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Charaka Samhita
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The Caraka Sa?hita Sutra is an ancient Indian Ayurvedic text on internal medicine written by Caraka. It is believed to be the oldest of the three ancient treatises of Ayurveda. It is central to the modern-day practice of Ayurvedic medicine; and, along with the Susruta Sa?hita it is now identified worldwide as an important early source of medical understanding and practice, independent of ancient Greece.
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The Caraka Sa?hita Sutra is an ancient Indian Ayurvedic text on internal medicine written by Caraka. It is believed to be the oldest of the three ancient treatises of Ayurveda. It is central to the modern-day practice of Ayurvedic medicine; and, along with the Susruta Sa?hita it is now identified worldwide as an important early source of medical understanding and practice, independent of ancient Greece.
Origins
The text, written in Sanskrit, is the work of several authors and may represent the work of a school of thought. The term Caraka is said to apply to ‘wandering scholars’ or ‘wandering physicians’; and ‘Sa?hita’ means ‘collected' or 'compendium’. The original source of this text is identified as the Agnivesa Tantra (a treatise by Agnivesa), based on the teachings of Punarvasu Atreya and Caraka is said to have redacted this work (Agnivesakr?te tantre Caraka pratisa?skr?te). Later, another scholar, Dridhabala extended it further (Aprapte Dridhabala sampurite). The work as extant dates to the Maurya period (roughly 3rd century BCE).
Contents
The extant text has a??anga sthana (eight sections), totaling 120 chapters. These 8 sections are Sutra sthana (30 chapters), Nidana sthana (8 chapters), Vimana sthana (8 chapters), Sarira sthana (8 chapters), Indriya sthana (12 chapters), Chikitsa sthana (30 chapters), Kalpa sthana (12 chapters) and Siddhi sthana (12 chapters). 17 chapters of Cikitsa sthana and complete Kalpa sthana and Siddhi sthana were added later by Dridhabala (9th century). The text starts with Sutra sthana which deals with fundamentals and basic principles of Ayurveda practice. Unique scientific contributions credited to the Caraka Sa?hita include:
- a rational approach to the causation and cure of disease
- introduction of objective methods of clinical examination
- “Direct observation is the most remarkable feature of Ayurveda, though at times it is mixed up with metaphysics. The Sa?hita emphasizes that of all types of evidence the most dependable ones are those that are directly observed by the eyes. In Ayurveda successful medical treatment crucially depends on four factors: the physician, substances (drugs or diets), nurse and patient. The qualifications of physician are: clear grasp of the theoretical content of the science, a wide range of experience, practical skill and cleanliness; qualities of drugs or substances are: abundance, applicability, multiple use and richness in efficacy; qualifications of the nursing attendant are: knowledge of nursing techniques, practical skill, attachment for the patient and cleanliness; and the essential qualifications of the patients are: good memory, obedience to the instructions of the doctors, courage and ability to describe the symptoms.”
Commentaries
The most celebrated commentary on this text is the Carakatatparyatika or the Ayurveda Dipika written by Cakrapanidatta (1066). Other notable commentaries are Bhattara Harishchandra's Charakanyasa (c.6th century), Jaijjatas Nirantarapadavyakhya (c.875), Shivadasa Sena's Charakatattvapradipika (c.1460). Among the more recent commentaries are Narasimha Kaviraja's Charakatattvaprakasha and Gangadhara Kaviratna's Jalpakalpataru (1879).
Charaka Samhita on nursing
"The Caraka (Vol I, Section xv) states these men should be, 'of good behavior, distinguished for purity, possessed of cleverness and skill, imbued with kindness, skilled in every service a patient may require, competent to cook food, skilled in bathing and washing the patient, rubbing and massaging the limbs, lifting and assisting him to walk about, well skilled in making and cleansing of beds, readying the patient and skillful in waiting upon one that is ailing and never unwilling to do anything that may be ordered.'"
External links
Further reading
- Kaviratna, A.C. and P. Sharma, tr., The Caraka Samhita 5 Vols., Indian Medical Science Series, Sri Satguru Publications, a division of Indian Books Centre,Delhi 81-7030-471-7
- Menon, I A and H F Haberman, Dermatological writings of ancient India Medical History. 1969 October; 13(4): 387–392. seen at The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London June 1, 2006
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