Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

‘Krigara’ (dish made of rice, pease, sesame, milk, ghee , &c.), frumenty with a mixture of oily substances, cakes (of boiled rice or wheat and other edibles), preparations of raw-sugar, as also the flesh of animals that live in the water or in marshy regions, and ghees , fish, especially of those kinds that are soft and that live in stagnant waters, and mutton cooked with ghee, should be taken by one whose digestive fire has been excessively provoked, till one gets back one's strength (i. <?., good health).f 224-225

Gruel of barley, mixed with wax, or ghee, a person afflicted with abnormal hunger should drink ; or, he should drink wheat-flour dissolved in some liquid substance, after causing one of his veins to be opened. 226

Or, he should drink water, or sugar (dissolved in water), or ghee boiled with the drugs that compose the group called ‘Jivaniya’ ; or, the fruits of such trees as yield oils, or thin plates of (burnt) earth, mixed with sugar.J 227

These, as also meat-juice mixed with oily substances, cause the (digestive) fire to become mild. Or, such a person may drink (liqui¬ fied) ghee and wax, mixed with cold water. 228

* ]‘Vijjalaih’ is'explained by Gangadhara as ‘pichcchilaib’ or slimy. — T.

f ‘Jirigara’ is commonly called ‘khichri’ or hodge-podge. It is a dish made of rice, pulses, milk, ghee, sweets, &c.

‘Snigdham’ is an adjective of ‘payasam.’

‘Gudavaikritam’ may be, taken as an adjective of ‘pishtakam,’ in which case it would mean diverse kinds of sugar-cakes. The fact is, in these two verses, a few kinds of heavy and oily food are mentioned. The digestion of these would take time.

The last word of 225 is ‘avalam,’ that is, ‘till strength or good health is regained. ’ — T.

| ‘Mritkuncha’ is a thin earthen cake, — T,

CHARAKA-SAMHITA.

iU9

Or, such a person should take wheat-flour mixed with milk and ghee ; or the meat-juice of animals that reside in marshy region^ boiled with the three oily substances, excluding mustard or sesame oil * * * § 229

Or, he may take wheat flour mixed with water and the three oily substances, (viz., ghee, fat, and marrow) in a thick state ; or the paste of the bark of Audumvara (Ficus glomerate i) dissolved in human milk. 230

Or, he may, for quenching the fire that blazes forth with vigour, drink the frumenty of rice, boiled with these two, (i e., the bark of Ficus glomerata and human milk) ; or milk boiled with Trivrit (Con¬ volvulus Turpethum) having roots of a dark colour, may be adminis¬ tered to him as a purgative. 231

The physician possessed of wisdom and conversant with the ordinances in respect of treatment should, after a careful examination, frequently administer unto him frumenty (of boiled rice) cooked with such drugs as are alleviative of the bile. Such frumenty should be his (ordinary) food.j- 232

Such heavy food as is sweet and clean, and provocative of phlegm, is beneficial to one whose (digestive) fire has been vigorously kindled.J 233

He who, afflicted with over-strong digestive fire, cheerfully takes only such food as is clean, never suffers any calamity on that account on the other hand, he derives nourishment from it.§ 234

* The three oily substances here referred to are ghee, fat, and marrow. The oil of both mustard and sesame seeds is expressly excluded. — T.

•j- ‘Pratibhojanam’ seems to imply that frumenty boiled with bile-alleviating drugs is to. be the person’s staple food, and not his subsidiary support. — T.

J ‘Medhyam’ is clean. All heavy food is not prescribable. For instance, beef and port,, which are unclean, are not to be taken. — T

§ What is stated here is this : — Food that is heavy is prescribable for a person of the description mentioned. Heavy food, however, may be clean as also unclean. Only heavy food that is clean is directed to be taken. Such food never produces demerit or sin-. ‘Vyasana’ is demerit or calamity. — T.

p. 1450

CHARAKA-SAMHlT A.

When (by these means) the phlegm of the person increases and his bile and wind are subjugated, the (digestive) fire becomes steady.

Of one whose ‘dhatus’ have become harmonious, the fire digests only the food taken, with the result that his nourishment, period of life, and strength, are enhanced. 235

( Here are some verses.)

In the matter of food, the taking of proper and improper diet at the same time i's called ‘Samagana.’

The taking, at one time, of food that is of copious measure and at another time of food that is scanty, the taking also of food before the usual time or after it, is called ‘Vishamagana.’

The taking of food at a time' when the food last taken has not been digested, is ‘Adhyagana.’

All these three practices produce either death, or dreadful dis¬ eases. 236-237

If the food taken in the morning be not digested, the taking of food in the evening (or after it) is not baneful. The day-time causes the heart to expand even as the sun causes the lotus bud to bloom. 238

When the heart is expanded, the ducts all over the body receive expansion. This is due also to physical exercise, locomotion, and the mind turning to diverse objects (during day-time). 239

For this reason, the ‘dhatus,’ of such a person do not retain their impurities (but throw them out).

Such being the state of the ‘dhatus,’ other food that may come in produces no evil consequences ; 24°