Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

That which increases a particular ‘ dhatu ’ operates as the decrease of that other ‘ dhatu ’ which is of opposite attributes.

Hence that is regarded as the rightly selected medicine which restores simultaneously to their normal condition the increased and the decreased ‘ dhatus ’ by diminishing the in¬ creased and increasing the diminished one.

Even this is the effect that is desired of the administration of medicine, and even this is the method of the preservation of health, viz., the restoration of the dhatus ’ to a state of harmony.!7

* Simply stated, when the constituent elements of the body are in a state of harmony, the condition is called health. When that harmony is lost, the condition is called disease. If the loss of harmony be decided, the result is death. — T.

t The last word in the aphorism is ‘akartsnena, ’ meaning ‘ ekadegena ’ (as explained by Chakrapani), i.e., not wholly. The sense, of course, is ‘ of only few ’ or ‘ of some of them. ’ As a matter of fact, some one, or two, or more among the 1 dhatus ’ becomes or become increased, or decreased. Upon such increase or decrease, the harmony of the ‘ dhatus, ’ which is their normal condition, becomes destroyed. Instead of harmony, what succeeds is inharmony or discordance. — T.

{ It has been explained (in Sutrasthana, ante,) that what is called Health is really nothing else than the existence of the several ‘ dhatus ’ or constituent ingredients of the body in a state of harmony. The normal condition of the body is the co-existence of the ‘ dhatus ’ in a state of harmony. When, however, that harmony is destroyed through any cause, that is, when some one or more among the ‘dhatus’ is or are increased and some other or others, possessed of opposite attributes, is or are diminished, the result is inharmony or discordance. Even this is disease. If a particular ‘ dhatu ’ is increased, another that is possessed of opposite attributes is sure to be diminished. The object of medicine is

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For keeping up the harmony of even the harmonious 1 dhatus ’ of one who is in health, persons possessed of skill desire . to prescribe food in various forms, endued with taste and the attributes (of heaviness and lightness, etc.) in proper order.

When, again, persons take such food as is known to be assimilable but as abounds in only one kind of taste, (the harmony of the ‘ dhatus ’ being disturbed), they desire to restore the (lost) harmony by such effort (in the form of food and drink) as are known to be hostile in consequence of (methods of) preparation and attributes.*8 simultaneously to dimin ish the increased ‘ dhatu ’ and to increase the diminished one. — T.

* ‘ Anugrahartham ’ implies ‘ for keeping up or maintaining. 1

‘ Rasagunan, ’ as explained by Chakrapani, refers to the tastes and the attributes of heaviness and lightness.

Almost all the printed editions have ‘ ahara-vilcaran, ’ meaning 1 various modifications of food ’ probably, products of diverse methods of cooking and corrections. Chakrapani explains it as implying the different kinds of food, viz., ‘ Charya, ’ ‘ Choshya, ’ ‘ I ehya ’ and ‘ Peya, ’ that is, food that is chewed, or sucked, or licked, or drunk.

Another reading is 1 ahara-viharan, ’ meaning ‘ food and sports. ’ The only objection to the acceptance of this reading is the inapplicability of the adjective 1 rasagunan ’ to it. ‘ Paryyayena ’ is explained by Chakrapani as ‘ atyuchitena kramena, ’ that is, ‘ in due or proper succession or order. ’ He explains it further thus : if by excessive use of honey, the phlegm is excited, articles which are pungent or bitter should be taken for alleviating the excited phlegm. This is as regards the tastes. Then, if by taking food that is heavy, the digestive fire becomes weakened, light food should be taken so that the weakened fire may recover its normal strength. ‘ Kuijalah, ’ in the first portion of the aphorism, may mean hoth skilled physicians and (as explained by Gangadhara) 1 Swahitai$inah buddhimantah, ’ that is, ‘ intelligent persons that are always careful of their own health. ’

‘ Viparita karana-lakshmana-samakhyata-cheshta ’ has been explained differently by different commentators and translators. Chakrapani, I think, is correct. He understands the compound as meaning 1 such cheshta or effort (in the form of administering food and drink) which is known by this lakshana or name, viz., ‘ Viparita -karana, ’ i.e., of hostile or opposite action

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