Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Then when the ninth month has set in, on an auspicious day, when the deity, Chandramas, (viz., the moon,) is in con¬ junction with an auspicious asterism, when the karana also is favourable, at an early hour of the morning (called Maitra), having poured libations on the sacred fire for dispelling all evils and obtaining prosperity, having also first caused a cow and Brahmanas and fire and water to be admitted therein, having given grass and water and honey and fried paddy unto some kine (kept in readiness', having presented unto Brahmanas sun-dried rice in full measure, as also flowers and such other articles as are productive of prosperity arid agreeable fruits, having worshipped in the first instance a vessel of water and then saluted the Brahmanas seated son the seats (spread out for them), and causing them to perform the rite of ‘ achamaria,’ she should induce them to utter benedictions upon her.

When the Brahamanas are repeating the word ‘ Punnyaha’, she should, following the Brahmanas and kine, herself enter the lying-in-room.

Residing therein, she should wait for the time of delivery.*73

* ' When the karatia is favourable j ’ ‘ karana’ is an astrological division of time. They are 11 in number, 7 moveable and 4 fixed ; two of them are equal to a lunar day.

* Muhurta’ is a division of time equal to 48 minutes. ‘ Maitra muhurta’ is otherwise called ‘ Brahma Muhurta.7 It is that hour of the dawn when the Sun has just risen above the horizon.

‘ Akshata,’ literally, is that which has undergone no deterioration. Hence, a measure of rice given to- a Brahman a. The basket or vessel in which the rice is given should be full to the brim. In performing vraddhas and other sacred rites, only sun-dried rice can be given, and not that rice which is prepared from boiled paddy.

All articles productive of merit when offered to Brahmanas and Pitris are called Nandimukha. ‘Udakapurvam’ is explained by Gangadhara as worship¬ ping water first.' — T.

p. 848

CHARAKA SAMHITA.

Verily the following are the symptoms that manifest them¬ selves at the time of delivery. They are, —

Physical langour or lassitude ;

Sensation of heaviness of all the limbs ;

Flabbiness of the face and the eyes ;

Absence of tightness of the chest ;

Falling of the abdomen downwards ;

Sensation of heaviness in the abdomen';

Sensation like that of a pricking with needles in the groins, the pubic regions, the waist, the sides of the abdomen, flanks, and the back ;

Discharges from the genital organ; and

Unwillingness to take food ;

After these, the labour-pains manifest themselves, and the discharge of water- from the uterus.*80

When the labour-pains manifest themselves, the woman should be directed to lie down on the ground, spreading a soft bed over it.

While thus lying down, women possessed of the qualities spoken of above should sit around her.

They should comfort her with agreeable discourses of import already laid down.81

1 f delivery does not take place while she is suffering under labour-pains, she should be directed to rise up and seizing one of the large pestles to strike it repeatedly into the mortar full of paddy.

She should also be directed to stretch out her arms and legs repeatedly.

She should, at intervals, be made to walk.

Even this is what some (physicians) say.82

The illustrious son of Atri’s race said that all this is not proper. For it is always directed by the wise that a woman who has conceived should never indulge in violenb physical exercise, especially at the time of delivery. Of a woman, who is delicate by nature, when all her ‘dhatus’ and faults

* ‘ Klama’ is a sensation of fatigue or general exhaustion, or langour, or lassitude.

‘ Glani,’ generally implies pain or the absence of ease. Here, heaviness. * Absence of tightness of the chest’ implies a sensation like that of the bonds of the chest being slackened.— T.

CHAR AKA SAM HIT A.

p. 849

are in a constant state of motion, the wind, excited by such an exercise as that with the pestle, gets an opportunity to destroy her very life.

The woman that has conceived becomes, especially at the hour of delivery, exceedingly difficult to treat if afflicted by any disorder. Hence, sages think that without taking up the pestle, the woman may have recourse to the stretching out of her arms and legs and to walking.'3

At such a time she should be given the pulv of the following to smell repeatedly : Kushtha (a), Ela (b), Langaliki (c), Vacha ( d ), Chitraka ( e ), and Chiravilwa (f).

Also the smoke of Bhurjjapatra (g •), or of the pith of Cinsapa ( h ), may be given to her at intervals to smell.

Her waist, flanks, back, and thighs, may also be rubbed with oil slightly heated.

The rubbing should be continued gently so as to give her as. much pleasure as possible.

By means of this act, the child’s head comes downwards. When she feels that the child, leaving her chest, has fallen down into the abdomenal region and reached the head of the pubic region, her throes become violent and she ardently desires to deliver her burden.