Philosophy of Charaka-samhita
by Asokan. G | 2008 | 88,742 words
Ayurveda, represented by Charaka and Sushruta, stands first among the sciences of Indian intellectual tradition. The Charaka-samhita, ascribed to the great celebrity Charaka, has got three strata. (1) The first stratum is the original work composed by Agnivesha, the foremost of the six disciples of Punarvasu Atreya. He accomplished the work by coll...
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General attributes (s膩m膩nya-gu峁嘺s)
With the exception of yukti and 补产丑测腻蝉补 all other attributes are found defined in both 痴补颈艣别峁办补 and Caraka with subtle differences.
- superiority (paratva),
- inferiority (aparatve),
- propriety (yukti),
- number (蝉补峁僰丑测腻),
- conjunction (蝉补峁儁辞驳补),
- disjunction (惫颈产丑腻驳补),
- separateness (辫峁泃丑补办补迟惫补),
- measure (辫补谤颈尘腻峁嘺),
- tendency (蝉补峁僺办腻谤补),
- exercise (补产丑测腻蝉补).[1]
Caraka construes them taking into consideration their applicability in curative purpose.
Superiority (paratva) and Inferiority(aparatva)
The two attributes, paratva and aparatva, are dealt with together because they are mutually dependent, and serve the purpose of brevity. In Caraka, paratva and aparatva denote superiority or importance and inferiority or unimportance respectively with regard to place, time, age, measure, 辫腻办补, potency (惫墨谤测补), and taste (rasa).[2] For instance, a dry place is called para and a marshy place is called apara with regard to place. The rainy season (visarga) of early autumn (艣补谤补迟 and hemanta) is para and draught season (腻诲腻苍补) is called apara with regard to time. In the case of age, 迟补谤耻峁嘺 is para whereas others are called apara. In the case of 辫腻办补, 惫墨谤测补, and rasa, para and apara mean suitability and unsuitability, that is, the thing suitable for a person is called para and the unsuitable is called apara.[3] Actually paratva and aparatva regarding age come under time. It is separately mentioned because it has specific importance in 膧测耻谤惫别诲补.
In 痴补颈艣别峁办补 system, paratva and aparatva are conceived as priority and posteriority. Pra艣astap膩da defines them as the basis of the notions of prior and posterior.[4] The later thinkers also do not materially differ from this view.[5] Both the attributes reside in earth, water, fire, air, and mind.[6] They are present only in finite objects.[7] They have a two fold division, caused by space (诲颈办办峁泃补) and caused by time (办腻濒补办峁泃补). Of them, posteriority and priority, which are due to space, afford notions of a particular direction, and those which are due to time afford notions of age. For instance, when two things exist in the same direction, due to the varied conjunctions, there arises the cognition in the seer regarding one in the form of 鈥渋t is distant鈥�, when compared to the nearer. Thus, there arises the idea of posteriority. Similarly, there arises the cognition in the form of 鈥渋t is near鈥� when a thing is compared to a distant object. Thus, there occurs the notion of priority. Similarly, in the elder there arises the apprehension of priority and in the younger there occurs the apprehension of posteriority due to comparison in time.[8] If paratva and aparatva connote priority and posteriority due to time and space in 痴补颈艣别峁办补, they refer to superiority and inferiority in Caraka.
