HISTORY OF AYURVEDA

The current body of knowledge is derived from three extant texts attributed to Charaka, Sushruta, and Vaghbata. Within the Charaka Samhita, the knowledge is ascribed to its founder, Atreya, who mentored a cadre of accomplished pupils, including Bhela, Jatukarna, Agnivesha, Parashara, Harita, and Ksharpani. These pupils subsequently made notable advancements in the realm of Ayurveda through the creation of their own comprehensive treatises. Of these, Agnivesha stands out as the most eminent, having authored the Agnivesha tantra, now recognized as the Charaka Samhita. Furthermore, Bhela and Harita produced their individual works, namely the Bhela Samhita and Harita Samhita, further enriching the Ayurvedic knowledge tradition.

In the Sushruta Samhita, Dhanvantari is acknowledged as the founding authority, and he passed down his wisdom to a group of disciples, which included Sushruta, Aurabhra, Aupadhenava, and Paushpakalavat.

Charaka’s School of Physicians and Sushruta’s School of Surgeons became the basis of Ayurveda and helped organize and systematically classify into branches of medicine and surgery. During the 5th century, Vaghbata compiled two compilations of texts known as Ashtanga Sangraha and Ashtanga Hridaya. These texts elaborate on the Kaya-chikitsa found in Charaka Samhita and the various surgical techniques described in Sushruta Samhita. The focus appears to lean more towards the physiological aspects of disease processes rather than the spiritual aspects. While Ashtanga Sangraha is presented in prose, Ashtanga Hridaya is composed in verse form for the purpose of recitation.

Madhava contributed tremendously in Ayurveda diagnosis and clinical medicine providing a systematic approach to understanding diseases, their causes, and symptomatology. The text, Madhava Nidana of Madhava is particularly valuable for its descriptions of clinical conditions and their differentiation.
Sixteen major supplements (Nighantus) were written in the ensuing years such as Dhanvantari, Bahavaprakasha, Raja and Shaligrama to name a few – that helped refine the practice of Ayurveda. New medicinal herbs were added and ineffective ones were discarded. Expansion of application, identification of new illnesses and finding substitute treatments seemed to have been an evolving process. Close to 2000 plants that were used in healing diseases and abating symptoms were identified in these supplements.

As per the principles of Ayurveda, there exist three fundamental dimensions of an individual, namely the physical, mental, and spiritual realms. The state of health is dependent upon the equilibrium among these three dimensions and their interactions with the external environment. This interplay between the microcosm and macrocosm represents a core tenet in Ayurveda. The individual engages continuously with the external environment through sensory perceptions (comprising cognitive and action-oriented senses) and cognitive functions, while being reciprocally influenced by the external milieu.
Both the external environment and the individual are comprehended within the ontological framework of the Pancamahabhuta, or the theory of five elements. The classification based on the five elements - earth, water, fire, air, and space - aligns with the five senses: smell, taste, vision, touch, and sound, respectively. This foundational principle is integral to all intellectual traditions in the region. In Ayurveda, for the sake of simplifying the comprehension of physiological and pathological aspects, the five elements are further consolidated into three categories known as tridosha - vata (a blend of space and air), pitta (fire), and kapha (water and earth). Various aspects such as body-mind constitutions, metabolic functions, biological rhythms, seasonal variations, and diverse physiological and pathological processes are elucidated in terms of countless permutations and combinations of these elements and the tridosa within the body. Ayurveda posits that this serves as the fundamental basis for comprehending substances (Dravya guna sastra) such as food or medication, therapeutic methodologies, and adjustments in diet and lifestyle aimed at maintaining well-being.