The Compendium of Caraka 1.25: pañcaviṃśo 'adhyāyaḥ

Now we shall expound the chapter on 'Whatever Born is Man'.

Thus declared the venerable Ātreya.

Formerly, among the great seers who had direct perception of truth gathered around / the venerable Punarvasu, this discussion arose:

Concerning the definitive origin of this aggregate of self, senses, mind, and objects / known as man, and of his diseases.

In the meantime, Vāmaka, king of Kāśi, conversant with matters, / having approached and saluted the assembly of seers, spoke these words:

“Is man born from what his diseases are said to be born from, / or not?” When this was spoken by the king, Punarvasu said to the seers:

“All of you whose doubts have been cut away by boundless knowledge and discernment / should resolve the doubt of the king of Kāśi.”

Maudgalya Pārīkṣi, having examined the matter, spoke first: / “Man is born of the self, and diseases are born of the self, for he is the cause.

He accumulates and experiences action and the fruits of action; / indeed, without the element of consciousness there is no engagement in pleasure and pain.”

Śaraloman, however, said “No; for the self would never by itself / unite itself with diseases and sorrows, being an averter of sorrow.

Rather, the mind called sattva, enveloped by rajas and tamas, / is the cause in the emergence of the body and of disorders.”

Vāryovida said “No; for the mind alone is not the cause; / without the body there are no bodily diseases, nor does the mind exist.

Beings are born of rasa, and likewise the various diseases; / for water is possessed of rasa, and it is remembered as the cause of manifestation.”

Hiraṇyākṣa said “No; for the self is not remembered as born of rasa, / nor is the mind beyond the senses [born of rasa], and there are diseases born of sound and the like.

Rather, man is born of the six elements, and diseases are likewise born of the six elements; / for this aggregate born of the six elements has been proclaimed by the primeval Sāṃkhyas.”

To Kuśika speaking thus, Kauṣika said: “That is not so; / for how could one be born of the six elements without mother and father?

Man is born from man, cow from cow, horse from horse; / and diseases such as meha are stated to be hereditary; therefore parents are the cause here.”

Bhadrakāpya, however, said: “That is not so; for a blind person is not born from a blind person; / and even before [the birth of] your mother and father, origin is not logical. / Rather, the living being is considered born of karma, and his diseases are born of karma; / for without karma there is no birth of diseases or of man.”

Bharadvāja, however, said: “That is not so; for the agent precedes the action; / and no unperformed action is seen of which man could be the fruit.

Rather, nature is the cause of existence of diseases and of man, / just as roughness, fluidity, mobility, and heat belong [by nature] to [the elements] ending with fire.”

Kāṅkāyana, however, said: “That is not so; for there would be no fruit of endeavor, / if the non-accomplishment and the accomplishment of things arose purely from nature.

Rather, the creator of boundless resolve is the child of Brahmā, Prajāpati, / [the creator] of this world, animate and inanimate, and of pleasure and pain.”

“That is not so,” said the mendicant Ātreya; “for Prajāpati would not, like an evil person, / perpetually afflict his progeny with suffering when he desires the welfare of his progeny.

Rather, man is born of time, and his diseases are born of time; / the entire world is subject to time; time is the cause everywhere.”

As the seers were thus debating, Punarvasu said this: / “Do not speak thus, for the truth is difficult to attain by resorting to partisan views.

Speaking arguments and counter-arguments as if they were established conclusions, / they never reach the end of their positions, moving like an oil-presser [turning in circles].

Abandoning such collision of debates, let the self within be reflected upon; / when the mass of darkness is not dispersed, knowledge does not arise regarding what is to be known.

For the very perfection of those factors which produces man, / the impairment of those very [factors] will give rise to various diseases.”

Then, having listened to the word of the blessed Ātreya, Vāmaka the king of Kāśī spoke once more to the blessed Ātreya: “Blessed one, what is the cause of growth for man, who is born from the cause of [elemental] perfection, and for diseases, which are born from the cause of [elemental] impairment?”

