Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

‘ Anagana 1 implies fasts, including continued fasts by which men sometimes lay down their lives. Men sometimes used to lay down their lives by entering into fire or water. In the Rjmayana occurs the noted example of the Rishi Qarabhanga. As soon as he saw Rama in the Dandaka forest (for whom, indeed, he had been waiting), he caused a pyre to be made and cheerfully entered the blazing fire and then proceeded in his astral body to heaven. The example is mentioned of the Hindu devotee, Calanus, who accompanied Alexander from the Punjab to Babylon and there entered the blazing pyre for proceeding, as he said, to Heaven.— T,

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CHARAKA SAMHITA.

Thus, this one, (i.e., Purusha), beconiing divested of (true) understanding, apprehension, and memory, immersed in pride, tied to attachments, involved in doubt, his intelligence overwhelmed by false notions, falling away from the Supreme with vision totally distorted, viewing difference where difference does not exist and led astray along paths that do not lead to the desirable goal, happens to be the roosting tree of all the faults of mind and body, as also the rest of all sorrows.

Thus obliged, by pride ( Ahankdra ) and the other faults, to wander (through repeated rebirths'!, one fails to transcend Pravritti (inclination for acts). Verily, Pravritti is the root of sin. 41

Nivritti (abstention from acts ) is the foremost of all ends.!

It is Param (or the Highest).

It is Tranquillity.

It is Akshararm (Undecaying), f

* Some : texts read ‘ Evamayam Purusha khalu etc., smritihinah. ’ The better reading is ‘ Evamayamadhi &c. ’

Here the several obstacles to Emancipation, mentioned in aphorism u, are 'mentioned in different language. The reading ‘ Sasamgayah ’ is to be preferred. Then, again, ‘ Sattwagariradoshanam ’ and not ‘ Sattwagarira doshamulanSm ’ is the reading I adopt.

‘ Nivasha-vriksha ’ is, lit , ‘ habitation-tree ’ ; i. e., a tree in which birds nestle or roost night and day. — T.

* There are four Vargas, viz., Beligion, Wealth, Pleasure, and Emancipation. The particle ‘ apa ’ implies superior or foremost. Hence, Emancipation, which is the foremost of the quadruple group.— T.

t Godhead or what is Highest is undecaying or unfading. There is no change in it for the worse. The attribute of immutability is implied. All change (as Plato observed) must be either for the worse or the better. In Godhead there can be no change ; for if God changes for the worse, He ceases to be God ; and if for the better, He was no God before In 1 Aksharam ’ the idea of the impossibility of change for the worse is implied. — T.

CHAR AKA SAM HIT A.

77 5

It is Brahma.

It is Emancipation.

In this connection, we shall expound the means (or practices) of persons desirous of achieving Emancipation. *

Amongst those means (or practices) of one desirous of achieving Emancipation, at the outset is going to a preceptor ; the carrying out of his (the preceptor’s) instructions ; attending the (sacrificial) Fire ;f the persual of the Scriptures;]; comprehension of their meaning ; with its aid the fixing of the mind ;§ acts in conformity with what is laid down therein (i.e., in the Scriptures) ;

sitting by the side of the Righteous ; avoidance of the Unrighteous ; avoidance of association with the wicked ;

speech that is truthful ; that is beneficial to all creatures ; that is not rough (or harsh) ; that is not untimely, and that is uttered after due consideration (or examination) ;

surveying all creatures in the same light as one’s own self ; absention from recollecting, soliciting, and addressing the other six in its entirety ;

renunciation of all earthly possessions ;

a scanty piece of cloth steeped in red chalk for covering the privities ; 1

* ‘ Udayana implies means or practices. — T.

t * Upacharyya ’ of Fire implies service of or attention to the sacred Fire ; i. e., the due performance of Homa. — T.

t ' Dharmasastras ’ implies the Scriptures on Religion and Duty. — T.

$ ‘ Avashtambha ’ is fixing of the mind. Gangadhara explains it as such. What is implied is ‘ prevention of the mind from going astray. ' T.

IT The reading ‘ Kaupina-prachcchadanartham &c. ’ is better than ‘ Kaupinam prachcchadanartham &c. ’ ‘ Kaupina ’ primarily means the privities ; secondarily, a scanty piece of cloth for covering the privities.— T.

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CHARAKA SAMHITA.

For sewing his kanthd (coarse upper garment) a needle and torn rags ; * , for (external) purity, and support of the body (while walking), a water- Jar and a wooden staff ; f a pot (or vessel) for the keep of doles (obtained in course of eleemosynary rounds ; J

Collection of such doles, as may be readily obtained, of wild corn, fruits, and roots, once in a day, for the preservation of the life-breaths alone ; § for throwing off fatigue, a bed and pillows made of withered and dry leaves and grass ;