Ayurveda is the science of life, the origin of most forms of natural and alternative medicine. 'Ayu' meaning life is the combination of body, senses, mind and soul and Ayurveda is the most sacred science of life. Ayurveda originates from the Vedas, Atharva Veda in particular and is connected to the Hindu religion.
The earliest source of Ayurveda are the verses of Rig Veda which refer to Panchamahabhut(the 5 basic elements of entire creation) and the 3 doshas as the comprising elements of Ayurveda. During 4000 to 3000 B.C., Samaveda and Yajurveda, the second and third Vedas came into existence. Chants and performance of rituals were the highlight of these two Vedas. The Atharva Veda has numerous hymns lauding herbs. During this period, plants were worshipped as deities
Other early works of Ayurveda include the Charaka Samhita, Susrut Samhita and Ashtang Hridaya.
Charaka Samhita is attributed to Charaka. It is considered to be the most ancient and authoritative writing on Ayurveda available today. It explains the logic and philosophy on which this system of medicine is based. According to Charaka Samhita, Ayurveda has been constantly evaluated, verified and fine-tuned by an active community of physicians. Though the knowledge in Charaka Samhita is mostly theoretical, it focuses on the healing of body, mind and soul. The study of Charaka focused on health and longevity. Charaka carried out a detailed study of the diagnosis of a disease's origin.
Susrata Samhita is considered to be the most authentic text on the practice of Ayurvedic surgery and Susruta has also been regarded as the father of plastic surgery. The Susruta Samhita included minute details on how to perform prosthetic surgery to replace limbs, cosmetic surgeries, cesarean operation, setting of compound fractures and even brain surgery. This text has been inspired from the events of epics like Ramayana which mentions that remarkable feets of surgery have taken place in the past, references have been made to transplantation of head and eyeball in the epic.
Ashtange Hridaya is also considered as one of the origins of Ayurveda. Around 500 A.D., Vagabhatt compiled his 'Samhita' known as Ashtanga Hridaya. It contained knowledge based on two schools of surgery, namely, the school of surgery and school of physicians. This text emphasizes on the physiological aspect of the body rather than spiritual aspects of it.
Over the coming ages, the science of Ayurveda developed during the reigns of prominent kings and empires. Throughout the era of the prominent ruler Chandragupta Maurya, Ayurveda was a part of the conventional Indian healing techniques. It continued to be a part of the medicine till the colonization of British. Chakrapani Dutta, a Vaid Brahman from Bengal also produced books on Ayurveda such as "Chakradutta" among many more.
Ayurveda has been regarded as the science as well as art of life, regardless of the rising adoption of European medical techniques during the British era. There was a period, when the study and practice of Ayurveda had declined considerably with the rise of Western medicine and hospitals. However, in the 1970s, Ayurveda gained the limelight slowly and made a comeback. Presently, Ayurveda is a very popular medicine with Ayurvedic doctors and practitioners thriving all across the country. The production and promotion of Ayurvedic medicine has also risen and today, Ayurvedic medicines are available throughout the globe.
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