Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

c. Chakrapani explains that this word is applied to ‘ Palalu Cchatra, ’ i.e., a sort of fungus or mushroom that grows on rotting straw or grass and that is much eaten by the lower classes of the Indian people.

d. Literally, ‘ the middle part of a goat. ’ Chakrapani says it implies the entrails of a goat, i.e., the intestines, &c., e. Hordeum hexastichun, Linn. Barley. The fact is, the lower classes of the Indian people take the flour of bnrley (called Cchatu) with water and salt.

CHARAKA SAMHITA.

p. 789

Qaka (/), and Dhanyamla (g).

When there is absence or loss of wind in the system, the use is recommended of articles that are pungent, or bitter, or astringent, or dry, or light, or cooling. When there is absence or loss of bile, the use is recommended of articles that are acid, or saline, or pungent, in taste, or that are alkaline, or heating or keen.

When there is absence or loss of phlegm, the use is recommended of articles that are oily, or heavy, or sweet, or thick, or lardaceous.

Those acts also which enhance particular ingredients should be had recourse to when those particular ingredients are required to be strengthened or restored. *15

And in this way, as regards the other ingredients of the body, their increase and decrease should be accomplished, in' due time, by means of food and drink, as also acts, which are similar and dissimilar to them in respect of their attributes

Thus has been explained, through the process call extended application or analogy, those means which accomplish the increase and decrease of all the constituent elements of the bodyf1®

/. Potherbs of all kinds.

g. Inspirated rice-gruel, commonly called ‘ Kanji ’ in Bengal. It is cooling and slightly intoxicating. It operates as a purgative.

* The acts referred to here are of the following description ; night -keeping increases the wind ; sleep increases adeps and fat ; fasts, and physical exercise, decrease them. — T.

t The constituent elements of the body have, it should be remembered, been classified under ten pairs of opposites, {vide aphorism 1 1 above) How the elements of a particular kind can be increased and how they can be decreased is the subject which the Rishi is explaining. He has especially noticed only a few kinds of elements, and laid down the processes to be adopted for their increase and decrease. What he says in the latter part of aphorism 16 is that the increase and decrease of those kinds of elements which have not been expressly mentioned are to be regarded as explained by simply an extended application of the principle or process which has been laid down in the case of those elements which have been expressly mentioned.

‘ Atidega ’ implies an extended application of a principle laid down. It is something like Analogy.— T .

p. 790

CHAR AKA SAM HIT A.

The following are the means which nourish the whole body ; Suitability or conjunction of time ;

Dispensation of Nature ;

Congenial food and drink, and Absence of shocks (or adverse circumstances). * 17 The following are means of increase of strength ;

They are —

Birth in a country of strong men ;

Birth in an age of strong men ;

Happy conjunction of time ;

Wealth of attributes of both seed and soil ;

Wealth of food and drink ;

Wealth of body ;

Wealth of assimilability ;

Wealth of Mind ;

* Some texts used ‘ Kartsneua. ’ The correct reading, it seems, is ‘ Kritsna ’ as qualifying 1 £aira. ’ The sense is this : having spoken of the nourishment of particular constituents of the body, the Rishi in this aphorism speaks of what would nourish the entire body.

By ‘ Kalayoga ’ is meant the suitability of time, understood either as applying to the particular season of the year or the age of a person. Thus when the period comes of decrepitude, nothing can nourish the body. So, when the season of the year is adverse to a particular constitution, nothing can make it thrive.

1 Swabhava-siddhi ’ is dispensation of Nature. If the body be naturally weak, nothing can nourish it. Nature must help all the other means of nourishment.

Amongst all causes of nourishment, congenial food and drink are certainly the foremost. All other causes being present, a person can never hope to have any nourishment without such food and drink as are congenial or well-suited to him, meaning food and drink that are readily assimilable.

The last cause is the absence of shocks or the sudden operation of over¬ powering forces, such as a fall from a high place, or a sudden accession of great joy or grief or fear, or a sudden outburst of emotion. Excessive physical exercise or toil falls within this head.— T.

CHARAKA SAMHITA

79i

Dispensation of Nature ; Youth ;

Acts ; and

Cheerfulness or joy. *18

* ‘ Birth in a country of strong men ’ is, of course, a cause, of strength. One born in Afghanisthan or in the Soudan, has every chance of becoming an able-bodied and strong man. One bom in Bengal has little chance of becoming so.