सूत्रस्थानम् – १. दीर्घञ्जीवितीयोऽध्यायः
हिताहितं सुखं दुःखमायुस्तस्य हिताहितम्|
मानं च तच्च यत्रोक्तमायुर्वेदः स उच्यते||४१||
आयुर्वेददीपिका व्याख्या (चक्रपाणिदत्त कृत)
सम्प्रत्यायुर्वेदव्युत्पत्तिं कुर्वन्नायुर्वेदाभिधेयं दर्शयति- हिताहितमित्यादि| हितं चाहितं च हिताहितं, तथा सुखयुक्तत्वात् सुखं, दुःखयुक्तत्वाद्दुःखं; एतच्च चतुष्प्रकारमप्यायुरर्थेदशमहामूलीये “तत्र शारीरमानसाभ्याम्” इत्यादिना ग्रन्थेन “अहितमतो विपर्ययेण” (सू.अ.३०) इत्यन्तेन वक्ष्यति| तस्य हिताहितमिति आयुषः पथ्यापथ्यम्| मानं चेत्यायुष एव, तच्च प्रमाणं मासिक द्विमासिकत्वादिभिर्विकृतिलक्षणैरिन्द्रियस्थाने तथा प्रकृतिलक्षणैः “इदमायुष्मतां कुमाराणां लक्षणं भवति” (शा.अ.८) इत्यादिना शारीरे वक्तव्यम्| तच्चेति आयुः स्वरूपेण “शरीरेन्द्रियसत्त्वात्मसंयोग” इत्यादिना वक्ष्यमाणम्| तेन हिताहितमित्यादिना ‘आयुर्वेदयतीत्यायुर्वेद’ इत्युक्तं भवति| विदधातुश्चेह ज्ञानार्थ एवाभिप्रेतः| यद्वक्ष्यत्यर्थे दशमहामूलीये- “तदायुर्वेदयतीत्यायुर्वेदः” (सू.अ.३०) इति| लाभादयस्त्वर्था विदेरिह नोक्ताः, तेषां साक्षादायुर्वेदाजन्यत्वादिति भावः||४१||
English Translation
by Tanmoy Bhattacharyya:
Section on Fundamental Principles – Chapter 1: The Chapter on Longevity
“That which is wholesome and unwholesome, happiness and suffering, life itself and what is beneficial or harmful to it, and the measure of life—where all this is explained, that is called the science of life.” (41)
Commentary ‘Āyurveda-dīpikā’ by Chakrapāṇidatta
Here, while explaining the origin of the science of life, the author clarifies its subject matter, beginning with “wholesome and unwholesome.” That which is beneficial is wholesome, and that which is harmful is unwholesome. Likewise, that which is associated with happiness is happiness, and that which is associated with suffering is suffering. Thus, these four categories are described in relation to life. This fourfold classification will later be explained in detail in the section on the ten great roots, beginning with statements such as “there, by the bodily and mental [factors]” and concluding with “by the opposite of what is unwholesome” (Section on Fundamental Principles, Chapter 30).
“Beneficial and harmful to it” refers to what is suitable and unsuitable for life. “Its measure” refers to the measure of life itself. That measure is to be explained in terms of signs of variation such as monthly or bimonthly changes in the section on the sense faculties, and in terms of natural characteristics in the section on the body, with statements such as “this is the sign of those children who are long-lived” (Section on the Body, Chapter 8).
“And that” refers to life in its essential nature, which will be explained as the conjunction of body, sense faculties, mind, and self. Thus, by the expressions beginning with “wholesome and unwholesome,” it is conveyed that this discipline is called the science of life because it teaches about life.
The verbal root used here is intended only in the sense of knowledge. As will be stated later in the section on the ten great roots: “That which teaches about life is called the science of life” (Section on Fundamental Principles, Chapter 30). Other meanings such as acquisition or attainment are not mentioned here, because they are understood to arise directly from this science itself. (41)
