Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

Your English translation of the Charaka-Samhita, so far as it has gone, has placed the treasures of a grCat work before a' large class of readers. Notwith¬ standing the inevitable difficulty of identifying ; a large number of plants, mentioned in the Sanskrit text, the translation must be accepted as possibly the best that could be expected, under the circumstances. People hre beginning to find that a knowledge of the laws of health should form a prime element in every system of educa¬ tion. They could look for no'hetter guide than CharakaSamhita. It is a work, which should be in the hands of every Hindu, old or young.

Yours very truly,

(Sd.) Peary Mohun Mukerji.

( The Indian Mirror, Friday, November 2$th, 1892.)

“We have received the fourth fasciculus of the English translation of ‘ Charaka,’ published by Abinash Chunder Kaviratna. The matter certainly increases in interest. The impression very generally prevails that ‘ Charaka ’ is a mere repertory of drugs and of symptoms of diseases. Nothing ean be more erroneous. ‘Charaka’ affords very delightful reading to even laymen. How to live so as to live happily, in so far as it was understood by the Rishis of ancient India, is mainly the subject ipf ‘ Charaka.’ The lessons, both brief and comprehensive, on the qualifications of the four chief requisites of treat¬ ment, would amply repay perusal. The arguments, again, touching the immortality of the soul, lose nothing by

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reason of their great antiquity. Some of the opinions, accompanying this fasciculus are of great weight. Mr. P. Burthplom, m. d., of Philadelphia, says,-r^‘ I have been exceedingly struck with the profound meaning, of many passages which, indeed, go beyond anything that I have ever met before , in medical literature, and find their parallel only in Lord Bacon’s reflections.’ Mr. Burthplom’s admiration is shared by many other distinguished savants of both Europe and America. This shpuld settle the reception, which our educated countrymen should give to the work. We believe that the book deserves to be kept in every house. Pundit Kaviratna deserves the thanks of the civilised world for his untiring exertions in making the contents of ‘Charaka’ accessible to all.”

Dippelskop, bei fraisa, Darmstadt, Germany, qth August, 1892.

My dear Sir, — I am greatly interested by the con¬ tents of Part III , and sincerely hope that in spite of the materialistic period of the Kali-yuga we are passing through here, in which men only take up things which show a return, — that in spite' of this, — Charaka will be appreciated. **•**.

Yours faithfully,

F. Gebhard.

{The Statesman, Wednesday, January nth, 1893.)

“ Charaka Samhita. — Pundit Avinash Chandra Kaviratna’s English translation of 1 Charaka-Samhita’ a Sanskrit work on medicine, has attracted attention sp far afield as Greece. In a commendatory letter address-

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ed to the Pundit, Dr. Andrew N. Kephallinos points out to him that the Phone, a Greek journal published at Corfu, has noticed the translation with warm approval, and declares that the Pundit deserves the thanks of all scholars for making ancient Sanskrit works accessible to European scholars. This article was reproduced by another Greek journal, published at Athens.”

16, Pimenstrasse, Konigsberg, Germany,

January 10 th, 1892.

Dear Sir,

I am much obliged to you for kindly sending me a copy of the first fasciculus of your English translation of “ Charaka-Samhita,” which is, perhaps, at least from an historical point of view, the most important work on the medical literature of your country. I con¬ gratulate you sincerely on this undertaking by which the great merit you have already acquired in this line of Indian literature is highly augmented.

I shall do what I privately can to call the attention of scholars and medical men to your translation.

Yours sincerely, (Sd.) R. Garbe.

( The Statesman, Tuesday, March 21 si, 1823.) “Medicine and Hygiene amongst Hindoos. — Amongst the numerous publications of ephemeral in¬ terest issued from the native press, it is refreshing to find a translation of a Sanskrit work of enduring merit. ‘Charaka-Samhita ’ is believed to be the most ancient treatise on medicine ever written in India. Unfortunately,

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