{"id":1958,"date":"2016-06-06T07:18:37","date_gmt":"2016-06-06T07:18:37","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vedicheritage.gov.in\/?page_id=1958"},"modified":"2026-03-09T15:53:40","modified_gmt":"2026-03-09T10:23:40","slug":"medicine","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/vedicheritage.gov.in\/hi\/medicine\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0914\u0937\u0927\u093f"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n
\n

Ayurveda – Indian system of Medicine<\/h3>\n

The ancient Indian wisdom of healing (or medicine) known as \u0100yurveda, is a part of the spiritual tradition of the Vedas. The Vedas include almost every aspect of life i.e. health, astrology, army, poetry and spiritual living and behavior. We find the roots of modern medicine in the Vedas. The \u1e5agveda, a compilation of verse on the nature of existence, is the oldest compilation of any knowledge system. The \u1e5agveda refers to the cosmology known as S\u0101\u1e41khya which lies at the base of both \u0100yurveda and Yoga, contains verses on the nature of health and disease, pathogenesis and principles of treatment.<\/p>\n

\u0915\u093e\u092f\u092c\u093e\u0932\u0917\u094d\u0930\u0939\u094b\u0930\u094d\u0927\u094d\u0935\u093e\u0919\u094d\u0917\u0936\u0932\u094d\u092f\u0926\u0902\u0937\u094d\u091f\u094d\u0930\u093e\u091c\u0930\u093e\u0935\u0943\u0937\u093e\u0928\u094d \u0965 5 \u0964\u0964
\n \u0905\u0937\u094d\u091f\u093e\u0935\u0919\u094d\u0917\u093e\u0928\u093f \u0924\u0938\u094d\u092f\u093e\u0939\u0941\u0936\u094d\u091a\u093f\u0915\u093f\u0924\u094d\u0938\u093e \u092f\u0947\u0937\u0941 \u0938\u0902\u0936\u094d\u0930\u093f\u0924\u093e \u0964
\n \u0935\u093e\u092f\u0941: \u092a\u093f\u0924\u094d\u0924\u0902 \u0915\u092b\u0936\u094d\u091a\u0947\u0924\u093f \u0924\u094d\u0930\u092f\u094b \u0926\u094b\u0937\u093e: \u0938\u092e\u093e\u0938\u0924: \u0965 6 \u0964\u0964
\n \u0935\u093f\u0915\u0943\u0924\u093e\u093d\u0935\u093f\u0915\u0943\u0924\u093e \u0926\u0947\u0939\u0902 \u0918\u094d\u0928\u0928\u094d\u0924\u093f \u0924\u0947 \u0935\u0930\u094d\u0924\u094d\u0924\u092f\u0928\u094d\u0924\u093f \u091a \u0964
\n – \u0905\u0937\u094d\u091f\u093e\u0902\u0917\u0939\u0943\u0926\u092f\u092e\u094d \u092a\u094d\u0930\u0925\u092e\u094b\u0927\u094d\u092f\u093e\u092f<\/p>\n

k\u0101yab\u0101lagrahordhv\u0101\u1e45ga-\u015balyadam\u1e63\u1e6dr\u0101jar\u0101v\u1e5b\u1e63\u0101n.
\n a\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101va\u1e45g\u0101ni tasy\u0101hu\u015bcikits\u0101 ye\u1e63u sam\u015brit\u0101.
\n V\u0101yuh pittan kapha\u015bceti trayo do\u1e63\u0101h sam\u0101satah
\n vik\u1e5btavik\u1e5bta deham ghnanti te varttayanti ca.
\n – A\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101ngah\u1e5bdayam, Adhyaya-1<\/p>\n

According to the \u0100yurveda, the body is comprised of three primary forces, termed Do\u1e63a i.e. (i) V\u0101yuh (ii) Pitta, and (iii) Kapha. The state of equilibrium between the do\u1e63a is perceived as a state of health; the state of imbalance is disease. Each Do\u1e63a represents characteristics derived from the five elements of space, air, fire, water, and earth. Herbs are used to heal the diseases of the mind and body and to foster longevity.<\/p>\n

A\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101ngah\u1e5bdayam lists eight branches of the \u0100yurveda. They are-<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n

    K\u0101ya Cikits\u0101 (Internal Medicine),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  2. \n

    B\u0101la Cikits\u0101 (Treatment of Children \/ Pediatrics),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  3. \n

