Charaka-Samhita — trans. Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna

After taking the above, one should drink ‘sherbat’ of sugar, the juice of grapes, the juice of the sugar-cane, or milk.

All drinks that are sweet as also cooling and incapable of causing a burning sensation (in the stomach or the chest), are regarded beneficial. 97

The two Rakolis (viz., Kakoli and Kshirakakoli, i. e., the two roots of those names brought from the Himavat mountains), the two Vrihatis (viz., Vrihati or Solanum Indicum , and Kantakari or Solanum Xanthocarpum \ the two Medas (MedS and Mohameda both of which not being obtainable, Physalis flexuosa and Ichnocarpus fruitescens

* The meat-juices referred to are those prepared from the flesh of wild animals, mixed with sweets. The soups are those of ‘Mudga’ and the other pulses. — T.

CH A RA KA - SAM HIT A.

p. 1519

are used respectively), Vrisha (otherwise called Vfisaka, v. e., Justicia Adhatoda ), and Nagara (dry ginger) :

With the decoction of these, meat-juice (of the kind mentioned above), or milk, or the soups of ‘Mudga’ and the rest, should be given in bile-born cough.* 98

Milk boiled with the decoction of the five roots beginning with £ara (viz., Kuga or Poa cynosuroides , Kaga or Saccharum spontaneum, £ara or Saccharum sara, Darbha or Saccharum cylindricum, and Krishna Ikshu or the black sugarcane), and mixed with honey and sugar, or,

Milk boiled with the decoction of Pippali (the fruits of Piper longum ), and Draksha (grapes), and mixed with honey and sugar, should be drunk by one afflicted with bile-born cough.f 99

Sita (sugar), SthirS (otherwise called £alaparni, i. e., Hedysarum gangeticum), Prisniparni ( Doodia lagopodioides ), the two £rfivanis (viz., the larger and the smaller varieties of Sphceranthus hirtus ), the two Vrihatis (Solatium Ittdicum and Solatium Xanthocarpum ), VirS (otherwise called Kshirakakoli, a root brought from the Himavat mountains), J Rishabhaka (not being obtainable, bambu manna is used as a substitute), Kfikoli (a root brought from the Himavat mountains), Tfimalaka (otherwise called Bhumyamalaki, i. e., Phyllan~ thus Niruri), Ridhi (not being obtainable, BalS or Si da cordifolia is used as a substitute), and Jivaka (not being obtainable, Guduchi or Tinospora cordifolia is used as a substitute) :

Milk boiled with (the decoction of) these should be drunk by one

* The meat-juice referred to in this verse should be prepared with the decoction of the the drugs named instead of water. So also milk should be boiled with this decoction. The soups also of the pulses should be made with this decoction — T.

f GangS dhara takes this verse as laying down only one combination. Others take it as 1 aying down'two. — T .

+ it is very difficult to settle the reading. Gang5dhara reads ‘VirS’ but does not explain what plant is meant by it. The Calcutta edition reads ‘Jiralca,’ meaning cumin seeds. This can scarcely be correct. The mention of ‘Rishabhaka’ and ‘Kakoli’ would seem to indicate that ‘Vira’ which is another name for ‘Kshirakakoli’ is the correct reading. Some of the Bengali translators take ‘VirS’ for Nardostachys Jatamami, which is incorrect.— T.

p. 192

p. 1520

6IJARAKA-SAMHITA.

afflicted with (bile-born) cough, or fever, or a burning sensation of the skin, or with sores (in the lungs), or consumption.

The physician may also cook ghee , obtained from milk boiled with the decoction of the above-mentioned drugs, adding milk and the expressed juice of Ikshu (sugar-cane).*

{Ghee thus prepared is beneficial in bile-born cough), ioo-ioi

Take the paste, measuring three ‘KSrshikas’, of each of the drugs included in the group beginning with Jivaka {viz., Jivaka, Rishabhaka, MedS, Mahameda, Riddhi, Vriddhi, Kakoli, and Kshirakfikoli), and of the sweet fruits beginning with grapes and the like (z. e.? grapes and other fruits from Cabul, including Arabian dates) :

Boil ghee with the pastes mentioned above.

When well-boiled and cool, strain it through a piece of clean cloth. Then throw into the vessel the pulvs of the following, viz., sugar, Pippali (the fruits of Piper longum), Tvak-kshiri (bambu manna), Maricha (black pepper), and ^ringataka (the fruits of Trapa iispinosa). (The united measure of the pulvs should be a fourth of the ghee).

When the ghee thickens (In consequence of the addition of these pulvs), mix a measure of wheat-flour with it.

After this, make boluses, each of the measure of i pala, inserting honey within them.

One desirous of beneficial diet (in bile-born cough) should take these boluses.

These boluses should also be taken by one afflicted with the following diseases, viz., vitiation of the semen, vitiation of the blood, consumption, cough (of all varieties), weakness and emaciation, and sores (in the lungs). 102-104

NSgara (dry ginger), Udichya (Bala, i. e., Pavonia odorata) Kantakari ( Solatium Xanthocarpuin), and £athi ( Curcuma Zerumbet) :

Taj jam-’ qualifies ‘sarpis,’ hence, ghee obtained from milk that has been boiled with the decoction of the drugs named, is meant.