Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna
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The translator’s English as printed (Avinash Chandra Kaviratna). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
and sleep. One should not make friendship with children, with men that are old, with those that are covetous, with men that are ignorant, with persons afflicted with diseases, and with those that are destitute of manliness.* * * § One should conquer all propensities for alcoholic stimulants, gambling, and women of ill fame. One should never give out the secrets of others. One should not dis¬ regard any one. One should not indulge in annoying others. One should seek to be clever. One should never be niggardly but should practice liberality. One should cast off malice. One should never speak ill of Brahmanas. One should never strike a cow with a stout stick. One should never censure them that are old, or them that are one’s seniors, or them that are united for a common purpose, or them that are ruling chiefs. One should never in¬ dulge in harsh speeches. One should not cast off one’s friends, or those that are devoted to oneself, or those that render help in seasons of distress, or those that are acquainted with one’s secrets, t 2 2
One should not be impatient and haughty. One should pro¬ perly support one’s servants. One should inspire confidence in one’s relatives. One can never be happy by taking or enjoying anything alone and without dividing it with others. One should not adopt such conduct, such practices, and such usages, as are productive of pain or misery.J One should not trust every body, nor should one mistrust every body. One should not always reflect when called upon to act.§ One should not lose (in hesitation) the opportunity for doing an act. One should not enter the house of an unknown person. One should not suffer oneself to be over¬ mastered by one’s senses.23 t ‘ Ganan ’ means, literally, members of a tribe or class. It is, however, frequently used to signify the aristocracy or the nobles of a kingdom. Here, when ruling chiefs are mentioned immediately after, the word ought to be taken as standing for the nobles. — 7'.
* ‘Klishta’ is explained by the Commentator as ‘ nindita-rogadina, &c,,’ ; and ‘ kliva ’ as 1 Hina-sattwa.’ — V.
t The Commentator observes that ‘plant’ is ‘ swabhavikavrittam,’ i. e., one’s conduct with respect to food, sleep, dress, &c. ; ‘achafah ’ is practices adopted in accord¬ ance with scriptural injunctions ; ‘upacharah’ means usages of other kinds. — T.
§ /. e., there are certain acts that must be done unhesitatingly. — T.
p. 100
charara-samhitA.
When the mind becomes restless one should not employ it upon any task. One should not impose a too heavy burden upon one’s understanding or the senses. One should not yield to pro¬ crastination. One should not act under the impulse of wrath and malice. One should not indulge in too much joy when one’s object is accomplished. Nor should one give way to cheerlessness on the failure of one’s object. One should always recollect the origin or cause of one’s being* * * § One should firmly believe in the efficacy of causes (as represented by good and bad aets).f One should commence one’s acts under circumstances calculated to give success. One should never deem one’s acts (in this world) to have all been accomplished.^ One should never do anything whose consequence would be the loss of one’s manliness. One should never diffuse another’s opprobrium.24 One should first purify oneself (by bath and other purificatory rites) and then make offerings, to the sacred fire, of good ghee , clean rice, sesame seeds, Kufa grass, and mustard seeds.§ On the completion of this rite one should invoke a blessing upon oneself, uttering the following mantras , viz. : — Let not Agni (fire) go out of my body ! Let Vayu (Wind) grant me life-breath ! Let Vishnu grant me strength ! Let Indra grant me energy ! Let Civa cause all the waters to enter my body ! — One should then touch water, uttering the mantras begining with “ Apohishta, &c.”|| One should then twice
* ‘ Prakritim ’ is * Utpattikaranam.’ All creatures are due to a combination of the five primal essences, viz , earth, water, air, light, and space. If this thought be ever present to the mind, the mind will necessarily cast off attachments and dislikes, &c., and will strive for Emancipation. — T.
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