This tradition of creating compilations of information from the classical Ayurvedic texts is believed to have begun with Vagbhata, who wrote his treatises Ashtanga Hridayam and Ashtanga Sangraha during this time. These were commentaries on the classical texts that covered the essentials of all of the eight branches of Ayurveda. Thus, the practice of creating concise “handbooks” began. With such a large body of work, it was difficult for students and practitioners to thoroughly learn and incorporate this knowledge through studying the texts. Previously, many volumes of text had been written focusing on different specialties in medicine. During this time many treatises of different disciplines were reexamined and redacted to update them for the new era. This was the age of the reign of the Gupta Kings, often considered the golden age of Indian history. The practice of writing commentaries on the classical texts of Ayurveda began during the Sangraha period. Charaka never discusses the upadoshas of pitta or kapha, but does describe the 5 sub-types of vata. It presents most of the theoretical foundations of Ayurveda while focusing on kayachikitsa (internal medicine). (1) This divine piece of Sanskrit writing is presented in the form of poetry, with meter and melody, to enhance one’s ability for memorization. The work itself summarizes medical care in health and in disease by offering etiology, symptomatology and treatments. Regardless, Charaka Samhita remains one of the most crucial (and highly studied) authoritative contributions to Ayurvedic medicine today. It is possible that a group of scholars - maybe even followers of a man named Charaka - collaborated to complete this comprehensive work. Who exactly the author is, or if, in fact, Charaka represents the work of a "school of thought," is unknown. Commentators such as Vijnana Bhiksu, Sivadasa, and Bhavamisra (the author of the Bhavaprakasha), subscribe to the opinion that Charaka and author of Mahabhasya on Vyakarana Patanjali, are one and the same person. (1, 2) Speculation still revolves around his existence as a singular person, or its existence as a collaborative effort. (1)Ĭharaka is believed to have flourished anywhere between the 2nd and 6th century BCE. The Agnivesa Samhita is said to have been on the verge of perishing, or maybe just falling into disuse, at the moment that Charaka took on the great task of redaction. (2) In this lineage, Agnivesa transcribed the teachings of Atreya Punarvasu and turned them into a text that would later be made available to the world thanks to Charaka. Many consider Charaka to be a redactor restoring, rewriting, and filling in the gaps of the Agnivesa Samhita (46,000 verses), which is no longer in existence. Classical Period (450 BCE - 400 CE) Introduction to Charaka Samhita
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