ayurvedic history

1. Dr. M. Shifa Pallie
Historical
development of
Dravyaguna
Vignana

2. Content
I. Ayurveda Avatharanaya (Origin of
Ayurveda)
II. Where does Dravyaguna Vignana come
under Ashtanga Ayurveda?
III. What is Dravyaguna Vignana
IV. Branches of Dravyaguna Vignana
V. Historical Development of DGV
VI. Materia Medica
VII. Evolution of Dravyaguna Vignana

3. I. Ayurveda Avatharanaya
(Origin of Ayurveda)

4. Maha Brahma
Daksha Prajapathi
Princes Ashvini
IndraDeva
Bharadvaja
Athreya , Dhanvantari, ….
Agnivesha Sushruta
Charaka
Ashtanga Ayurveda Ashtanga Ayurveda

5. Lord Dhanvanthari the God of
Hindu Medicine

6. II. Where does Dravyaguna
Vignana come under Ashtanga
Ayurveda?
1. Shalya (Surgery)
2. Shalakya (ENT)
3. Kaya chikitsa (Medicine)
4. Bhuta Vidya (Psychology)
5. Kaumarabhrutya (Pediatrics)
6. Agada Tantra (Toxicology)
7. Rasayana Tantra (Rejuvenation therapy)
8. Vajikarana Tantra (Aphrodisiac therapy)

7. III. What is Dravyaguna Vignana?
Dravyaguna Vignana is the Science which deals
with Drugs (Dravya), their properties(guna)
and actions (Karma).
h;%dY%s;d#l¾u.=Kd#ldrKx iujdhsh;a'
;oa øjHhï"
Yatrashrita Karmagunan karanam samavai
yath thath Dravyam.

8. III. What is Dravyaguna Vignana?
(Cont’d)
Yatrashrita Karmagunan karanam samavai
yath thath Dravyam.
(Charaka sutra 1/51)
The one which is a substratum of the qualities
and actions and which is a
concomitant/related cause is the matter.

9. III. What is Dravyaguna Vignana?
(Cont’d)
Dravya (Drug)/ Guna (Property) Karma (Action)
Asamodagam Depresses spasm of
the intestines
Reduces spasm of
the
intestines/stomach
pain
Kohomba/Margosa Antimicrobial Kills germs
Garlic Remove excessive
cholesterol
Reduces cholesterol
levels in the blood

10. IV. Branches of Dravyaguna
Vignana
• Various names and synonyms of
drugs
• Morphological characters
Pharmacognosy
(Nama Rupa Vignana)
• Properties of drugs (guna)
• Actions of drugs (karma)
Pharmacology (Guna
Karma Vignana)
• Uses of drugs in various diseases,
doses & Anupana
• Pathyapathya
Theraputics (Prayoga
Vignana)
Pharmacy (Bhaisajjya
Kalpana)
• Collection and storage of drugs
• Drug manufacturing

11. V. Historical Development of DGV
• From the total preoccupation with survival and complete
dependence on natural elements of the primitive man,
down through the ages of progressive freedom from such
preoccupations, man's needs have expanded to matters
more sublime such as religion, art and music.
•Thus, civilization was born. Like other
records, early history of medicine is unclear.
However, eight species of medicinal plants
including Ephedra were found buried beside
a man in a cave found in Iraq that has been
dated back to the Neanderthal age 60 000
years ago, providing early evidence of the use
of medicinal plants.

12. V. Historical Development of DGV
(Cont’d)
• The prehistoric discovery that certain plants cause
harm and others have curative powers is the origin
of the healing professions and its practitioners
(priest, physician, and apothecary), as well as
professions devoted to plants (botany and
horticulture).
Saint Thomas Aquinas,
Catholic theologian and philosopherHippocrates

13. V. Historical Development of DGV
(Cont’d)
• All civilization had their own traditional system
of medicine.
- Chinese Traditional Medicine: Pan Tsao –
2735 BC
- Ayurveda Medicinal System: India-2500 BC
- Eber’s papyrus: recorded
Egyptian medicines- eg.
Castor oil, opium, pomegranate
bark

14. V. Historical Development of DGV
(Cont’d)
• Ancient knowledge about the drugs
Chinese – 265
People in Babylon – 300
Persian – 584
Egyptians – 700
Avicenna – 760
India – 1000

15. VI. Materia Medica
• It is a Latin medical term
• M.M is the body of collected knowledge about
the therapeutic properties of any substance
used for healing
• Term was used from the
period of Roman empire –
20th century
• At Present –
PHARMACOLOGY

16. The materia medica
– 15th century
The Materia medica-12-13th
century
Page from the 6th century
Vienna Dioscurides, an illuminated
version of the 1st century
De Materia Medica
VI. Materia Medica (Cont’d)

17. VII. Evolution of Dravyaguna
Vignana
Evolution of DVG can be explained under 3
topics. They are –
1. According to time
2. Literary Development
3. Drug Classification

18. • Wealth of the materia medica of a nation is
the indication of its degree of civilization
• Civilization Adoptive stage
Adaptive stage
Creative stage
1.According to time

19. • Used drugs as it is in nature
ADOPTIVE
STAGE
• Preparation of drug according to
environment and ones own taste
ADAPTIVE
STAGE
• Innovation and Development of
new drugs
CREATIVE
STAGE

20. THANK
YOU