Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

‘Taila’ here signifies the oil of sesame and not of mustard seeds. The word comes from ‘tila’ or sesame seeds. It should be observed that unless otherwise indicated, ‘taila’ in this Division signifies the oilof sesame.— T.

ioj6

CHARAKA-SAMH1TA

an ‘3dhaka’ and a half (12 seers) of sugar, should be mixed 32 seers of sesame oil, 32 seers of honey, and 32 seers of ghee.

The compound should then be placed, for a period of one and twenty days, in an earthen jar that is clean and strong, and that has been made to suck or absorb as much ghee as possible.

After this period the medicine should be regarded as fit for use.

The effect of the administration of the medicine is that one lives for a period of hundred years without' any symptoms of decrepitude.

Its virtues are like those of the medicines before mentioned.* 24-26

R AS AY AN A OF NAGABALA (SID A ALBA.)\

The roots should be extracted of Nagabala {Sida alba) growing in a region which is dry ; which is overgrown with kuga grass (P oa cynosuroides) ; whose soil is oily, sweet, and black or of the colour of gold ; which is free from faults of poison, beasts of prey, wind, water, and fire ; which has never been subjected to cultivation ; which is free from anthills ; which has no crematorium upon or adjacent to it ; which has no chaitya tree upon it ; and which is free from alkaline salts : and which is exposed to. such wind and water and sun as are agreeable notwithstanding the character of the season.

The plants should all be unharmed ;

They should not be overgrown with other plants ;

They should be neither young nor old ;

They should be such as have not sustained any diminution of virtues (owing to other causes) ;

They should be such as have put forth new leaves after casting off their old ones ; and

They should be such as have not borne fruits.

The roots should be extracted in the month of Magh or Phalguna.

The person that should extract them should be in a state of purity, and in the observance of self-restraint. <-

* The measure of oil, of honey, as also of ghee, is, as stated in the text, 2 ‘Sdhakas’,

1. e., 16 seers. These articles, however, being fluids, double the stated measures should be taken. Hence 32 seers of each is the quantity indicated. — T.

t Of ‘Bala’, four varieties are known. They are 1. BatySlaka or Sida cordifoiia ;

2. MahabalS or Sida rhomboidea ; 3. AtifealS or Sida rhombifolia ; and N5gbala or Sida

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

IQ37

: He should set himself to the task after having worshipped the deities, and after having obtained the benedictions of Brahmanas (by making presents to them), and in an auspicious hour* 27-28

The roots thus obtained, should be properly washed in clear water.

The bark only of the roots should be taken, (the pith being rejected).

. Taking an ‘&mra’ or an ‘aksha’ of the barks, it should be pounded into a fine paste.

The paste should then be dissolved in milk, and administered every morning to one desirous of taking it ;

. Or, reduced to pulv and mixing it with milk, it should be drunk ;

Or, mixing it with honey and ghee it should be eaten.

After it has been digested, one should take £ali or Sashthi rice, (with milk and ghee).

By taking this medicine continuously for one year, one lives for a hundred years without any indication of decrepitude.

As regards its other virtues, they are similar to those of the medicines mentioned before.f 29-30

* ‘Dhamvana’ is a region that is dry or waterless. It is often used to signify a wilderness.

The region should be free from certain faults. These are I. fault of poison, 2. fault of snakes, 3. fault of- wind, 4. fault of water, and 5. fault of fire. The sense is this : There should-be no poisonous trees or plants or creepers there. It should be free from beasts of prey. The wind and water there should be good ; i. e., there should be no vitiated wind and vitiated water. The region should not, again, be one that has been the scene of a conflagra¬ tion. No part of the soil should be burnt.

A large banian or, peepul (Ficus Indicus or Ficus religiosa) is called a ‘Chaitya.’ The presence of a ‘Chaitya’ weakens all plants growing in adjacence to it.

The adjectival phrase, ‘yathokta sukha . adityasevite,’ is not very clear.

Gangadhara takes it to imply a region where wind, water, and sun are endued with attri¬ butes opposed to those of the seasons ; that is, where the regions of cold or heat are not observable ; hence, such places where the climate is temperate. In winter the cold should not be extreme. In summer, the heat should be mild. During the rainy season, the rains should not be heavy and continuous.

*Anadhyarudhani’ implies that the plants should be such as have no parasites growing on them. It is believed that parasitical plants lessen the strength of the trees upon which they grow. — T.

f An ‘amra’ is equivalent to a ‘pala.’ The following is the measure :

6 Gunjos make one anna. 12 Gunjos make one Masha.

8 Mashas (or 16 annas) make one Tola. 8 Tolas make one Pala.

8 Palas or 64 tolas make a seer or garava. 2 Seers make one Prastlia.

8 Seers make one Adhaka. 32 Seers make one Drona, too Palas or \2'/£ seers make one

Tula— T.

charakasamhiTa.

p. 1038