manas: what the term means and how it is translated

Charaka SamhitaSūtrasthāna 8:4-5 (standard; Kaviratna prints 2-3) · checked against the source

Atīndriyaṁ punarmanaḥ sattvasañjñakaṁ, 'cētaḥ' ityāhurēkē, tadarthātmasampadāyattacēṣṭaṁ cēṣṭāpratyayabhūtamindriyāṇām||4|| Svārthēndriyārthasaṅkalpavyabhicaraṇāccānēkamēkasmin puruṣē sattvaṁ, rajastamaḥsattvaguṇayōgācca; na cānēkatvaṁ, nahyēkaṁ hyēkakālamanēkēṣu pravartatē; tasmānnaikakālā sarvēndriyapravr̥ttiḥ||5||

Manas is atīndriya (beyond/other than the indriyas), named sattva, by some cetas; its activity depends on its objects and on ātma-sampad; it is the cause of the indriyas' activity (4). It appears manifold but is one; hence the senses cannot all act at once (5). Kaviratna (his 2-3): 'The mind is regarded as something different from the senses. It is sometimes called satwa, and some again call it chetas. Its functions are regulated by the contact of its objects with the soul. Some regard the mind as the cause of the functions of the senses. ... In reality, however, there is no multiplicity of minds. ... Therefore, all the senses are incapable of acting at one and the same time.' English at https://archive.org/stream/BIUSante_47357/BIUSante_47357_djvu.txt. Kaviratna's 'Some regard' for ceṣṭāpratyayabhūtam has no 'some' in the Sanskrit.

Charaka SamhitaSūtrasthāna 8:7 (standard; Kaviratna prints 5) · checked against the source

Manaḥpuraḥsarāṇīndriyāṇyarthagrahaṇasamarthāni bhavanti||7||

The senses grasp objects only when manas leads. Kaviratna: 'The senses become capable of seizing their respective objects only when they are led by the mind.'

Charaka SamhitaŚārīrasthāna 1:18-21 (standard; Kaviratna prints 25-26, 27, 28) · checked against the source

lakṣaṇaṁ manasō jñānasyābhāvō bhāva ēva ca| sati hyātmēndriyārthānāṁ sannikarṣē na vartatē||18|| vaivr̥ttyānmanasō jñānaṁ sānnidhyāttacca vartatē| aṇutvamatha caikatvaṁ dvau guṇau manasaḥ smr̥tau||19|| cintyaṁ vicāryamūhyaṁ ca dhyēyaṁ saṅkalpyamēva ca| yatkiñcinmanasō jñēyaṁ tat sarvaṁ hyarthasañjñakam||20|| indriyābhigrahaḥ karma manasaḥ svasya nigrahaḥ| ūhō vicāraśca, tataḥ paraṁ buddhiḥ pravartatē||21||

The fullest Caraka account: manas is inferred from the presence and absence of knowledge when ātmā, indriya and artha are already in proximity (18); its two guṇas are aṇutva and ekatva (19); its objects are the thinkable, considerable, conjecturable, meditable and resolvable (20); its karma is control of the senses, self-restraint, conjecture and consideration, after which buddhi proceeds (21). Kaviratna (his 25-28): 'The attributes by which one may define mind are the presence and absence of knowledge ... Subtility and oneness have been regarded as the two attributes of the mind. That which is remembered, that upon which reason (or comparison) works, that upon which ratiocination is employed, that which after reproduction is held fast in consciousness, that which is resolved upon, and that which is known, form what is called the objects of the mind. Seizure of objects by means of the senses, subjecting them to control, comparison, and ratiocination, are the functions of the mind. After this the understanding begins to work.' Note Kaviratna's 'That which is remembered' for cintya is loose; the Sanskrit has no smṛti here.

Charaka SamhitaSūtrasthāna 1:46, 48, 57 (standard; Kaviratna prints 45, 47, 56) · checked against the source

sattvamātmā śarīraṁ ca trayamētattridaṇḍavat| (46) ... khādīnyātmā manaḥ kālō diśaśca dravyasaṅgrahaḥ| (48) ... mānasaḥ punaruddiṣṭō rajaśca tama ēva ca||57||

Manas (as sattva) is one leg of the tridaṇḍa with ātmā and śarīra (46); one of the nine dravyas (48); and the seat of the two mānasa doṣas rajas and tamas (57). Kaviratna: 'Mind, soul, and body, this trinity ... like three sticks'; 'The qualities of Passion and Darkness have, again, been indicated to be the causes of mental diseases.'

Sushruta SamhitaŚārīrasthāna 1:Bhishagratna's sections 4-5; Sanskrit verse number not established · checked against the source

The eleven organs of cognition, communication or sense perception ... They are the ears, skin, eyes, tongue, nose, speech, hands, genitals, anus, feet and the mind (Manah). Of these foregoing organs the first five are intellectual or sense organs (Vuddhi-Indriya); the next five being operative (Karma-Indriya). The mind (Manah) partakes of the character of both the intellectual and operative organs alike.

Suśruta classes manas as the eleventh indriya, ubhayātmaka, following Sāṃkhya; this is the direct opposite of Caraka's atīndriya (Sū.8.4). The 'moon god is that of the mind (Manah)' in section 7 gives its presiding deity.