Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

One who is excessively fond of eating (and drinking), whose behaviour, practices, and surroundings are exceedingly miserable, who is full of envy, who is utterly selfish, who is characterised by excessive cupidity, and who is unfit for action, should be known as possessed of a mind like that of a Preta.*61

One whose lust is always excited, who is always addicted to food and drink, who is restless, who is incapable of bearing humiliation or insult, and who never lays, by anything for future Use, should be regarded as possessed of a mind like that of birds.f54

Verily, even thus are the six different sorts of Rajas-pervaded mind, in consequence of the element: of passion occurring in it.'*

One who always starts objections against whatever is proposed, who is always meanly dressed, who is addicted to censurable practices and food and sports and sexual indulgence, and who is addicted to sleep, should be known as possessed of a mind like that of -the lower animals/4

One who is timid, and foolish, who is easily allured by food, who is restless (or has no fixity for purpose), whose lust and wrath are over excited, who is wandering in his habits, arid who is fond of water, should be known as possessed of a mind like that of the fishes.8SJ

One why is. idle, who. is engaged; continually, in. eating (and drinking); and who is destitute of all the organs of the. understand¬ ing, should be known as possessed of the nature of trees.^4 t ‘ Anushaktakamam ■' may be taken as . implying one whose mindc -is always under the influence of desire for enjoyments.

* ‘ Cila ’ is general behaviour or conduct ; ‘ achara ’ irihj>lies 'practices relating to food, drink, bath, dress, &c. • ‘ upachara, ’ probably, has reference •‘to one’s surroundings.— T.-

• Asanchayinam ’ is one who is wasteful ; who spends'le very thing he has, without any thought for the morrow, like birds and other orders of ‘what is Cafied-the lower animal creation.— T. hv.* / : r r t * Anavasthitam ’ may mean also * without fixity of purpose^ —T.- •

The word which I render ‘ tr.-es* is • Vanaspati. > It literally Signifies ‘ a lord of the . fo:est, ’ meaning, of course, such large trees as. the . peepul, the banian, the cala ('ho/ea robust*), &c. Charaka, classifies, .members of the vegetable kingdom into four orders, vis., Vanaspati, Qshadhi, Vi'udha, and Pratsna. For the characteristics of t^ach.of these, title ijmrasthana, attie, p, — T.

£62 CHAR AKA S-AMHITA.

Verily, even thus are the three different varieties of Tamaspervaded mind, in consequence of the element of stupefaction (or heedlessness) occurring in it.6'

Verily, among the innumerable distinctions between the three kinds of mind (vis., the Sattwa-pervaded, the Raj as-pervaded, and the Tamas-pervaded), only a small part thereof is ex¬ plained.^

Of the pure mind the seven varieties are those that are after the manner of the minds possessed by Brahman the Rishis, Cakra, Varuna, Yama, Kuvera, and the Gandharvas.*

Of the • Rajas-pervaded mind the six varieties are those that are after the manner of the minds possessed by Daityas, Rdkshasas, Picdchas, Snakes, Pretas, and birds.t

Of the Tamas-pervaded mind the three varieties are those that are after the manner of the minds of beasts, fishes, and trees.

The practices (or conduct) of a person will, somehow, accord with the variety of mind he may possess.^

5 It is difficult to understand the precise meaning of the word ‘Brahma’ as used in the compound 4 Brahma- Sattwa ” Probably, ‘ Brahma-Sattwa ’ means the mind of a pure Brahmana, taking the word ‘ Brahmana ’ in the sense of one who has knowledge of ‘ Brahma ’ or the all-pervading universal Essence. A ‘ Rishi ’ may not necessarily be a Brahmana. One who is both a Brahmana and Rishi is a ‘ Brahmarshi 1 It will thus be clear that 1 Brahma-Sattwa ’ and ‘ Rishi-Sattwa ’ are two different things. — T.

+ In auhorism 57, the word used is ‘ Asura-sattwa. 1 Here, for ‘ Asura ’ the word ‘ Daitya ’ is used. Asuras and • Daityas are the same. They are step-brothers and opponents of the deities ‘Pretas’ are Earth-bound spirits of the dead. — T.

J The words ‘ Kathanch'a yathSsattwam upacharah sy5.d:ti ’ do no: •present any difficulty. Yet all the Bengali translators have misunderstood them completely. The fact is, the Rishi has expressly mentioned a few varie¬ ties only of the three kinds of mind. The varieties are infinite. Hence, the general proposition, viz., one’s practices will accord with the kind of ' Sattwa ’ one has. Thus there are men who may be ealled 1 Vyaglira-.-attwa ’ (tiger-minded), or ‘ cukara-sattwa, (hog-minded), or ‘ Kukkura-sattwa ’ (dogminded), &c. What is said here is that they who are so, resemble in conduct the respective creatures mentioned, -T.

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Sir Alfred Croft M.A., C. I. E. Director of Public Instruction. Bengal : —

I have been greatly entertained as -well- as-edified by the’ examination in part;. IW of all the things which a man shall not do. A layman can unde rstand the precepts and such a guide to life cannot be other than valuable.