prajñāparādha: what the term means and how it is translated

Charaka SamhitaSutrasthana 11 (Tistraiṣaṇīya):Standard (Trikamji-type, as printed on carakasamhitaonline) 11/43 prose; Dharmawiki numbers the same prose 11.44. Kaviratna prints his aphorisms 41, 42, 43 for this block. · checked against the source

Sanskrit (carakasamhitaonline, numbered 43): "इत्यसात्म्येन्द्रियार्थसंयोगः, प्रज्ञापराधः, परिणामश्चेति त्रयस्त्रिविधविकल्पा हेतवो विकाराणां". Kaviratna (his 41-42, p.125-126): "Correlation, as shown above, is of three kinds. These three kinds of acts or exertions are regarded as faults of the Understanding.41 ... Thus are the three subjects treated of, viz., the improper contact of objects of sense with the Mind, faults of the Understanding, and Time or Parinama.42 These three, (viz., the improper contact of objects of sense with the Mind, faults of the Understanding, and Time,) each sub-divided into three kinds, constitute the causes of disease."

Prajñāparādha is named as the second of the three causes (hetu) of disorders, alongside asātmyendriyārtha-saṃyoga and pariṇāma. Kaviratna's number 42 matches standard 43 by content here (one behind), but his 41 is a different prose unit from standard 42; do not convert by offset.

Charaka SamhitaSutrasthana 1 (Dīrghañjīvitīya):Standard 54 (carakasamhitaonline). Kaviratna prints 53. · checked against the source

Sanskrit (numbered 54): "कालबुद्धीन्द्रियार्थानां योगो मिथ्या न चाति च| द्वयाश्रयाणां व्याधीनां त्रिविधो हेतुसङ्ग्रहः||५४||". Kaviratna (his 53): "Of all diseases, physical and mental, the causes in brief are of three kinds, viz., adverse or excessive correlation or want of correlation of time, mind, and the objects of the senses.*53"

The verse names 'buddhi' (not prajñāparādha by name) as the middle member of the three-fold cause; Kaviratna renders buddhi here as 'mind', which obscures the link to prajñāparādha. Kaviratna's footnote (his own, not the text): "Time is of two kinds, viz., (1) that portion of eternity with which human life is concerned and which goes on ceaselessly, and (2) the age of man".

Charaka SamhitaSarirasthana 1 (Katidhāpuruṣīya):Standard 98 (carakasamhitaonline). Kaviratna prints 105. · checked against the source

Sanskrit (numbered 98, first line only as retrieved): "धीधृतिस्मृतिविभ्रंशः सम्प्राप्तिः कालकर्मणाम्". Kaviratna (his 105, p.677): "Loss of Understanding, of Firmness, and of Memory, time in respect of the accession of disease and of the administration of correctives as also the accession of objects unaccordant with the senses, — these should be known as the causes of sorrow.105"

Restates the three causes of suffering in Sarirasthana, with dhī-dhṛti-smṛti-vibhraṃśa as the first. Kaviratna's own footnote (not text): "I render 'dhi' the equivalent of 'buddhi,' as Understanding; 'dhriti' as firmness ... and lastly 'smriti' as Memory or the retentive power." In this chapter Kaviratna runs seven ahead of the standard numbering (105/98, 109/102, 116/109), verified by content at each of those three points.

Charaka SamhitaSarirastana 1 (Katidhāpuruṣīya):Standard 99-101 (carakasamhitaonline). Kaviratna prints 106, 107, 108. · checked against the source

Sanskrit: "विषमाभिनिवेशो यो नित्यानित्ये हिताहिते। ज्ञेयः स बुद्धिविभ्रंशः समं बुद्धिर्हि पश्यति॥९९॥ विषयप्रवणं सत्त्वं धृतिभ्रंशान्न शक्यते। नियन्तुमहितादर्थाद्धृतिर्हि नियमात्मिका॥१००॥ तत्त्वज्ञाने स्मृतिर्यस्य रजोमोहावृतात्मनः। भ्रश्यते स स्मृतिभ्रंशः स्मर्तव्यं हि स्मृतौ स्थितम्॥१०१॥". Kaviratna (his 106-108, p.678): "An injudicious attention to what is unchangeable and what is changeable, as also to good and evil, is regarded as loss of understanding, since the understanding implies a judicious application to things.*106 The mind that is prone to earthly objects is incapable of being restrained from evil courses owing to loss of firmness, for firmness implies restraint of inclinations.107 The swerving of the mind of a person who is overwhelmed by passion and heedlessness from the knowledge of truth, is known as loss of memory, for that which should be remembered (viz., the knowledge of truth) dwells in memory.108"

Defines the three component failures (buddhi/dhī-vibhraṃśa, dhṛti-bhraṃśa, smṛti-bhraṃśa) that together constitute prajñāparādha.

