Ashtanga Hridaya: The Complete Ayurvedic Dictionary

Description

Shrimad Vagbhatta Virchitam – Ashtanga Hridaya: The Complete Ayurvedic Dictionary by Ayurvedacharya Pt. Shiv Sharma.

Ashtanga Hridaya is the third major treatise on Ayurveda. It was written by Vagbhata around the 7th century (AD 500). It is predominantly based on the teachings of Charaka and Susruta Samhitas though it also gives its own views on different topics. It contains information regarding the two schools of Ayurveda, namely the school of surgery and the school of physicians.

Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita is written in Sanskrit in the form of simple and easily understood poetic verses. It contains the salient features of the texts written by Charaka and Sushruta as well as the essence of Ashtanga Samgraha.The book contains about 7120 poetic verses. Mainly focussing on kayachikitsa, Ashtanga Hridaya also discusses in detail about various surgical treatments. The kapha subtypes are first listed and described in this samhita, with exhaustive explanation of vata, pitta, and kapha along with their five subtypes.

This text is considered as a combined form of both the Atreya and Dhanwanthari schools. Many of the ayurvedic medicines are prepared through the methods described in Ashtanga Hridaya.

Ashtanga Hridya Samhita is divided into sutra, nidana, sharira, chikitsa, kalpa, and uttara sthana, and was also written by Vagbhata. It contains 120 chapters and the author quotes Charaka, Susruta Bhela, Nimi, Kasyapa, Dhanvantari and other earlier authors and their works; the chief source, however, is Ashtanga Samgraha. It s a complete but concise description of Ayurvedic medicine.

Ashtanga Hridaya (Ashta = 8; Anga = Organ) deals with the 8 Angas or orgashivns of the body. namely:

1. Kaya Chikitsa (Treats The Body).
2. Baala Chikitsa (Pediatrics).
3. Griha Chikitsa (Psychiatry).
4. Urdhvanga Chikitsa or Shalakya Tantra (Eye, Ear, Nose and parts above neck).
5. Salya Tantra (Surgery).
6. Damsthra Chikitsa (Toxicology like treating snake venom).
7. Jara Chikitsa or Rasayana Chikitsa (Rejuvenation Therapy).
8. Vrishya Chikitsa or Vajeekarana Vhikitsa (Aphrodisiac Therapy)

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