Dharma and the Reasons for

Suffering in Ayurveda
Dr. Vitus Angermeier
University of Vienna

IIGRS 11, Wolfson College,

Oxford University, November 2019
 The Carakasaṃhitā (CS)
● ~ 150 AD
● Based on the lost Agniveśatantra
● Redactors: Caraka, Dṛḍhabala (5th cent.)
● Commentators: Bhaṭṭāra Hariścandra and Svāmī Kumāra
(only Sū), Jejjaṭa (mostly Ci.), Cakrapāṇidatta, Gangādhar
Kavirāj
● 1st printed Ed.: Gangadhar Kaviraj 1868 (uncompleted) and
1978/79
● Most popular edition: Jādavaji Trikamji 1941
Carakasaṃhitā, ed. by Khemaraja Krishnadasa, Mumbai 1898, p. 5.
 Structure and style of the CS
●
8 sthānas, divided in 120 adhyāyas
●
1. Sūtrasthāna, 2. Nidāna°, 3. Vimāna°,
4. Śārīra°, 5. Indriya°, 6. Cikitsā°, 7. Kalpa°,
8. Siddhi°
●
Prose and verses mixed
●
Long compounds, lively style, dialogues and
discussions
●
Buddhist background
 Vimānasthāna (Vi.) and its 3rd adhyāya
● vimāna-: measurement, survey
● Concepts that are measured in Vi. Acc. to Vi. 1.3:
1. morbific factors (doṣa), 2. remedies (bheṣaja),
3. place (deśa), 4. time (kāla), 5. strength (bala),
6. essence (sāra), 7. diet (āhāra), 8. habituation (sātmya),
9. character (sattva), 10. constitution (prakṛti), 11. age
(vayas)
● Vi. 3: janapadoddhvaṃsanīya- (Survey on the
infestation of land and people)
 Topics of Vi. 3
1. Omens of infestations
2. General reasons (impairments of wind, water, place and time)
3. Remedies against these reasons
4. The root cause of these reasons for infestation: Adharma
5. Lifespan and its degeneration
6. Lifespan and untimely death
7. Successful application of remedies (allopathy)
8. Inappropriate patients
9. Classification of regions
 Adharma

CS Vi.3.20:
tam uvāca bhagavān ātreyaḥ - sarveṣām apy agniveśa
vāyvādināṃ yad vaiguṇyam utpadyate tasya mūlam adharmaḥ,
tanmūlaṃ cāsatkarma pūrvakṛtam; tayor yoniḥ prajñāparādha
eva. […]
To him the venerable Ātreya said: Whatever defect of all
[conditions] like wind etc. occurs, o Agniveśa, its root cause is
Adharma and the root cause of this [Adharma] is earlier
accomplished unrighteous occupation. The origin of both is
offence against rationality.
 Layers of dharma and karma

dharma karma
before its norm/prescription/duty/
performance model of behaviour
in performance appropriate conduct deed
after performance done deed/fate
final result Fruit of the deeds (phala)

Cf. Paul Hacker 1965: Dharma im Hinduismus, in: Kleine Schriften, pp. 496–509
Wiesbaden. [Originally published in: Zeitschrift für Missionswissenschaft und
Religionswissenschaft 49 (1965): 93–106; English translation: Dharma in Hinduism,
in: Journal of Indian Philosophy 34 (2006): 479–496]
Relevant pages in the English translation: 490 f.
 1st model: 3 reasons for pathologic
alteration
CS Sū.11.37:
trīṇy āyatanāni arthānāṃ karmaṇaḥ kālasya cātiyogāyogamithyāyogāḥ.
[…]
The foundations are three in number: The excess, the lack and the
defectiveness of sensory objects, action and time.
CS Sū.11.43:
ity asātmyendriyārthasaṃyogaḥ prajñāparādhaḥ pariṇāmaś ceti trayas
trividhavi­kalpā hetavo vikārāṇāṃ; samayogayuktās tu prakṛtihetavo
bhavanti.
Unwholesome contact with sensory objects, offense against rationality
and change – these are the three reasons for pathological alterations,
which have a triple variety. Connected with regularity, however, they
become reasons for the natural (i.e. healthy) condition.
 1st model: 3 reasons for pathologic
alteration
CS Sū.11.37:
trīṇy āyatanāni arthānāṃ karmaṇaḥ kālasya cātiyogāyogamithyāyogāḥ.
[…]
The foundations are three in number: The excess, the lack and the
defectiveness of sensory objects, action and time.
CS Sū.11.43:
ity asātmyendriyārthasaṃyogaḥ prajñāparādhaḥ pariṇāmaś ceti trayas
trividhavi­kalpā hetavo vikārāṇāṃ; samayogayuktās tu prakṛtihetavo
bhavanti.
Unwholesome contact with sensory objects, offence against rationality
and change – these are the three reasons for pathological alterations,
which have a triple variety. Connected with regularity, however, they
become reasons for the natural (i.e. healthy) condition.
 3 Reasons for pathologic alteration
acc. to Sū. 1, 7 and 11
Excess (atiyoga), lack (ayoga) and defectiveness
(mithyāyoga) of …

