Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

t The-sense is that those men who, without being true physicians, pretend to be such and speak of their imaginary successes of treatment in other places, are called physicians by. report. — 71

p. 17

p. 230

CM A RAKA-SAMHITA.

of men, that are celebrated for cheir success in treatment, that coil' tribute to the real happiness of their patients, and that are restorers of life and' strength.64

Medicines are of three kinds; those that depend for their action upon the deities and invisible influences ; those that depend for their application and action upon knowledge and reason ; and those that appertain to the subjugation of the mind.

Among these, mantras., herbs and plants of invisible virtue ( if kept in contact with the body), gems, auspicious rites, offer¬ ings in sacrifices, offers of articles to the deities in course of wor¬ ship or religious rites, libations of meat and ghee on the sacred fire, practice of vows, expiatory ceremonies and rites, fasts, pro¬ pitiatory rites, bows to the deities, and pilgrimage to sacred waters and shrines, constitute medicines of the first kind.

Diet and articles of medicinal virtue that are applied with the aid of knowledge and reason are medicines of the second kind.

The subjugation of the mind by withdrawing it from every kind' of injurious or harmful acts and' objects of the senses, cons¬ titutes medicine of the third kind.*56

When the sources of the faults of the body {viz., wind, bile, and phlegm) become disordered, it is very generally seen that three kinds of medicines, all of which must be brought in contact with the body, become necessary. These three kinds are (i) those for internal application, (2) those for external application, and (3) the application of surgery.

Those medicines which are taken internally and which, entering

* The third kind of medicines is otherwise called penancesor asceticism. Ascetics as a rule, are free from every kind of physical and mental disease. The first kind' of medicine, viz., that which depends few its action upon the favor of the deities and invi¬ sible influences, is still extensively resorted to in this country by almost all classes of people. It should be noted, however, that no one relies on such medicine exclusively, the fact being that regular treatment is sought to be supplemented by it. The Hindus are a highly religious people, and hence their recourse to religious acts by way of supple¬ menting regular treatment of disease. To this day, when medicines are prepared, «rtain supplemental religious acts are simultaneously performed.— T.

p. 131

the body, destroy the disorders thereof, are said to be medicines for internal application.

Those medicines which are applied to the skin and which destroy disease by means of being rubbed gently, or by produc¬ ing perspiration, or by being used as plaster, or by fomentation, or by being rubbed with force, are said to belong to the second class of medicines, viz., those for external application.

Application of surgery includes lopping, breaking, piercing, cutting, tearing, extracting, puncturing, sewing, exploring ( by needles and catheters and tubes), burning by salts, and applying leeches.6*

Here occur some verses .

It is said that — When disease manifests itself, the man of wisdom, dispelling it, attains to health by external or internal appli¬ cation of medicines or by help of surgical operation.67

A person destitute of intelligence, without doubt, fails, through stupefaction or eror of judgment, to notice a disease as soon as it arises, even as a fool fails t© detect a foe ( before the latter ruins him outright). 6 8

Appearing at first in a very subtile form, disease afterwards increases, till, driving its roots deeply, it destroys the strength and cuts short the period of life of the man of little intelligence.6 9

The man of little intelligence does not awake to a conscious¬ ness of his situation till he is sorely afflicted by disease. When he becomes sorely afflicted it is then only that he sets his mind upon the cure of his ailment * 80 It is then that summoning his sons and spouses and kinsmen he says unto them, — Let some physician be brought even if I have to give away the whole of my property!0 1 — But what physician is there that is able to rescue such a person who, afflicted with disease, has been reduced in strength, who has be¬ come emaciated, whose senses have been weakened in respect of their functions, who has become exceedingly cheerless, and who

* Some texts read 1 martyah’ for ‘mudah,’ and ‘Craddham’ for ‘samjnam.’ Both these readings are fauky.— T.

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CHARAKA-SA MHITA

is on the point up death ?62 Such a man of foolish understanding, from want of a rescuer, has to give up his life, even as a reptile of the iguana species gives up its life when dragged by the tale by a strong foe. 6 3

Hence, before an ailment is contracted, or while it is new, it should be counteracted with the aid of medicines by one who wishes for one's own happiness,64

H ere are two verses containing a summary.