Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

t ‘Vali’ means offerings of food presented to- the deities, deceased ancestors, and animals and birds like dogs, crows,. &c., which subsist upon the gifts, of householders, or the remnants of their dishes. The Hindu religion is exceedingly considerate towards the lower animals. Householders, ifthey cook any food,, are directed: to present a portion to animals and birds. Such food is placed on a particular spot in the front of the house. These gifts are especially called ‘vali.’ The presentation of ‘vali’ to animals and birds is dignified.by the name of the ‘vigwadeva-sacrifice.’ ‘Valibhuj’ or ‘valibhrit’ means an animal or a bird that subsists upon the offerings of food made by householders. When the autumnal harvest is gathered, the custom prevails in many European countries among 'agriculturists of tying a thick sheaf or two to a long pole and setting it up at a place adjacent to the barn where grain is stored, the object being to offer food to the birds of the air during the winter. The European nations may have carried this consideration for the lower animals from their Aryan home in Central Asia;

CH A RAK A-S A M HI T A,

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He who does not see (the star) Arundhati which occurs in the "vicinity of the constellation called Saptarshi (the seven Rishis or Ursa major), sees thick darkness within a year from that date.* 4 That man who acquires, abnormally and without any reason, beauty of features and development of form, as also wealth, of loses them abnormally and without reason, meets with death before the year is outf 5

Of a person who is to die within six months, these six disap¬ pear without (adequate) reason : viz., devotion, good conduct, memory, liberality, intelligence, and strength-! 6

That person upon whose forehead is seen a beautiful network of veins (not seen there before) dies within six months. 7

That man whose forehead is covered by a number of lunar crescents, should be regarded as one the period of whose life is to end in six months,^

It is needless to say that I have followed Chakrapani in the interpretation of this verse. Chakrapani. has followed the l’auranic belief.

Some of the Bengali translators have taken the word, ‘vali’ in the sense of the remnant that is thrown away of a dish. They think that dogs and birds instinctively keep away from the offals of persons afflicted by certain diseases.

They maintain that the remnant,, thrown, away, of the dish of a consumptive person is not touched by dogs and crows. This, however, does not accord- with the facts. It is true that animals and birds do keep away from the blood vomited by a patient afflicted by phthisis, but it is not true that they keep away from the remnants of the dishes of such persons. Besides, unless violence be done to the word ‘vali’, it can never be taken for the remnant of a dish. Hence, Chakrapani’s interpretation is, no doubt, correct. — T.

* ‘Arundhati,’ as seen by us, is a little red. star, numbered with those which constitute the constellation called Ursa major,, or Saptarshi (the seven Rishis). The principal stars,, numbering seven,, are named after the seven Rishis, Marichi, Atri, Angiras, Pulastya, Pulaha, Kratu, and Vagishtha. The tradition that he who fails to see Arundhati dies within ft year is. very general in India. ‘Mahattamas’ or the great darkness is, of course,. Death. — T.

t ‘Vikritya,’ i. e.r abnormally.. ‘Qobha’ is beauty of features ; ‘upachayam’ is develop¬ ment of form. ‘Vikritya’ applies to ‘gobha’ and ‘upachayam.’ ‘Vinimittyam’, literally, ■without reason, is explained: by the commentators as implying ‘in the absence of rekhas or lines on the palm indicating the accession of wealth.’

The fact is, a sudden, accession of wealth, or of beauty and development of body, or a sudden loss of the same, in the absence, of adequate cause, is regarded a prognostication ■of death.. — T.

+ •Ahetukam’ is ‘without reason,’ that is, in the absence of adequate reason. It is seen that one who is noted for devotion to the gods suddenly ceases to discover devotion. :One’s conduct, memory, liberality, &c., suddenly disappear. If these disappear in con¬ sequence of adequate reason, such disappearance is not regarded as a prognostication of

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CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

That man does not live for a month whose body trembles, and who swoons away, and walks, and speaks like a person under intoxication.* 9

That person whose vital seed, urine and stools sink in water, and who cherishes hatred for his kinsfolk, sinks in the sea of death within a month. 10

That person who, while afflicted by some wasting disease, has his arms and legs and face emaciated without the other parts of his body showing signs of emaciation, does not live for a month.fn

That man upon whose forehead, or upon the upper part of whose pubic region, rows, blue in colour, of lunar crescents appear, dies very soon.Ji2

That man on whose body variola appear, of the size of round morals, and disappears quickly, does not live long. ^3