The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c8.34

c8.34

As has been observed to me by Mr. Renou, it is necessary to read *cendraḥ* in the verse 42 and translate as follows: “and thanks to them, Indra, fallen ill because of *Soma*...” although the various editions do not give this reading. Similarly *atipacita* should be replaced by *atipavita* in the variant remarked in the note 4. In fact, the MSS. of the Bibl. Nat., *Sanscrt.* 1304 (collection by Cordier of a Kashmirian MS.) reads: *somātipavitaś cenduḥ*, the original reading of the last word must be clearly *cendraḥ*. *atipavita* responds to the Vedic expression *Somātipūta* applied to Indra meaning “excessively purified by the *soma*”, “having received too many libations of *soma*.” It is all the more normal that Caraka refers to the episode of the healing of the drunken Indra, when in the ancient ritual there is a form of *sautrāmaṇī* which has the name of Caraka.