The blessed Ātreya said to him: “The use of wholesome food alone causes the growth of man, while the use of unwholesome food is the cause of disease.”

To the blessed Ātreya speaking thus, Agniveśa said: “How, blessed one, do we recognize here the unexceptionable definition of wholesome and unwholesome articles of food, when we observe contrary effects in articles of food designated as wholesome and designated as unwholesome, across differences of measure, time, preparation, habitat, body, doṣa, person, and state?”

The blessed Ātreya said to him: “Know that whatever article of food, Agniveśa, maintains the balanced bodily elements in their natural state and balances the imbalanced ones, is wholesome; but the contrary is unwholesome. Thus this definition of wholesome and unwholesome is unexceptionable.”

And to the blessed Ātreya speaking thus, Agniveśa said: “Blessed one, almost all physicians will not understand it when taught in this manner.”

The blessed Ātreya said to him: “For those, Agniveśa, who understand the true nature of food according to property, substance, and action, and all factors such as measure in every detail, are capable of understanding it when taught in this manner.

However, so that almost all physicians may understand it as taught, we shall teach this without exemplifying factors such as measure, for they have manifold variations.

We shall, however, explain the specific forms of food according to definition and component parts.

Namely: the food-nature of food is of one kind, because there is no difference in its purpose. It has two sources, being of stationary and mobile nature. It has a two-fold effect, by virtue of the difference between wholesome and unwholesome ultimate results. It has a four-fold intake, through consumption as drink, chewed food, solid food, and electuary. It has six tastes, by virtue of being sixfold through division of tastes. It has twenty properties, by virtue of possessing heavy, light, cold, hot, unctuous, dry, dull, sharp, stable, mobile, soft, hard, clear, slimy, smooth, rough, minute, gross, dense, and liquid. It has countless variations, owing to the multitude of combinations and preparations of substances.

Indeed, whichever of its modified components are most commonly used, and are by their very nature most wholesome and most unwholesome for the majority of human beings, those we shall teach properly.

Namely: red rice is the most excellent among awned grains in being most wholesome; mung beans among pod grains; celestial [rain] water among waters; rock salt among salts; jīvantī greens among leafy vegetables; blackbuck meat among wild animal meats; quail among birds; monitor lizard among burrow-dwelling animals; rohita among fish; cow ghee among ghees; cow milk among milks; sesame oil among vegetable unctuous substances; boar fat among the fats of marshland animals; dolphin fat among the fats of fish; pākahaṃsa fat among the fats of aquatic birds; rooster fat among the fats of scatter-feeding birds; goat marrow among the marrows of branch-dwelling animals; fresh ginger among rhizomes; grapes among fruits; sugar among products of sugar cane. In this manner, the substances among the modifications of food that are by nature most wholesome have been explained in order of pre-eminence.

We shall also teach the most unwholesome: wild barley is the most prominent among awned grains in being most unwholesome; black gram among pod grains; river water in the rainy season among waters; salt-earth salt among salts; mustard greens among leafy vegetables; beef among wild animal meats; domestic pigeon among birds; frog among burrow-dwelling animals; cilicima among fish; sheep ghee among ghees; sheep milk among milks; safflower oil among vegetable unctuous substances; buffalo fat among the fats of marshland animals; crocodile fat among the fats of fish; cormorant fat among the fats of aquatic birds; sparrow fat among the fats of scatter-feeding birds; elephant marrow among the marrows of branch-dwelling animals; nikuca among fruits; āluka among rhizomes; half-boiled molasses among products of sugar cane. In this manner, the most prominent substances among the modifications of food that are by nature most unwholesome have been explained. Thus the wholesome and unwholesome components of the modifications of food have been explained.

From here on, we shall further explain the substances with enduring effects in terms of the pre-eminence of their therapeutic actions.

