Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita

by Nayana Sharma | 2015 | 139,725 words

Hinduism Ayurveda

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Summary: This study contains a medical and social analysis of the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita, both ancient and authentic texts belonging to Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of medicine, health-care, nature and life in general. This text further examines topics such as the various aspects of disease and healing, the training of the physician, their specialisation, interaction with society and educational training, all according to the primary Sanskrit sources on Ayurveda.

Source 1: exoticindiaart.com
Source 2: shodhganga.inflibnet.ac.in

Contents of this online book ( + / - )

The full text of the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita in English is available here and publically accesible (free to read online). Of course, I would always recommend buying the book so you get the latest edition. You can see all this book’s content by visiting the pages in the below index:

Introduction to ancient Indian medicine

+ Chapter 1

. The Saṃhitās (Introduction)

. The Question of Authorship

. The Identity of Ātreya

. The identity of Agniveśa

. The identity of Caraka

. The Date of Caraka Saṃhitā

. The authors and redactors of the Suśruta Saṃhitā and its date

. Multiplicity of Textual Strata

. The Social Orientation of the medical compendia

+ Chapter 2

. The Medical Profession (Introduction)

. The physician in the Vedas

. The Physician in the Caraka and Suśruta Saṃhitās

. Specialisation of physicians

. The Royal Physician

. Superintendent of the Royal Kitchen

. Quackery: The “Fraudulent” Medical Practitioners

. The Medical Attendant

. Interface between Physicians and Society

. The Position of the Physician in Society

. The Physician in the Medical Texts

+ Chapter 3

. The Medical Student and the Teacher (Introduction)

. The Teacher of Āyurveda

. The Student of Āyurveda (1): The pre-admission stage

. The Student of Āyurveda (2): The Initiation Ceremony

. The Student of Āyurveda (3a): The Period of Student-hood

. The Student of Āyurveda (3b): Methodology of Teaching and Study

. The Student of Āyurveda (3c): Practical Knowledge

. The Student of Āyurveda (4): System of assessment

. Teacher-Student Relationship

+ Chapter 4

. Social Implications of Diseases and their Treatment

. Disease in the Vedas

. Disease in the classical Saṃhitās

. Aetiology of Disease

. Aetiology (a): Ādhyatmika

. Aetiology (b): Ādhibhautika

. Aetiology (c): Ādhidaivika

. Karma and Disease

. Disease as an entity or as a process

. The Principles of Therapeutics (Cikitsā)

. Practice of Therapeutics

. Infirmaries and Hospitals in ancient India

. Denial of Treatment

. The Social Implications of Disease

. Appendix 1 - Description of a Hospital

. Appendix 2 - The details of hospital management

+ Chapter 5

. Class and Gender (Introduction)

. Gender in the Saṃhitās

+ Chapter 6

. Hygiene and Environmental Issues (Introduction)

. Epidemics (maraka)

. Hygiene and diseases (Introduction)

. Personal Hygiene

. Facial Hygiene

. Hygiene of the Head and Neck region

. Hygiene of the body and personal grooming

. Mental Hygiene and Social Health

. Precautionary measures for good health and Prophylactic Measures

. Dietary and Lifestyle measures based on the six Seasons

. Words of Caution

+ Chapter 7

. Drugs and Diet (Introduction)

. Procurement of medicinal drugs

. Processing of medicines

. Trade In Medicinal Drugs

. Knowledge of Dietetics

. Certain aspects of dietary regimen

+ Chapter 8

. Medicine and Religion (Introduction)

. Brahmā, Prajāpati and Dakṣa

. Indra receives the knowledge of Āyurveda

. Soma (the Lord of the drugs)

. Dhanvantari (the god of the physicians)

. The Sun (Arka)

. Rudra-Śiva in the Medical Texts

. Viṣṇu in the Medical Texts

. Female Divinities

. Bhūtas and Grahas

. Ritualism in the Medical Texts

+ Chapter 9

. Surgery: Pre-operative and Post-operative Care (Introduction)

. The perception of surgery

. List of Surgical Conditions in the Suśruta Saṃhitā

. The training of the Surgeon

. The three stages of Surgical procedures

. Concept of infection

Chapter 10: Conclusion

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Last Updated: 23 October, 2022

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