sensory objects (artha) action (karman) time (kāla)

through:
- seeing (darśana)
- hearing (śravaṇa)
- smelling (ghrāṇa)
- tasting (rasānām ādānam)
- tactile perception
(spṛśyānām upasevanam)
= unwholesome contact of
senses and their objects
(asātmyendriyārthasaṃyoga)
i.e. becoming active i.e. seasons, having their
(pravṛtti) through characteristics in excess, a
- body (śarīra) lack of them or wrong
- voice (vāc) characteristics
- mind (manas)
= offence against rationality = change (pariṇāma)
(prajñāparādha)
 2nd model: 3 reasons for suffering

CS Śā.1.98:
dhīdhṛtismṛtivibhraṃśaḥ saṃprāptiḥ kālakarmaṇām,
asātmyārthāgamaś ceti jñātavyā duḥkhahetavaḥ.
● The decay of intellect, steadiness and mindfulness,

● the arrival of time and deeds,

● and the approach of unwholesome sensory objects

should be known as the reasons for suffering.

 3 reasons for suffering
acc. to Śā 1.98–117
Approach of unwhole- Decline of…
some sensory objects - intellect (dhī/buddhi)
(asātmyārthāgama) = inappropriate adherence
- steadiness (dhṛti)
Excess, lack and
= loss of restraint from
defectiveness of …
unauspicious objects
- seeing (darśana) - mindfulness (smṛti)
- hearing (śravaṇa) regarding the knowledge
- smelling (ghrāṇa) of the true nature of
- tasting (rasānām ādānam) things
- tactile perception
(spṛśyānām upasevanam)
→ offence against
rationality (prajñāparādha)
Getting caught by …
- time (kāla)
i.e.
- diseases arising through
seasonal change of the
doṣas
- seasons with defective,
excessive or lacking
features
- untimely eating and
digesting
- time-related diseases
- and deeds (karman)
belonging to an earlier
embodiment
= predestination (daiva)
 Reasons for sensations in the
Saṃyuttanikāya

SN 4.36.21.13:
pittaṃ semhaṃ ca vāto ca, sannipātā utūni ca,
visamaṃ opakkamikam, kammavipākena aṭṭhamīti.
Bile and phlegm and wind, their confluence and the
seasons, misconduct/a dangerous place, through
assault, with ripening of deeds as the eighth.
 Reasons for sensations in the
Saṃyuttanikāya

SN 4.36.21.13:
pittaṃ semhaṃ ca vāto ca, sannipātā utūni ca,
visamaṃ opakkamikam, kammavipākena aṭṭhamīti.
Bile and phlegm and wind, their confluence and the
seasons, misconduct/a dangerous place, through
assault, with ripening of deeds as the eighth.
 Foundations of pathologic alteration acc. to CS, Sū. 1, 7, and 11
Vitus Angermeier: Dharma and the reasons for suffering in Ayurveda
IIGRS 11, Wolfson College, University of Oxford, November 1–2, 2019

Three foundations of pathologic alteration (āyatana)

Sū 11.37 (āyatana); Sū 1.54 (hetusaṃgraha); 11.43 (hetavo vikārāṇām);
cf. Śā 1.98 (duḥkhahetu); Ni 1.3

Excess (atiyoga), lack (ayoga) and defectiveness (mithyāyoga) of

Sū 1.54; 11.37,39–43; cf. Śā 1.111

Sensory objects (artha) through Deeds (karman) Time (kāla)

Sū 1.54; 7.53; 11.37,43; ~Sū 1.54 (buddhi instead of karman); 7.26; 11.37,39–41; cf. Śā 1.98,116,117 Sū 1.54, 7.53; cf. Śa 1.98,110–117
cf. Śā 1.98,117–127ab = Seasons with excess, lack, or defectiveness of
- Seeing (darśana) Becoming active (pravṛtti) through features (Sū 11.42)
- Hearing (śravaṇa) body (śarīra) speech (vāc) mind (manas)
Sū 11.37

