Page:Sushruta Samhita Vol 1.djvu/418

314 Authoritative verse on the subject:—An intelligent physician should regard the organism of a man of twenty-five or of a woman of sixteen years of age, as fully developed in respect of the maturity of the seven fundamental principles of the body such as, serum, blood, &c). The dimensions of the different limbs and members of the body, laid down above, should be understood as to have been measured by the standard of one's (man's or woman's) own finger's width, and a person, whose limbs and organs are found to correspond to the above-said measures, is sure to live to a good and hearty old age, as a necessary and befitting sequel to a happy and prosperous career in life. In the case of a partial correspondence of one's limbs and organs to the above-said measures and proportions, a man should be regarded as having an average life and prosperity. A person whose limbs fall short of the abovesaid measures should be regarded as an indigent and short-lived person.

Physical temperament (Sara):—Now we shall describe the characteristic traits of the different preponderant principles (Sara) or temperaments of the human organism. A man, who is possessed of a good retentive memory, and is intelligent, valorous and cleanly in his habits, and whose mind is graced with such rare and excellent virtues as, purity of thought, and a fervent and unflinching devotion to gods and the reverend, and who exerts himself for the furtherance