Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* ‘Vaksiddha’, literally, implies one who has attained to success of speech. In other words, one whose words become immediately accomplished is called so. If such a man were to say at midday that it is night, forthwith the sun would hide itself and darkness shroud the world. The benedictions and curses of such a man are sure to bear immediate fruit.

This ‘siddhi’, or, success of speech, is one of the eight kinds of tsiddhi' which a Yogin acquires by penances. The others are ‘Anima’ or the power of becoming attenuated into an atom ; ‘Laghima.’ or the power of becoming as light as the air, &c, — T.

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CHARAKA-S AM Hl'TA.

When the medicine has been digested, the diet fit to be taken is boiled rice mixed with honey and a copious measure of ghee.

This ‘Rasayana’ is alleviative of (the effects of) decrepitude and disease. It is highly efficacious in invigorating the memory and the understanding. It promotes longevity. It nourishes the body. It improves the voice and the complexion. It is the foremost of all those things which generate ‘ojas.’ The potency of this ‘Rasayana’ has been well tested.

No incantations according to Atharvan rites can injure a man who takes this medicine. ‘Alakshmi’, or the spirit of adversity also cannot approach him. Poison cannot affect him. Neither does he succumb to any disease.*

Through the use of this medicine, leprosy of the white and the tubercular variety, diseases of the stomach, abdominal tumours, enlarged spleen,, chronic and obstinate fever, and all those diseases that destroy understanding, memory, and consciousness, and all varieties of rheumatism, acute and painful, are cured. 28-33

MEDHAKARA RASAYANA,

RASAYANA THAT INVIGORATES THE UNDERSTANDING.

The expressed juice of ‘Mandukaparni’-]- .{Hydrocotyle Asiatica), liquorice reduced to pulv, or the juice of ‘Guduchi’ ( Tinospora

* ‘Kritya’ is, literally, a fire ignited with the aid of ‘mantras’ occurring in the Atharva Veda. Its efficacy in destroying a foe is highly spoken of. In the Vishnu-Purana, the priests of the Asura king, Hiranyaka5ipu, invoked a ‘Kritya’ fire for consuming Prahlada. Here it stands for an act of incantation by which a person may be brought under subjection, or deprived of reason, or even of life.

‘Lakshmi’ is the goddess of Prosperity. In the popular imagination there is a goddess called ‘Alakshmi’ who is clothed with attributes opposite to those of Lakshmi. Alakshmi is worshipped on the same day as Lakshmi, viz., the evening of the new moon of KSrtika. Her image is formed of cow-dung. Offerings are made to her of torn human hair and broken dowries. The priest sits with his back towards her and uses the left hand for making the offerings to her, while the children of the house beat winnows made of bamboo, the. sound being regarded as highly inauspicious. Generally speaking, Alakshmi stands for: adversity embodied.— T.

t ‘Mandukaparni’— Gangadhara explains it as ‘Danti’ ( Baliospemum montanum). — T.

CH ARA KA - SA MHI T A .

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cordifolia ), should be used with milk. The paste also of the roots and the blossoms of ‘(^ankhapushpi’ ( Pladera decussata) should be used with the liquid.

These ‘Rasayanas’ promote longevity, destroy disease, increase strength, and improve digestion, complexion, and voice. They also •invigorate the understanding.

Of these, again, that made of ‘^ankhapushpi’ {Pladera decussata) especially conduces to strength of understanding. 34-35

PIPPALI RASAYANA,

RASA YANA MADE OF PIPER LONGUM.

One that seeks the virtues of ‘Rasayana’ (for nourishing oneself) should use, for a whole year, five, six, seven, or ten fruits of Piper longum', with honey and ghee. 3*5

One that seeks the virtues of .‘Rasayana’ (for nourishing oneself) should, (as an alternative), use the following preparation of Piper longum. “

Take a handful of the fruits of Piper longum. Soak them in water hr which the ashes of the wood of ‘Kinsuka ’ {Butea ffondosa) \sa.\h been dissolved.

Fry them next in .... ;

Three such fruits of Piper longum should be taken (thrice, a. day), in the morning, before meals, and after meals, with honey and ghee.

Such a preparation is potent to cure bronchites, phthisis, asthma, consumption, hiccup, all diseases of the throat, piles, disease of the ‘Graham’ (chronic lienteric dysentery), chlorosis, obstinate fever, hoarseness of voice, inflammation of the Schneiderian membrane with loss of the sense of smell, inflammatory swellings, abdominal tumours, and all diseases that are born of excited wind And phlegm.* 37-39

* ‘Kinsukaksharabhavitah’— Gkngadhara says . that the process of soaking should be .repeated seven .times,. Moreover,, the second preparation of . Piper longum should be used for a whole year. The diet should be the same as in thq .case.qf other ‘Rasayanas. ’—T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

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PIPPALIVARDHAMANA RASA YANA,

RASAYANA OF PIPER LONGUM.

Ten fruits of Piper longum should be taken with milk on the first day. The number of fruits should, in this way, be increased by ten a day. Use the medicine for ten days. From the eleventh day the number of the fruits should be decreased by ten every day.* 4°

Every day, when the medicine is digested, one should take boiled rice of the variety called ‘Shashthika’ with milk and ghee.