Namely: food is the best of sustaining agents; water, of refreshing agents; (and wine, of fatigue-relieving agents;) milk, of vitalisers; meat, of nourishing agents; meat broth, of gratifying agents; salt, of taste-imparting agents for food items; sour taste, of heart-pleasing agents; rooster, of strength-giving agents; crocodile semen, of aphrodisiacs; honey, of pacifiers of phlegm and bile; ghee, of pacifiers of wind and bile; oil, of pacifiers of wind and phlegm; emesis, of removers of phlegm; purgation, of removers of bile; enema, of removers of wind; sudation, of softening agents; exercise, of stability-producing agents; alkali, of virility-destroying agents; (tinduka, of taste-spoiling agents for food items;) unripened wood apple, of harmful agents to the voice; sheep ghee, of unwholesome agents for the heart; goat milk, of remedies curing wasting, compatible as breast milk, arresting blood, and pacifying internal haemorrhage; sheep milk, of producers of phlegm and bile; buffalo milk, of producers of sleep; mandaka curds, of channels-blocking agents; gavedhuka grain, of lightening agents; wild rice grain, of drying agents; sugarcane, of urine-producers; barley, of faeces-producers; jambu fruit, of wind-producers; fried pastry, of producers of phlegm and bile; horse gram, of producers of acid dyspepsia; black gram, of producers of phlegm and bile; madana fruit, of remedies suited for emesis, non-unctuous enemas, and unctuous enemas; trivṛt, of easy purgatives; caturaṅgula, of mild purgatives; milk of snuk, of sharp purgatives; pratyakpuṣpā, of head purgatives; viḍaṅga, of anthelmintics; śirīṣa, of anti-poisons; khadira, of anti-leprotic agents; rāsnā, of wind-removers; āmalaka, of youth-preserving agents; harītakī, of wholesome remedies; castor root, of aphrodisiac and wind-removing remedies; pippalī root, of digestive-stimulant, carminative, and anal-swelling-, piles-, and colic-relieving agents; puṣkara root, of remedies relieving hiccup, dyspnoea, cough, and flank pain; musta, of astringent, digestive-stimulant, and carminative agents; udīcya, of cooling, digestive-stimulant, carminative, and vomiting- and diarrhoea-relieving agents; kaṭvaṅga, of astringent and internal haemorrhage-pacifying agents; amṛtā, of astringent, wind-removing, digestive-stimulant, phlegm-blood disorders, and constipation-pacifying agents; ativiṣā, of digestive-stimulant, carminative, astringent, and all-doṣa-relieving agents; filaments of blue water-lily, white water-lily, and lotus, of astringent and internal haemorrhage-pacifying agents; durālabhā, of bile and phlegm pacifiers; gandhapriyaṅgu, of pacifiers of excessive haemorrhage and bile; kuṭaja bark, of astringent and drying agents for phlegm, bile, and blood; kāśmarya fruit, of astringent for blood and internal haemorrhage-pacifying agents; pṛśniparṇī, of astringent, wind-removing, digestive-stimulant, and aphrodisiac agents; vidārigandhā, of aphrodisiac and all-doṣa-relieving agents; balā, of astringent, strength-promoting, and wind-removing agents; gokṣuraka, of remedies relieving dysuria and wind; asafoetida resin, of scraping, digestive-stimulant, downward-directing, and wind-phlegm-pacifying agents; amlavetasa, of splitting, digestive-stimulant, downward-directing, and wind-phlegm-relieving agents; barley-alkali, of laxative, carminative, and piles-destroying agents; regular use of buttermilk, of remedies pacifying disorders of the grahaṇī, swelling, piles, and ghee-induced complications; regular use of meat broth of carnivorous animals, of remedies curing disorders of the grahaṇī, wasting, and piles; regular use of milk and ghee, of rejuvenators; regular use of parched flour drink with equal amount of ghee, of aphrodisiac and upward-wind-relieving remedies; regular oil mouth rinse, of agents promoting tooth strength and taste; sandalwood, of pastes removing bad odour and burning distress; rāsnā and aguru, of warm pastes removing cold; lāmajjaka and uśīra, of pastes removing burning, skin disorders, and sweat; kuṣṭha, of