Who is the Father of Ayurveda?- Charaka, History, Contributions and Charaka Samhita

Father of Ayurveda Overview

Charaka (150-200 CE) was a pivotal figure in the evolution of Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicinal and lifestyle system. He is well known for editing the Brihat-Trayi medical treatise Charaka Samhita, which is considered one of the foundational texts of ancient Indian medicine and Ayurveda.

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda, commonly known as Ayurvedic medicine, is an ancient Indian medical system. Its origins may be traced back thousands of years to its ancient Sanskrit roots, "ayus" (life) and "veda" (knowledge). It represents life science, the basis of the most natural and alternative medicine. Ayurveda is the world's oldest continuously practiced healthcare system. It is a traditional Indian therapeutic technique. It promotes health and well-being through a variety of treatments such as yoga, massage, acupuncture, and herbal medicine. In a nutshell, it provides a holistic perspective on living a healthy life.

Ayurveda is described in the Rig Veda, one of the world's oldest philosophical works (approximately 6,000 years). The Rig Veda verses relate to the five main components of the entire creation, with the major powers of air, fire, water, and earth being the fundamental foundations of Ayurveda as a medicinal discipline. Organ transplants and herbal cures are also mentioned in the Rig Veda.

Who is the Father of Ayurveda?

Charaka is regarded as the father of Ayurveda, or Ayurvedic medicine. He authored a treatise on a medication called Charaka Samhita, which describes a wide range of ailments and explains their treatment. He was born about 300 B.C. Charaka existed between 150 and 200 AD and 100 BC. He is most known for creating the Charaka Samhita, one of Ayurveda's and traditional Indian medicine's core texts.

The father of Ayurveda is also regarded as the father of traditional Indian medicine. He wrote a well-known book on medication, the title of which is his name. Kanishka named him Raj Vaidya. According to Indian tradition and the Ayurvedic philosophy, preventing any ailments is more important than curing them.

Father of Ayurveda Highlights

The following table gives details about Charaka-

History of Ayurveda and Charaka

Ayurveda has its roots in the Vedic period. The Atharva Veda has a wealth of information about health and sickness. Historians believe Ayurveda is a branch of the Atharva Veda. However, the oldest Veda, RigVeda, refers to ailments and healing plants. Ayurveda's systematized form dates back to the prehistoric time of the Rishi Conference, which was held on the foothills of Mount Himalaya. The Charaka Samhita is the first codified treatise on Ayurveda. Another codified document is the Sushruta Samhita. Dhanvantari was claimed to have descended from and spread the Sushruta tradition, while Atreya was said to have descended from and disseminated the Charaka tradition.

Charaka Samhita also cites Agnivesh, Bhela, Jatukarna, Parashar, Harita, and Ksharpani among the first followers of Atreya, and they each made their own treatises in the field of internal medicine. Charaka Samhita and Bhela Samhita are the only two legitimate versions available today; Harita Samhita is also available, although its legitimacy is dubious. Many of the writings were destroyed by foreign invaders, causing a significant setback to this old knowledge of life.

Charaka Views on Ayurveda  

Charaka is regarded as the founder of Ayurveda, an Indian medicinal practice that stretches back around 2,000 years. It is still performed in its original form today but has been modified to conform with contemporary medicine. He was a physician and scholar who produced several publications on Ayurveda. Charaka felt that health was more than just not being sick: it entailed keeping balance in all elements of life—physical, mental, and spiritual. Ayurveda treats illnesses and disorders using a combination of herbs and other natural therapies; it also educates people on how to live better lives overall through exercise, food, lifestyle choices such as sleeping patterns or meditation techniques (such as yoga or qi gong), and so on.

Father of Ayurveda on Medicine

Charaka saw Ayurveda as a complete system of medicine that addressed both preventative and curative components of health care. He also discussed fetal formation and development, human physiology, and physiological function and dysfunction. According to Charaka, three doshas, or principles, are responsible for a body's functionality: movement (Vata), transformation (Pitta), and lubrication and stability (Kapha). These doshas correspond to how we classify humor, wind, bile, and phlegm in Western culture.

Furthermore, he underlined that disease is caused by a disruption in the equilibrium of the three doshas in the human body. He suggested that medications be used to help restore homeostasis. He was aware that germs existed in the body, but he did not appreciate them.

Father of Ayurveda Medical Ethics

Some of Charaka's principles are as follows-

1. You must not become intoxicated, engage in negative behavior, or associate with bad individuals.
2. Nothing that occurs in the ill man's house may be mentioned outside, and the patient's condition may not be divulged to anybody who may cause harm to the sufferer or others."
3. When you visit a patient's house, you should use your words, thoughts, intellect, and senses to focus solely on your patient and his therapy.
4. To assure the health of the ill, you must strive relentlessly.
5. You must talk properly, pay great attention, and continually strive to learn more.
6. You must not abandon your patients, even if it puts your life at risk.
7. This global moral code remains as relevant and vital now as it was then.

Father of Ayurveda Contributions

Maharshi Charaka was the creator of the Charaka Samhita, which he wrote in Sanskrit. His work was widely regarded as the founding literature of Ayurveda. There are 120 Upadhyayas (chapters) in his work, which are separated into sections. For two millennia, the Charaka Samhita was a classic work, and it was also translated into other languages such as Arabic and Latin. Dridhbala later rewrote Charaka Samhita.

In Charaka's theory, ayurveda is typically classified into eight branches, which are-

1. Chikitsā-Sthāna, therapeutics
2. Indriya-Sthāna, prognosis
3. Kalpa-Sthāna, pharmacy
4. Nidāna-Sthāna, pathology
5. Sharīra-Sthāna, physiology and Anatomy
6. Siddhi-Sthāna, successful treatment
7. Sūtra-Sthāna, general principles
8. Vimāna-Sthāna, diagnostics

Father of Ayurveda Charaka Samhita

The Charaka Samhita, an Ayurvedic (Indian traditional medicine) book, was written in Sanskrit and is one of Ayurveda's two basic texts, the other being the Sushruta Samhita. It was translated into various languages, including Arabic and Latin, and remained a classic text on the subject for two millennia. According to mythology, the Charaka-Samhita developed into its current form around the first century CE. Agnivesa wrote the Agnivesha Samhita, an encyclopedic medical compendium, in the seventh century BCE under the supervision of the famous physician Atreya.

However, little attention was given to the project because the content lacked the depth of knowledge and was of poor quality. Thus, Charaka amended Agnivesha Samhita and gave it the name Charaka Samhita.

Charaka split the book into eight sections called "ashtanga sthanas:

1. Sutra
2. Nidana
3. Vimana
4. Sarira
5. Endriya
6. Chikitsa
7. Kalpa
8. Siddha

Author Dhabala later added seventeen more chapters to the Charaka Samhita. The book emphasizes four crucial components of medical practice-

1. The Patient
2. The Physician
3. The Nurse
4. The Medications.

The Bible considers all four to be necessary for healing and restoration. The Charaka Samhita, like the majority of ancient Hindu literature, honors and respects Hindu Gods as the real source of its wisdom. The book discusses physical geography using terminology like Jangala, Aanoopa, and Sadharana before discussing the plants, vegetables, lakes and rivers, birds, and animals that may be found in each of these regions.

Related Articles-

Summary on Father of Ayurveda

Charaka had a profound influence on the ancient Indian medical and lifestyle system known as Ayurveda (150–200 CE). The Charaka Samhita, along with the Sushruta Samhita, is one of the two fundamental texts of Ayurveda. Both the Ayurvedic system and Indian culture stress the importance of avoiding illnesses above curing them.