Charaka SamhitaSarirasthana 1 (Katidhāpuruṣīya):Standard 102 (carakasamhitaonline; Dharmawiki cites the same verse as 'Char. Samh. 1.102'). Kaviratna prints 109. · checked against the source

Sanskrit: "धीधृतिस्मृतिविभ्रष्टः कर्म यत् कुरुतेऽशुभम्। प्रज्ञापराधं तं विद्यात् सर्वदोषप्रकोपणम्॥१०२॥". Kaviratna (his 109, p.678): "The evil acts which a man who has lost understanding, firmness, and memory, perpetrates, should be known to constitute what is called fault of judgment. This (fault of judgment) is provocative of all the faults.109"

The canonical definition: unwholesome action done by one whose dhī, dhṛti and smṛti are deranged is prajñāparādha, and it provokes all doṣas. Kaviratna's footnote (his own): "'Dosha' in 'sarvadoshaprakopanam' has reference as much to the faults, (wind, bile and phlegm) as to all trangressions from duty."

Charaka SamhitaSarirasthana 1 (Katidhāpuruṣīya):Standard 108-109 (carakasamhitaonline). Kaviratna prints 115-116. · checked against the source

Sanskrit: "यच्चान्यदीदृशं कर्म रजोमोहसमुत्थितम्। प्रज्ञापराधं तं शिष्टा ब्रुवते व्याधिकारणम्॥१०८॥ बुद्ध्या विषमविज्ञानं विषमं च प्रवर्तनम्। प्रज्ञापराधं जानीयान्मनसो गोचरं हि तत्॥१०९॥". Kaviratna (his 115-116, p.679): "These and such other acts which arise from passion and stupefaction, are regarded by sages as disease-producing faults of judgment.115 Injudicious apprehension of things by the understanding, as also a setting of one's self to injudicious acts, should be known as fault of judgment. That which is called fault of judgment really concerns the mind.*116"

Second definition: wrong cognition by the intellect and wrong action; prajñāparādha is located in the domain of manas (manaso gocaram). Kaviratna's footnote: "Acts have two elements, viz., mental and physical. The physical element is excluded. Acts that are faults of judgment are, the Rishi says, all mental." The list of acts (standard 103-107 / Kaviratna 110-114) sits between these two quotes.

Charaka SamhitaVimanasthana 3 (Janapadodhvaṃsanīya):Kaviratna prints 23 (OCR reads '28!' between his 22 and 24, so 23). carakasamhitaonline lists this as Vi. 3/20; standard number NOT verified against a Sanskrit source. · checked against the source

Kaviratna (p.477): "Unto him the illustrious son of Atri said, — O Agniveca, the perversity that arises of all these, viz., air and the rest, has unrighteousness for its root. That unrighteousness has for its root sinful acts committed before. The source of both these (viz., unrighteousness and sinful acts), is faults of the understanding.23" Footnote (translator's note, not text): "By 'prajnaparadhah' is meant faults of the understanding. 'Prajna' means wisdom, or, rather, the faculty by which one judges of things correctly. 'Aparadha' of this, therefore, must imply all instances of erroneous judgment or incorrect apprehension."

Prajñāparādha as the root of adharma, which in turn is the root of the vitiation of air, water, place and time that destroys communities (epidemic causation).

Charaka SamhitaVimanasthana 6 (Roganika Vimana):Standard Vimānasthāna 6/6 (Trikamji; carakasamhitaonline Roganika Vimana prints ||६|| after 'परिणामश्चेति'). Kaviratna: Vimanasthana Lesson VI, printed p. 515, inside the block closed by his printed 10 (his 10 covers standard 6-9; number printed after). Not Nidānasthāna: Kaviratna's Nidanasthana Lesson I (printed p. 928) renders Ni 1/3 as a different sentence. · checked against the source

Kaviratna: "Amongst them, verily, of these two kinds of Faults (viz., mental and bodily), there are three kinds of exciting causes, viz., union with disagreeing objects of sense, faults of understanding, and Time." Footnote (translator's note): "By 'Parinama' is meant Time."

The three causes, asātmyendriyārtha-saṃyoga, prajñāparādha and pariṇāma, restated in Vimānasthāna 6/6 as the threefold provokers (trividhaṃ prakopaṇam) of both classes of doṣa, the mental (rajas, tamas) and the bodily (vāta, pitta, kapha). The gloss 'By Parinama is meant Time' is Kaviratna's footnote, not the text. The same triad is the definition of nidāna at Ni 1/3 (tat trividham: asātmyendriyārthasaṃyogaḥ, prajñāparādhaḥ, pariṇāmaś ceti), which Kaviratna renders differently.

Charaka SamhitaNidanasthana 7 (Unmāda-nidāna):Kaviratna prints 13 (OCR 'r3', p.994). carakasamhitaonline lists prajñāparādha as cause of unmāda at Ni. 7/10; standard number NOT verified against Sanskrit. · checked against the source

Kaviratna: "Some say that the evil acts of previous lives are the cause of this variety of Insanity (viz., that which is called Accidental). But the illustrious Punarvasu of Atri's race declared that fault of judgment is the cause.13" Footnote (translator's note): "'Prajnaparadha,' as explained previously, is fault of judgment, i.e., errors of the understanding. Almost all diseases are born of such errors."

Prajñāparādha named as the cause of āgantu (exogenous) unmāda, over against the 'past deeds' view.