Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

* ‘Antyat urddhatn dwigunitam’ is, literally, ‘each of twice the measure, counting backwards from the last*.- The sense is this : of Twach, which is the last in the list, take a certain measure. ‘Vahula’ then should be of twice the measure of Twach ; Pippali should be of twice the measure of Vahula ; and so on. Th(is, if Twach be represented by 1, Vahula should be represented by 2 ; Pippali by 4 ; Tugakshiri by 8, and Sitopala by 16.— T.

+ ‘Supta-jihva’ is, literally, . ‘sleeping tongue’, i, e., a paralysed or benumbed tongue 5 a tongue that has lost the' sense of taste,— T.

CHAR A KA-SAMHITA .

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GOKSHURADYA-GHRITAM.

(^wadanshtrS (otherwise called Gokshura, i. e., Tribulus terrestris)f DurSlabha (Hedysarum Alhagi ), the Parni’s (that is, ^alaparni or Hedysarum Gangeticum, Prisniparni or Doodia lagopodioides, Mudgaparni or Phaseolus trilobus, and MSshaparni or Glycine debilis ), and Bala {Si da cordifolia) :

Of each of these, a ‘pala’ should be taken. A ‘pala’ should also be taken of Parppataka {Oldenlandia hiftord.

These should be boiled in water of ten times their measure.

When a tenth of the whole remains, it should be strained through a piece of clean doth. Into the pure liquid thus obtained, the wellgrounded paste, of the measure of a ‘karsha,’ should be thrown of each of the following drugs :

£ati ( Curcuma Zerumbet ), Pushkaramula (a fragrant root which is not available, the substitute used being Aplotaxis auriculata ), Pippali ( Piper longum ), TrayamSna (Ficus heterophylla ), Tfimalaki ( Phyllanthus Niruri), Kiratatikta ( Ophelia Cherayta ), seeds of Kutaja ( Holarrhena antidysenterica ), and £ariv5 (Echites frutescens) :

The compound thus obtained should be boiled with a ‘prastha’ of ghee and twice that quantity of milk.* 104-107

This ghee cures fever, burning of the skin, vertigo, cough, pains in the shoulders and the sides, headache, thirst, vomiting, and diarrhoea. 108

JIVANTYADYA-GHRITA.

Jivanti (Ccelogyne ovalis), Madhuka (liquorice), Draksha (dried grapes), seeds of Kutuja ( Holarrhena antidysenterica), £ati (: Curcuma Zerumbet), Pushkaramula (this root not being available, Aplotaxis auriculata is used), Vyaghri (otherwise called Kantikari, i. e., Solanum Xanthocarpuni ), Gokshuraka {Tribulus terrestris ), Bala (Sidacordifolia), Nilotpala {Nymphcea lotus), Tâmlaki {Phyllanthus Niruri ), TrSyamana {Ficus heterophylla ), Duralabha {Hedysarum Alhagi ), and Pippali {Piper longum) :

Take equal measures of these and reduce them to a paste, and the physician should boil the paste in ghee. 109-no

* A ‘Karsha’ is equal to 2 ‘tolas’.

A ‘Prastha’ is equal to 2 seers. Being a liquid, twice the measure laid down should be taken.— T.

p. 1250

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

This ghee is regarded as the foremost of all ghees (applicable fa this disease). It cures the eleven symptoms (already mentioned) that arise of this prince of all diseases (viz.,, phthisis), which (in reality) is a collection of many ailments. 111

Bala (Sida cordifolia ), Sthira (otherwise called £&laparni, i. e., Hedysarum Gangeticum ), Prisniparni (Doodia lagopodioides ), Vrihaii (Solatium Indicum), and Nidigdhika (otherwise called Kantakari, i. e., Solatium Xanthocarpuni) ;

Boil these in water, and into the decoction thus obtained, throw cow’s milk, and dry ginger. 112

Boil this with DrakshS (dried grapes), Kharjjura (date), ghee, and Pippali (Piper longum\

Taken with honey, it conquers fever, and cough. It should alsa be administered in loss of voice. II[3

The same medicine prepared with goat’s milk (instead of cow’s milk) and the meat-juice of wild animals, may be administered (in phthisis).

For purposes of soup, Chanaka (gram or chick-pea), Mudga (Pkaseolus Mungo), and Mukushta (Phaseolus lobatus), are laid down.

The rules of treatment laid down before for the alleviation of fever, are regarded highly beneficial in fever and burning of the skin when these supervene in phthisis.

If a person afflicted with phthisis constantly evicts through his mouth phlegmonous matter .in copious measure, and if his strength is not reduced, then he should be made to vomit out the phlegmono us matter within his system by administering to him milk boiled with the paste of ‘Phala’ (Randia dumetorum ), or the decoction of liquorice boiled with the paste of the same, or the gruel of barley mixed with ghee boiled with such drugs as are possessed of emetic virtues. 113-11G

After he has been made to vomit (in this way), he should eat, at the proper time of eating,* such light food as kindles the digestive fire.

Then taking the flour of barley, or of wheat, or such wines as ‘Msdhwika,’ ‘Sidhu,’ ‘Arishta,’ ‘Sura,’ and ‘Asava,’ and the flesh, roasted, of wild animals, such a person should conquer his phlegm.f ”7 t ‘Madhwika’ and the rest are different kinds of wine ; vide Sutrasthana, ante, Lesson. XXV, aphorisms 10-21. — T.

* ‘At the proper time of eating, i. e,, when hungry. — T.

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

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