    Graha Cikits\u0101 (Demonology \/ Psychology),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  4. \n

    Urdhv\u0101nga Cikits\u0101 (Treatment of disease above the clavicle),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  5. \n

    \u015aalya Cikits\u0101 (Surgery),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  6. \n

    Dam\u1e63tra Cikits\u0101 (Toxicology),<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  7. \n

    Jar\u0101 Cikits\u0101 (Geriatrics, Rejuvenation), and<\/p>\n<\/li>\n

  8. \n

    V\u1e5b\u1e63a Cikits\u0101 (Aphrodisiac therapy).<\/p>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    The Vedic priests were not only performing religious rites and ceremonies, they were also Vaidyas (physicians of \u0100yurveda). The sage-physician-surgeons were realized health as an integral part of spiritual life. It is said that they received the knowledge of healing, prevention, longevity and surgery through divine revelation. These revelations were transcribed from the oral tradition into book form at a much later date. What is fascinating is \u0100yurveda’s use of herbs, foods, aromas, gems, colors, yoga, mantras, lifestyle and surgery. There were two main schools of \u0100yurveda; \u0100treya<\/b>– the school of physicians, and Dhanvantari<\/b>– the school of surgeons. These two schools made \u0100yurveda a more scientifically verifiable and classifiable medical system.<\/p>\n

    In Indian tradition, Brahm\u0101 is known as the creator of the world. Many diseases also emerged with the advent of life on the earth. To protect \/ cure from such diseases Brahm\u0101 passed the knowledge of \u0100yurveda to Praj\u0101pati. Later knowledge passed on to A\u015bvin\u012bkumars\u2019 to Indra to Bh\u0101radv\u0101ja to \u0100treya- Punarvasu. \u0100treya- Punarvasu had six students namely- Agnive\u015ba, Bhel, Jatukar\u1e47a, Par\u0101\u015bara, H\u0101r\u012bti and K\u1e63\u0101rap\u0101\u1e47i. All of them contributed for the development of \u0100yurveda. Agnive\u015ba was the most intelligent and his compilation is known as \u201cAgnive\u015ba Sa\u1e41hit\u0101\u201d or \u201cAgnive\u015ba Tantra\u201d. \u0100c\u0101rya Caraka edited this text and added some commentary, which was later known as \u201cCaraka Sa\u1e41hit\u0101\u201d.<\/p>\n

    Su\u015bruta, a student of Dhanvantari has contributed greatly in the area of surgery (\u015aalya Cikits\u0101) through his text known as Su\u015bruta Sa\u1e41hit\u0101. However, there were many parallel streams of knowledge (medical) practiced at that time, are evident through the texts like K\u0101\u015byapa Sa\u1e41hit\u0101 (by Ka\u015byapa), \u015a\u0101l\u0101kya Tantra (by Nimi or Videha) etc. There are two main re-organizers of \u0100yurveda whose works are available today – Caraka and Su\u015bruta. Caraka Sa\u1e41hit\u0101 is mainly a medical text while Su\u015bruta Sa\u1e41hit\u0101 concentrates on surgery. The third major treatise is called the A\u1e63\u1e6d\u0101ngah\u1e5bdayam by V\u0101gbha\u1e6da, which is a concise version of the works of Caraka and Su\u015bruta.<\/p>\n

    Ancient Indian healing system used mix of religious practices with secular medicine. They used incantations in combination with administering drugs and performing operations. It involved observing the patient as well as observing their natural environment. They also used an extensive range of medicine; Caraka Sa\u1e41hit\u0101 listed 500 medicines while Su\u015bruta Sa\u1e41hit\u0101 mentioned over 700 vegetable-based medicines. Indian medicine relied on the concept of marmas, which identified a series of points where an injury or damage could be fatal. Surgery was widely used and surgeons performed the most elaborate operations. Over 121 different steel instruments were used to sew up wounds, drain fluid, remove kidney stones and to perform plastic surgery.<\/p>\n

    \u0100yurveda is practiced in different parts of India since Vedic times. Over 70 percent of Indian population is dependent on this ancient knowledge of healing. The fundamental principles of \u0100yurveda are at the heart of many “alternative” therapies used in the West, today. Through this portal, an attempt has been made to establish the relevance of this ancient system of medicine in today\u2019s world, by publishing the available texts and researches (analysis of the knowledge using modern scientific methods and standards practiced worldwide), in public domain.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

    \n

    Links<\/h3>\n
    \n
    \n