Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

The Great Rishis of remote and remoter times, who were devoted to the scriptures, freed from fear and attachment and aversion and cupidity and heedlessness and pride, zealous in the pursuit of Brahma, fully trustworthy, ever engaged in the perform¬ ance of all the obligatory acts ( such as Sacrifice, Penances, Gifts, &c.), and the perceptions of whose understandings charac¬ terised by the attribute of Goodness were never clouded, and who were blessed with spiritual sight, beheld Rebirth as an object of direct perception and laid it down as a reality. Rebirth, therefore, should be admitted as a fact.25

Rebirth may also be accepted as a fact within our direct ken. It is seen that the offspring of parents do not become exactly similar to the parents (in features, &c). As regards those again that have an equality in respect of origin, differences are observ¬ able in complexion, voice, features, mind, understanding, and fortune. Some persons are born in superior families and some in inferior. Some become slaves and some become endued with affluence. The lives of some pass in happiness. The lives of others pass in misery. Difference is observable in respect of the periods of life of human beings. Then again persons are seen to obtain things for obtaining which they have to do nothing. With¬ out being taught, children are seen to develop evidences of incli¬ nation to suck the breasts of their mothers, to smile, to take fright, &c. When several persons act in the same way, the fruits earned are seen to differ. In some intelligence may be observed, with respect to acts. In others, intelligence in the matter of doing acts, is not to be seen. Some are seen to remember the incidents of their past lives so that they know that coming from a particular family they have taken birth in another family. Objects presenting the same appearance become agreeable to some and disagreeable to others. Hence it is inferred that the acts done by one in one’s former life, which are incapable of being got rid of and indestruct¬ ible (except by the enjoyment and endurance of their fruits), follow one’s body with the senses in one’s next life, and all that happens to one is this life is the consequence of one’s past acts ; and further, that departing from this life one has to take birth

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