Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

p. 787

drink as are light in quality ; while those which are heavy become attenuated through them.

In this way, through union with something of similar attributes, all the attributes of the constituent elements (of the body) gain in strength while through union with things of dissimilar attributes, they become attenuated. *12

Hence, by flesh is nourished flesh above all other constituent elements of the body.

Similarly, blood is nourished by blood ; adeps by adeps; fat by fat; bones by cartilage ; marrow by marrow ; semen by semen ; and conception by the newly- formed foetus (of some other animal). +13

Where, however, such modifications of food and drink as are possessed of similar attributes are not obtainable, or being obtainable, are not suitable in consequence of unassimilability, or of an aversion felt for it, or of any other reason, and where it is necessary to nourish the particular in gredients (of the body), the physician should, viewing the impossibility of administering such modifications of foo l and drink as are possessed of similar

* What is stated here is this : in the previous aphoiism, ten pairs of attributes in respect of the constituent elements of the body have been mentioned. They are heavy and light, cold and hot, &c. Each pair represents attributes opposed to each other. In the present aphorism it is said that elements that are heavy are nourished by food and drink possessing the property of heaviness. Such food and drink, while nourishing the elements that partake their own nature, attenuate those that are possessed of attributes dissimilar to theirs. In brief, heavy food nourishes the heavy elements and weakens the light ones. So light food nourishes the light elements but weakens the heavy ones. The same holds good with all the pairs of opposites. — T.

t What the Rishi says here is that by taking food consisting entirely or largely of the flesh of other animals, one would gain in flesh although the other ingredients of one’s body would not remain totally unnourished. This is the sense of 1 bhuyas ’ in the original. What is meant by ‘ garbhastu amagarbhena ’ imply that one’s conception is nourished by one’s eating a raw foetus or, rather, an ovum in the raw or first stage of some such animal as goat, sheep, &c.— T. *

IOO

p. 788

CHARAKA SAMHITA,

attributes, administer substances of other nature as happen to be possessed, in a great measure, of similar attributes. *14

The following are examples :

When there is absence of semen, the use is approved of milk and ghee, as also of other articles which are regarded as sweet and oily.

When, again, there is absence of urine, the use is approved of the juice of the Sugarcane, of the wine called Varuni, of gruel (of rice, barley, and other corn), of liquids, of articles that are sweet, or acid, or saline in taste, and of all articles that are endued with laxative properties, f

When there is loss of faeces, the use is approved of Kulmasha (a), of Masha ( b ), of Kushkunda ( c ), Ajamadhya («?), Yava ( e ),

* The language of the original is altogether so pleonastic and redundant that it is difficult to resist the belief about its being an interpolation. — T.

t ‘ Varuni ’ is a kind of wine. ‘ Manda, 1 in this connection, may imply a spiritous liquor, although the word is generally applied to mean their gruel of rice or any other grain duly boiled.

‘ Upakledi, ’ probably, means such articles as have not much substance in them ; that is, as do not nourish flesh, or blood, or bones, &c., but as have much that is called asara or unsubstantial ; hence, as produce much urine or feces, or other secretions. — T.

a. ‘ Ayurvedartha Chandrika ’ explains that ‘Kulmasha’ as another name of ‘ Kulattha, ’ i.e., Dolicho$ uniflorus, Lcimk., or Dolichos biflorus, Roxb. In this connection, ‘ kulmasha ’ seems to be nothing else than ‘ kulattha. ’ The word is used sometimes as another name for the variety of paddy called ‘ Boro ' in Bengal, which yields a very rough and coarse kind of rice. When fields are inundated (in Bengal) the Boro is cultivated, for it grows vigorously in water. The word also implies Tulasi, i.e., Ocimum Sanctum.

b. Pkaseolus radiatus, Roxb ; syn Phaseolus Roxburghii , W. A.