substances suited for wind-relieving massages and poultices; madhuka, of remedies beneficial to eyesight, aphrodisiac, beneficial to hair, beneficial to the voice, complexion-enhancing, depigmenting, and healing; wind, of causes imparting life and consciousness; fire, of remedies pacifying digestive indigestion, stiffness, cold, colic, and tremors; water, of astringing agents; water quenched with heated earthen clods, of remedies relieving thirst and excessive vomiting; eating in excessive quantity, of causes of digestive-toxin disorders; eating according to one's digestive power, of kindlers of the digestive fire; conduct and diet according to what is habituated, of practices to be adopted; taking meals at proper times, of health-promoting habits; satiety, of the qualities of food; suppression of natural urges, of non-health-promoting habits; wine, of producers of cheerfulness; excessive intake of wine, of destroyers of intellect, courage, and memory; heavy food, of causes of difficult digestion; taking a single meal, of causes of easy digestion; excessive indulgence in women, of causes of wasting; suppression of the urge to ejaculate semen, of causes of impotency; disagreeable sight or thoughts, of causes of loss of appetite; fasting, of reducers of lifespan; eating a restricted quantity, of lightening habits; eating when indigestion is present, of vitiators of the grahaṇī; irregular eating, of causes of irregularity in digestive fire; eating food of incompatible potencies, of causes of blameworthy diseases; tranquility, of wholesome habits; over-exertion, of all unwholesome habits; improper use, of causes of disease; intercourse with a menstruating woman, of harbingers of misfortune; celibacy, of promoters of longevity; intercourse with another's wife, of reducers of longevity; erotic desire, of aphrodisiacs; dejection, of anaphrodisiacs; undertaking beyond one's strength, of destroyers of vital breath; grief, of aggravators of disease; bathing, of fatigue-relieving habits; joy, of gratifying habits; sorrow, of emaciating factors; cessation from desires, of nourishing factors; nourishment, of sleep-producing factors; excessive sleep, of drowsiness-producing factors; habitual use of all tastes, of strength-giving habits; habitual use of a single taste, of weakness-producing habits; impacted foetus, of foreign bodies to be extracted; undigested food, of foreign matter to be removed; a child, of patients requiring mild medications; an aged person, of patients manageable only; a pregnant woman, of those who must avoid sharp medicines, intercourse, and exercise; cheerfulness, of promoters of sustaining pregnancy; sannipāta, of difficult-to-cure conditions; digestive toxin, of conditions treated with difficulty; fever, of diseases; kuṣṭha, of chronic diseases; rājayakṣmā, of groups of diseases; prameha, of persistent illnesses; leeches, of minor surgical instruments; enema, of therapeutic procedures; the Himalayas, of habitats of medicinal plants; soma, of medicinal herbs; arid land, of healthy regions; marshland, of unwholesome regions; obedience, of patient qualities; the physician, of limbs of treatment; an atheist, of persons to be avoided; greed, of causes of distress; disobedience, of harbingers of death; lack of despondency, of signs of recovery; an assembly of physicians, of dispellers of doubt; proper application, of physician qualities; assembly of physicians [or rather: knowledge of medicines], of [substances]…; reasoning backed by scripture, of means of proof; ready presence of mind, of purposes of knowing the opportune time; indecisiveness, of causes of missing the right time; having seen practical work, of dispellers of doubt; incompetence, of causes of fear; discussion with experts in the same field, of enhancers of understanding; the teacher, of causes of acquiring scripture; Āyurveda, of immortal things; wholesome speech, of things to be practised; adoption of what is unwholesome, of all injurious things; renunciation of everything, of sources of happiness.

