A foundational text of Ayurveda.
The Caraka Samhita translates as “the collection of Caraka” and is considered to be the oldest collection of writings from the Vedas on Ayurveda. The author Caraka was regarded as the “father of non-operative Ayurvedic-Indian medicine” and compiled the Caraka Samhita around the 2nd millennium BC. This collection of writings was written in Sanskrit and consists of 120 chapters, 9,295 sutras (doctrines) and 12,000 shlokas (verses). The chapters are divided into 8 sthana (sections), each of which deals with a specific area:
- Sutra Sthana (30 chapters: Basic principles)
- Nidana Sthana (8 chapters: Pathology)
- Vimana Sthana (8 chapters: Diagnostics)
- Sharira Sthana (8 chapters: Anatomy)
- Indriya Sthana (12 chapters: Prognosis)
- Chikitsa Sthana (30 chapters: Therapeutics)
- Kalpa Sthana (12 chapters: Pharmacy)
- Siddhi Sthana (12 chapters: Treatment)
Life is of four kinds: Sukha (happy), Duhkha (unhappy), Hita (good) and Ahita (bad). […] The aim of Ayurveda is to teach what is conducive to these four kinds of life.
Caraka Samhita, Chapters 1.1, 1.30 (abridged)
The Caraka Samhita contains ancient theories on the preservation and restoration of health, on the development of illness, on the human body, on symptoms and the treatment of various diseases, on healthy and proper nutrition, on physical and mental hygiene and prevention. Even today, after thousands of years, these principles, diagnostic methods and treatments are successfully applied. This is why the Caraka Samhita is regarded as the definitive basic work of Ayurvedic medicine. In India, it is one of the main course books in Ayurveda studies, but it also provides guidance for anyone who wants to learn how to live a healthy and happy life.
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