Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

One’s eyes and ears become like those of the immortals. 28

One can traverse a thousand ‘yoyanas’ at a stretch.

One’s period of life is extended to full ten thousand years, unin¬ terrupted by any ailment.. 29 h. ‘Aja’ has not been identified. SuQruta describes it as a plant whose bulbous rootstock resembles the udders of a goat. It is as white as the ‘Kunda? flower (Jasminum pubescens) — T.

i. ‘Nila’ generally means the indigo plant. It stands also for ‘Laksha’ or shell-lac. None of these is evidently meant here. The fact is, many of the herbs mentioned here are not to be found. It should be noted that they are named by Indra, the chief of the celes¬ tials, to Rishis of great puissance who resided on the breast of the Himavat mountains. The way in which Agnivega speaks of them shows that they were obsolete and unidentifiable even'in his days.— T.

* As to how goat’s milk should be given to one who is desirous of taking this ‘Rasayana’, Gangadhara explains that a hole should be made in the lid of the ‘droni’ It is through that hole that the milk is to be poured, drop by drop, into the mouth of the person. — T.

p. 1062

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

Here occur some verses.

The effects of these celestial herbs can be borne by persons like yourselves. It cannot be borne by sinful souls. 3°

Through the potency of these (medicinal) herbs, -you shall achieve all sorts of blessings, and be able to perform all your duties (as laid ■down in the scriptures). 31

Those also of the regenerate order that are in the ‘Vanaprastha’ (or third period) of life, and those householders who are pure (in body and mind) and who have their passions under control, are able to undergo the processes required for the administration of these drugs ‘ if they are obtainable in localities inhabited by human beings.* 32

Since these {viz., those specimens of the drugs mentioned that are obtainable in inhabited localities) are endued with mild potency, in consequence of the virtues of the soil on which they grow, “they can be used by one possessed of middling merits (of action). The ordi¬ nances about the use of these herbs are the same in their case as in that of the Rishis (who are possessed of superior merits).-]- 33 ANOTHER RASAYANA DECLARED BY INDRA.

Those who seek ease and are unable to seek out herbs and under¬ go the discomforts <®.f administration, for them the following other preparation of ‘Rasayana’ is suitable :

Take the juice of each of the following, separately :

The group of ten drugs, called ‘Valya’ (or tonics, viz., those which increase strength) ;

Also the group of ten called ‘Jivaniy.a'* (or those which prolong life) ;■

* There are four orders of men, ndz.^ Brahmans, Kshatriyas, Vai$yas, and '(^udras. The three first are .called twice-born or regenerate ones, in consequence of their being invest¬ ed with the sacred thread which ceremony is regarded as a new birth. Generally, by the ‘twice-born’- or ‘regenerate’ order is meant only Brahmans.

As regards, again, persons of the regenerate order, they have four periods or stages of life J U. Pupilag4 when they have to live in the houses of their preceptors, engaged in the acqui¬ sition of learning 2. domesticity or the status of householders, when after return from the houses of their preceptors, they marry and begat children, and discharge the duties of hospi¬ tality ; 3. ‘Vanaprasthya’ or retirement into the woods, renouncing domesticity, of religious meditation ; and 4. ‘Sannyasa’ or complete renunciation. — T.

f The correct reading seems to be ‘madhyamena cha karmina’, implying a person of middling m erits of action. — T.

CHARAKA-SAMHJTA.

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Also the group of teri called ‘Vringhaniya’ (or those which promote nutrition and increase corpulency) ;

Also the group of ten called ‘Vayasthapana’ {or those which prevent the effects of age) ;

Also Khadira ( Acacia catechu), Asana (' Terminalia tomentosa ), Kharjjura (fruits of Phcenix sylvestris), Madhuka (flowers of Bassia latifolia ), Musta (the bulbous roots of Cyperus rotundas ), Utpala ( Nymphcea stellata ), Midvika (Uvce passes), Vidanga (seeds of Embelia Ribes), Vaeha (Acorus calamus), Chitraka ( Plumbago Zeylanica ), £atavari ( Asparagus racemosus), Payasya (a bulb of the onion tribe brought from the Himalayas), Pippali ( Piper longum), Jongaka (otherwise called Kakanasa or Leea hirta), Riddhi,* Nagabala (Sida spinosa), Haridra (Curcuma longa), Dhava {Anogtsusus latifolia, syn., Conocarpus latifolia), the three myrobalans, Kantakari ( Solanum Xanthocarpum\ Vidari ( Batatus paniculata), Chandana ( Pteracarpus santalinus), I kshu ( Saccharum offioinarum), the - roots of Sara (, Sacckarum Sara), £riparni (otherwise called Gambhari, GmeUna .arborea\ and Tinisa ( Ougenia Dalbergioides) ;