- Smelling (ghrāṇa) Sū 7.26-30; 11.39-41 Change (pariṇāma)

- Tasting (rasānām ādānam) atiyoga: excessive activity of body, speech and mind Sū 11.42,43; cf. Ni 1.3; Śa 1.115
- Tactile perception (spṛśyānām ayoga: total inactivity of body, speech and mind in Sū 11.43 and Ni 1.3 parallel to
upasevanam) mithyāyoga: asātmyendriyārthasaṃyoga and prajñāparādha
Corresponds to asātmyendriyārtha- - Torturing - harsh - Greed - Shamelessness
saṃyoga in Ni 1.3 (parallel to - Adultery Sū 7.29 - too much - Sorrow - Jealousy

Sū 7.28

Sū 7.27
prajñāparādha and pariṇāma) - Theft - slanderous - Fear - Passion
- Injuring - untruthful - Anger - Grudge
- etc. - untimely - Pride

- Sudden grasping - slanderous - Fear

and flinging - untruthful - Sorrow
- Stumbling - untimely - Anger

Sū 11.39

Sū 11.39
- Falling - quarrelsome - Greed
Sū 11.39

- Wrong use of limbs - loose - Delusion

- Punches - unpolite - Pride
- Suppressing - rough - Envy
respiration - Wrong opinions
- Torturing [the body]
cf. Sū 7.52; Vi 3.24; Śa 1.107
- both physical and ethical elements
- both in the form of asatkarma and directly

Offence against rationality (prajñāparādha)

Sū 7.51–53; 11.41,43; cf. Ni 1.3; Vi 3.20; Śā 1.102–109
is generally equated with excess, lack and defectiveness of action, but in Vi 3.20 it is
referred to as its origin.

Approach of unwholesome sensory
objects (asātmyārthāgama)
Śā 1.98,118–127ab;
cf. Sū 1.54; 7.53; 11.37,43; Ni 1.3
Excess, lack and defectiveness of
- hearing (śravaṇa)
- tactile perception (sparśana)
- seeing (darśana)
- tasting (rasānām ādānam)
- smelling (ghrāṇa)
Reasons for suffering acc. to CS, Śā. 1
Vitus Angermeier: Dharma and the reasons for suffering in Ayurveda
IIGRS 11, Wolfson College, University of Oxford, November 1–2, 2019
Three reasons for suffering (duḥkhahetu)
Śā 1.98; cf. Śū 1.54; 11.37,43; Ni 1.3
Decline (bhraṃśa) of Getting caught (saṃprāpti) by
intellect (dhī or buddhi) steadiness (dhṛti) mindfulness (smṛti) time (kāla) deeds (karman)
Śā 1.98–99,102; cf. Sū 1,54; 7.58 Śā 1.98,100,102 Śā 1.98,101–102 Śā 1.98,110–117; Śā 1.98,116–117;
= Inappropriate adherence to the eter- = Loss of restraint regarding the knowledge of the true cf. Sū 1.54; 7.53; 11.37,42,43; Ni 1.3 cf. Sū 7.26; 11.37,39–41
nal and the transitory as well as to the from harmful objects. nature of things when the self is deeds belonging to an
- seasonal risks (Śā 1.110)
wholesome and the unwholesome. concealed by passion and delusion. - seasons with defective, excessive or earlier body =
lacking features (Śā 1.111) predetermination (daiva)
- wrong mealtimes (Śā 1.111)
Offence against rationality (prajñāparādha) - time-related diseases (Śā 1.112–116)
Śā 1.102–109; cf. Sū 7.51–53; 11.41,43; Ni 1.3; Vi 3.20
- The release of pathological excretory processes in the body.
- The suppression of excretory processes that have already broken out.
- Interaction with violent people and excessive interaction with women.
- Missing the time for an action and falsely starting an action.
- Abandoning discipline and good conduct; impertinence towards venerable people.
Śā 1.103-108
- Dealing with things that oneself has recognized as ominous
- Dealing with conditions that are extremely maddening.
- Movement at the wrong time in the wrong place.
- Friendship with people whose deeds are corrupted.
- Abandoning good conduct.
- Jealousy, pride, fear, anger, greed, delusion, rapture, confusion.
- Any other corrupt action of the body and any action resulting from agitation and delusion.
= inappropriate perceiving and inappropriate instigation by means of the intellect (Śā 1.109).