become relieved of the diseases and of life; so also others of opposite nature; hence the result of the suitable and the unsuitable part is indefinite.
What then is the purpose of this science? To this group of pupils lead by Agnivesha, who doubted as above, Punarvasu (Atreya) explained the total secret as follows.
न चिकित्साचिकित्सा च तुल्या भवितुमर्हति । विनाऽपि क्रियया स्वास्थ्यं गच्छतां षोडशांशया ॥६३॥
Treatment and no treatment bhavituṃ arhati na ca – cannot become equal/similar/same, even in those who regain their health without any treatment (they could have regained it even earlier) by the presence of the 16 qualities (four virtues of each of the four limbs of treatment-vide chapter-1 of Sutrasthana).
Medicine (medical science) is just a supporting hand to the person sinking in the quagmire/slush of diseases/miseries; life of all those who are dying cannot be restored by medicine alone.
न ह्युपायमपेक्षन्ते सर्वे रोगा न चान्यथा । उपायसाध्याः सिध्यन्ति नाहेतुर्हेतुमान् यतः ॥ ६५ ॥
All diseases do not require treatment; nor is it that diseases curable by proper means (upāya) fail to get cured, since a non-cause cannot produce an effect and a real cause inherently possesses its effect.