Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Corresponding with the second age, called Treta, is the period of youth.

Corresponding with the third age, called Dwapara, is the period of Manhood.

Corresponding with the fourth age called Kali is the period of decay or decrepitude.

Corresponding with the termination of the Yugas is death.*

* How ‘ Heaven and the like 1 (swargadih) can be regarded as correspond¬ ing with : 1 Garbhadhana, ’ meaning ‘residence within the womb,’ is not at all clear. Chakrap'ani explains ‘ Swarga 1 as meaning 1 pralayantah kalah, ’ that is, the period of time that comes after ‘ Pralaya 1 or the apparent dissolution of the universe. That period of time, however, is the period of the rebrith or re-appearance of all en ities. It may be called ‘ Sarga ’ (Creation}, but not ‘ Swarga (Heaven), which is a place of bliss where creatures reside for sometime before coming into the world again. Besides what is meant by ‘ adih ’ in ‘ Swargidih ? ’ Is Hell, or a state or region of misery, included in ‘adi ?’ If by ‘ Swargadih ’ be meant those regions where one must dwell for sometime before one’s rebirth or re-appearance in the world,

< Garbhadhana 1 or the period of gestation, or the region of the womb, may not be unfitly likened to ‘swargadih,’ for that is the period before life begins, and that is the region where one must reside before one comes into the world.

There are four ‘ Yugas 1 or periods of time in the life of the universe ; the first is called Krita or Satya, corresponding to the Golden age of the Greeks ; the second is Treta, corresponding with the Silver age of the Greeks ; the third is Dwapara, and the fourth is Kali, corresponding respectively with the Brazen and the Iron age of the early European nations. When Kali expires, the dissolution of the universe takes place. After a long period,

CHAR AKA SAM HIT A.

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By this kind of analogy, 0 Agnivega, it should bs known that a similarity exists between a human being and the external universe, as regards even those particulars to which express reference is not made here.5

Unto the illustrious son of Atri who said so, Agnivega replied — What has been said by thy illustrious self about the similarity or agreement between man and the universe is truly so. Indeed, the whole of it is faultless. What, however, is , the utility of thy instructions on this head ?8

The illustrious (Rishi) said,—

Listen, O Agnive$a ! He who sees the universe in himself, and himself in the universe, attains to Self-knowledge.

Of him who sees the whole uuiverse in himself, the Self be¬ comes the author of his pleasures and pains, and none else. Even this is what happens.

In consequence, again, of pleasure and pain having acts for their soul, one, becoming dissociated from causes and the rest, and regarding oneself as identical with the universe, attains to that knowledge (of Self) which results in Emancipation.7*

Brahman, the Grandsire, awakes from sleep and creates the universe anew. The fact is, the universe lasts as long as it is Brahman’s day. When the Grandsire’s night comes, it is dissolved, and remains in that state till his day comes again. The life of the Grandsire is measured by a hundred years consisting of such days.

Corresponding with the four Yugas or periods of time in the life of the the universe, are the- four periods in the life of man, called Infancy or boyhood, youth, manhood and decrepitude. The limits of these periods have been set forth in VimSnasthana.). — T.

1 Atmabuddhih ’ or ‘ Atmajnanam ’ is knowledge of Self. The knowledge of Self arises when one sees the universe in oneself, and oneself in the universe. Seeing the universe in oneself and oneself in the universe is a consciousness of one’s identity with the universe ; in other words, the conviction that one is not different from other creatures ; what is called variety in the universe is only apparent instead of being real. When the Self is truly apprehended, one comes to feel this, viz , — I am the universe and the universe is me. Such a consciousness or conviction is possessed by Yogins. What the Rishi says next in this aphorism is that when one sees

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CHARAKA SAMHITA