Reason (yukti)
Yukti means reasonable selection of medicines with reference to certain diseases.[9]
Number (蝉补峁僰丑测腻)
厂补峁僰丑测腻 means number (驳补峁噄迟补峁�).[10] In Ny膩ya-痴补颈艣别峁办补, it is conceived as the basis of expressions such as of one, two.[11] Number is cognized by the sense of vision or sense of touch, and it resides in all substances.[12] The number one inhering in one eternal substance is eternal and is ephemeral in ephemeral substances.[13] The plural numbers which begin with two and end with 辫补谤腻谤迟丑补 (100,000,000,000,000,000) are products of our enumerative cognition (补辫别办峁Ｄ乥耻诲诲丑颈) which operates in the form of this is one, this is one.[14]
Conjunction (蝉补峁儁辞驳补)
In Caraka, 蝉补峁儁辞驳补 means conjunction. It is an ephemeral relation arising from the action of one, two or more substances to be united.[15]
The 痴补颈艣别峁办补s also express more or less the same view.[16] For them, it is conjunction which is instrumental for the notion of two or more things being united.[17] A more simple definition given is that it is a contact of two things which remained separate.[18]
It is regarded as a cause in relation to substance, attribute, and actions,[19] and is divided into three kinds:
- conjunction caused by the action of one of the two objects to be united (anyatarakarmaja),
- conjunction due to the action of both the things to be united (ubhayakarmaja),
- conjunction arising from another conjunction. (蝉补峁儁辞驳补ja蝉补峁儁辞驳补).[20]
Mutual conjunction of all-pervading substances (惫颈产丑耻诲谤补惫测腻蝉) is not accepted, because they have no separate existence.[21] It is also told that conjunction is destroyed by disjunction and also by the destruction of the substance.[22]
Disjunction (惫颈产丑腻驳补)
Caraka describes 惫颈产丑腻驳补 as division, separation or disjunction.[23] In 痴补颈艣别峁办补 it is defined as that which is instrumental for the notion of two things being disunited.[24] It is also divided into three as in the case of conjunction.[25]
Severalty (辫峁泃丑补办补迟惫补)
笔峁泃丑补办补迟惫补 is described by the synonyms non-conjunction (a蝉补峁儁辞驳补), distinction (惫补颈濒补办峁峁噛补峁�), and severalty (补苍别办补迟腻).[26] 颁补办谤补辫腻峁噄 says that this explanation connotes three types of separateness; They are (1) special difference (2) difference of character, and (3) difference of identity due to numerical distinction.[27] In 痴补颈艣别峁办补, 辫峁泃丑补办迟惫补 is described as the basis of dealing with the separateness of objects.[28] It resides in all substances.[29]
Quantity (辫补谤颈尘腻峁嘺)
笔补谤颈尘腻峁嘺 means measure.[30] In 颁补谤补办补蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 it includes not only magnitude but also weight. 痴补颈艣别峁办补salso define it as the basis of all measurements.[31] It resides in all substances. It is divided into four: minute (补峁嘘), large (mahat), long (诲墨谤驳丑补) and short (hrasva).[32] However, this kind of division given by the 痴补颈艣别峁办补s shows that 辫补谤颈尘腻峁嘺 is limited to magnitude and hence it makes a difference to Caraka because there it includes weight also.
厂补峁僺办腻谤补
厂补峁僺办腻谤补, according to Caraka, refers to the processing for the transformation of attributes by applying water or heat, by cleaning, beating, nurturing and the like.[33] In 痴补颈艣别峁办补 philosophy 蝉补峁僺办腻谤补 means faculty or impulse and it is of three kinds: velocity (vega), mental impression (产丑腻惫补苍腻), and elasticity (蝉迟丑颈迟颈蝉迟丑腻辫补办补).[34]
Velocity resides in all the five finite substances. It causes a series of motions in a particular direction.[35] Mental impression is a specific attribute of the self that causes memory and recognition. It is generated in the self by a forcible knowledge (辫补峁璾辫谤补迟测补测补), repeated knowledge (补产丑测腻蝉补pratya), and impressive knowledge (腻诲补谤补辫谤补迟测补测补). It is counteracted by contrary cognitions, intoxication, and the like.[36] 厂迟丑颈迟颈蝉迟丑腻辫补办补 is the characteristic of a substance to regain the natural shape when the force applied to them ceases.[37] The M墨m膩峁僺akas divide 蝉补峁僺办腻谤补 into two: worldly (laukika) and scriptural (vaidika). The worldly consist of the above-mentioned. Scriptural are those produced by shaping (迟补办峁ａ箛补), purifying (utpavana), sprinkling (辫谤辞办峁峁嘺), beating (avahanana), and the like.[38] Probably it might be the notion of 蝉补峁僺办腻谤补 in the 惭墨尘腻峁僺腻 that had influenced Caraka in framing his concept of 蝉补峁僺办腻谤补.
础产丑测腻蝉补
础产丑测腻蝉补 means habit due to constant practice.[39] 厂补峁僺办腻谤补 and 补产丑测腻蝉补 are mutually related and they have high pharmacological value.
Footnotes and references:
[1]:
CS, Su, XXVI. 29 - 30.
[2]:
Ibid, 31.
[3]:
See 颁补办谤补辫腻峁噄 on ibid.
[4]:
paratvamaparatva峁� ca par膩par膩bhidh膩napratyayanimitta峁�. Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 393.