And on this there are [verses]:
One hundred and fifty-two prime things have been pointed out;
this is taught as sufficient for the alleviation of disorders.

Among entities that produce similar effects, the definition of the best
is stated in terms of superiority and excellence in performing the function.

Whatever is beneficial for the pacification of wind, bile, and phlegm,
and whatever is declared pre-eminent as the best remover of disease—

having carefully listened to this, one should apply treatment;
acting thus, the physician always attains virtue and desire.

What is unwholesome is defined as not departing from the path [of health] and pleasing to the mind;
and one should not strictly characterize what is displeasing as unwholesome.

For those various entities are seen [to act] in such and such ways
upon encountering differences in dose, time, administration, habitat, body, fault, and quality.

Therefore intrinsic nature has been taught, and likewise dose and other factors as the foundation;
having regard for both, treatment should be applied by one who desires success.

Then, having listened to that speech of the venerable Ātreya, Agniveśa spoke again to the venerable Ātreya: “This entire subject has been declared by the venerable one in summary, and heard by us.

We now wish to hear the indisputable definition of the substances for fermented liquors taught in moderate detail.”

The venerable Ātreya said to him: “Agniveśa, the sources of fermented liquors are, in brief, eight: grains, fruits, roots, heartwoods, flowers, stalks, leaves, and barks, with sugar as the ninth.

Though they are countless on account of combinations of substances and preparations, learn the eighty-four most wholesome fermented liquors among them.

Namely: surā, sauvīra, tuṣodaka, maireya, medaka, and dhānyāmla are the six fermented liquors from grains; the fruit fermented liquors are twenty-six: from grape, date, kāśmarya, dhanvana, rājādana, tṛṇaśūnya, parūṣaka, abhayā, āmalaka, mṛgaliṇḍikā, jambu, kapittha, kuvala, badara, karkandhū, pīlu, priyāla, jackfruit, nyagrodha, aśvattha, plakṣa, kapītana, udumbara, ajamodā, śṛṅgāṭaka, and śaṅkhinī; there are eleven root fermented liquors from roots of vidārigandhā, aśvagandhā, kṛṣṇagandhā, śatāvarī, śyāmātrivṛt, dantī, dravantī, bilva, urubūka, and citraka; there are twenty heartwood fermented liquors from śāla, priyaka, aśvakarṇa, candana, syandana, khadira, kadara, saptaparṇa, arjuna, asana, arimeda, tinduka, kiṇihī, śamī, śukti, śiṃśapā, śirīṣa, vañjula, dhanvana, and madhūka; there are ten flower fermented liquors from flowers of padma, utpala, nalī, kumuda, saugandhika, puṇḍarīka, śatapatra, madhūka, priyaṅgu, and dhātakī; there are four stalk fermented liquors from stalks of ikṣu, kāṇḍekṣu, ikṣuvālikā, and fourthly puṇḍraka; there are two leaf fermented liquors from paṭola and tāḍaka; there are four bark fermented liquors from tilvaka, lodhra, elavāluka, and fourthly kramuka; there is just one sugar fermented liquor.

Thus, eighty-four fermented liquors made from unmixed individual fermented-liquor substances are taught.

These fermented liquors are given the designation āsava because they are fermented.

The details of combination and division of these substances are manifold in formulation and processing.

For fermented liquors, processed according to their specific combinations and preparations, perform their own actions.

And factors such as combination, processing, region, season, and dose are taught for each of those fermented liquors with a view to each specific effect.”

And on this there is [a verse]:
These eighty-four superior fermented liquors have been taught,
which bestow strength to mind, body, and digestive fire, dispel insomnia, grief, and anorexia, and cause exhilaration.

Here is a summary verse:
In this [chapter] beginning with “The Origin of Man,” the sage taught according to reality
the views on the origin of the body and diseases, the definitive determination of food, the prime things, and the superior fermented liquors.

Thus ends the twenty-fifth chapter, entitled “The Origin of Man,” in the Ślokasthāna of the compendium composed by Agniveśa and redacted by Caraka.