Food and drink that are saltish and sour, and pungent and hot, as also all kinds of physical exercises, should be avoided.8 1 During daytime one should, in that season, sleep in a cool room and in the night in an apartment that is cooled by the rays of the moon, having smeared one’s body with sandal paste, or on the house- terrace, exposed to the wind. 2 8

In this season, seated at one’s ease on a comfortable seat and adorned with pebbles and gems, and served by servants (male and female) with fans moved by the hand and cooled by being (con¬ stantly) dipped in water mixed with sandal paste, one should

* The Ayurvedartha Chandrika explains that a ‘ kavadagraha ’ is a measure of 2 tolahs. — T.

+ Vide notes h, g,f d, and e in p. 50 ante.—T.

X ' Mantha ’ is barley meal mixed with Ghee. It is regarded as very cooling. — T.

CHARAKA-SA MU IT A.

p. 71

fesort to cool and shady woods and bowers and enjoy cool water and flowers. One should, in this season, refrain from sexual congress.23-24

In the body which becomes weak in consequence of the virtue of the period of Taking, the digestive fire becomes weak. That fire becomes further weakened in consequence of the faults of wind (bile and phlegm) in the season of rains.26

In consequence of the vapoury exhalations of the earth and the downpours from the clouds, and the water itself being so modified as to develop the property of sourness, in the season of rains, when the digestive fire (as said before) is weakened, wind and the others become injurious.28 For this reason, in the season of rains the adoption of such general practices that lead to health becomes desirable. And as regards eating and drinking, and the other rites that areobligatory, one should see that in going through them one does it with the assistance of wine .*•* 7

On days that are perturbed by wind and rain and that are espe¬ cially cold, in the season of rains, one should, for neutralising the evil effects of wind, eat food that is sour and saltish and oily.28

One desirous of keeping up his digestive fire from weakening should, in this season, eat barley and wheat and £ali rice that are old, (i. e., gathered two or three years ago), with the flesh of animals obtained from the forest and cooked with water in which has been boiled diverse kinds of pulses.f29