[5]:
TSA, p. 19; Tarkabh膩峁 of Ke艣avami艣ra., p. 203.
[6]:
TSA, p. 19.
[7]:
NSMK, p. 367.
[8]:
ekadikk膩bhy膩峁� ekak膩l膩bhy膩峁� sannik峁涐梗峁璦viprak峁涐梗峁乥hy膩峁� paramapara帽ca. 痴补颈艣别峁办补dar艣ana., VII. Ii. 21; 鈥�k膩ra峁嘺paratv膩t k膩ra峁嚹乸aratv膩cca鈥�. Ibid., 22; see also Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., pp. 393 - 398.
[9]:
[10]:
Ibid.
[11]:
Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 267; TSA. p. 18.
[12]:
TSA, p. 18.
[13]:
Ibid.
[14]:
dvitv膩daya岣� 辫补谤腻谤迟丑补paryant膩 补辫别办峁Ｄ乥耻诲诲丑颈j膩 尘补迟腻. NSMK, p. 400; Saptapad膩rthi of 艢iv膩ditya., p. 27.
[15]:
[16]:
M.S. Valiat膩n says that there is a difference between 痴补颈艣别峁办补 and CS for the former meant joining things which had remained apart and which could come apart again, while the latter takes it as compounding of substances. LC, p. 6.
[17]:
鈥�蝉补峁儁辞驳补岣� 蝉补峁儁耻办迟补辫谤补迟测补测补苍颈尘颈迟迟补峁�鈥�, Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 335; Tarkabh膩峁 of Ke艣avami艣ra., p. 201.
[19]:
痴补颈艣别峁办补dar艣ana., I. i. 27-30; V. i. 1, 5, 6, 8, 11, 15; X. ii. 2, 5, 6.
[20]:
痴补颈艣别峁办补dar艣ana., VII. ii. 9; Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 347; Tarkabh膩峁 of Ke艣avami艣ra., p. 201.
[22]:
CSP, p. 122.
[23]:
鈥�惫颈产丑腻驳补stu 惫颈产丑补办迟颈岣� sy膩dviyogo bh膩ga艣o 驳谤补丑补岣�鈥�, CS, S u, XXVI. 33.
[24]:
鈥�惫颈产丑腻驳补stu vibhaktapratyayanimitta峁�鈥�. Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 363. Bh膩sarvaj帽a says that disjunction is the absence of conjunction. See Ny膩yabh奴峁峁嘺 of Bhasarvaj帽a.., p. 161.
[25]:
鈥�etena vibh膩go vy膩khy膩ta岣�鈥�, 痴补颈艣别峁办补dar艣ana., VII. ii. 10; Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 364.
[26]:
CS, Su, XXVI. 33.
[27]:
See 颁补办谤补辫腻峁噄 on ibid.
[28]:
辫峁泃丑补办迟惫补mapoddh膩ravyavah膩rak膩ra峁嘺峁�. Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 332; TSA, p. 18.
[29]:
TSA, p. 18; Bh膩sarvaj帽a does not accept severality as a separate attribute. 鈥淧峁泃haktvasya gunatvamayukta峁冣��, Ny膩yabh奴峁峁嘺 of Bhasarvaj帽a.., p. 161.
[30]:
辫补谤颈尘腻峁嘺峁� 辫耻苍补谤尘腻苍补峁�, CS, Su, XXVI. 34.
[31]:
痴补颈艣别峁办补dar艣ana., IV. i. 11, 12; 鈥�辫补谤颈尘腻峁嘺峁� m膩navyavah膩rak膩ra峁嘺峁�鈥�. Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 394.
[32]:
Ibid;TSA, p. 19; Saptapad膩rthi of 艢iv膩ditya., p. 27.
[34]:
Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 646; TSA, p. 59. Saptapad膩rthi of 艢iv膩ditya., p. 37.
[35]:
Pra艣astap膩dabh膩峁a., p. 647.
[36]:
Ibid., p. 647.
[37]:
Ibid., p. 658; 补苍测补迟丑腻 k峁泃asya punastadavath膩p膩daka岣� 蝉迟丑颈迟颈蝉迟丑腻辫补办补岣� 办补峁乨颈辫峁泃丑颈惫墨诲谤补惫测补惫峁泃迟颈, TSA, p. 51.
[38]:
M膩nameyodaya of N膩r膩ya峁嘺., p. 258 - 59.