Philosophy of Charaka-samhita
by Asokan. G | 2008 | 88,742 words
Ayurveda, represented by Charaka and Sushruta, stands first among the sciences of Indian intellectual tradition. The Charaka-samhita, ascribed to the great celebrity Charaka, has got three strata. (1) The first stratum is the original work composed by Agnivesha, the foremost of the six disciples of Punarvasu Atreya. He accomplished the work by coll...
Introduction (ethics according to Charaka philosophy)
Carakasaṃhitā is totally predestined to be a treatise for the whole of humanity. In that sense its moral obligation is unquestionable. But the problem is to find out what sort of moral convictions Carakasaṃhitā upholds and how it undertakes its dissemination.
Beyond our expectations Caraka depicts its moral outlook. It is not a stereotyped description of morality or code of conduct that is to be followed in the medical domain only. But it presents a comprehensive vision of an integrated ethics for the accomplishment of the supreme good of life, taking into consideration human nature and the real nature of the world. Perhaps there may be no other medical treatise in the world which describes moral values and code of conducts in such an all embracing manner.