This document provides a history of Ayurveda, beginning with its origins in the Vedic texts dating back to 3000 BC. It describes Ayurveda as a supplement to the Atharva Veda, which first described the eight branches of Ayurveda. The three major ancient Ayurvedic texts were Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, and the works of Vagbhata in the 5th century AD. It traces the development of Ayurveda through sages like Atreya and the schools of Charaka and Sushruta.

1. Dr. Sachin Bagali MD (Ayu)
Assistant Professor
Department of Samhita & Siddhanta
BLDEA’s AVS AMV Vijayapur
History of Ayurveda

2. Contents
 Ayurveda ?
 Definition of Ayurveda
 Aim of Ayurveda
 Origin of Ayurveda
 History of Ayurveda

3. Ayurveda ?

4. आयुर्वेद
आयु
(Life)
र्वेद
(Knowledge)
+
आ
(Entire life)
युज
(to join)
+
“आयुष: वेद: आयुवेद :”

5. Definition of Ayurveda:
हहताहहतं सुखं दुुःखमायुस्तस्य हहताहहतम्|
मानं च तच्च यत्रोक्तमायुवेदुः स उच्यते||
(C.Su.1/41)
Ayurveda  Science which describes
Hithayu & Ahithayu,
Sukhayu & Dukhayu, ;
Hita Ahitha (good & bad of life),
Manaa (Duration) & feature of life
Aim of Ayurveda
प्रयोज स्वस्थस्य स्र्वास््यरऺणमातुरस्य वर्वकारप्रशमनं
(C Su 30/31)
 To preserve the health of healthy person
 To cure the disease of diseased person

6. Origin of Ayurveda
 The origin of Ayurveda traced 5000 years back
 When writing was not even evolved in its physical form
 It is believed that the Vedic knowledge was passed through
meditation
 Knowledge of the use of various method of healing, prevention,
longevity and surgery came through divine exposure
 These relatives were transcribed from the oral tradition into book
form intersected with the other aspects of life & spirituality.
 The earliest scripts would have been written on perishable
materials such as Bhojapatra,
 The manuscript could not be preserved over time or required
utmost care due to the perishable nature of Bhojapatra &
subsequently the later scripts were inscribed on stone & copper
plates

7. History of Ayurveda
 The science of Ayurveda is divine gift to mankind.
 Scholars of Vedic literature & Indology contemplate that
Sage Ved Vyas would have been the 1st person to document
major portions of Ayurveda
 The evolution of the Indian art of healing and living a
healthy life comes from the four Vedas namely : Rig veda ,
Sama veda ,Yajur veda and Atharva veda. of all the 4
vedas,
 the Rig veda is accepted as the oldest surviving treatise on
the planet dated as long back as 3000 BC

8.  However it is in Atharva veda where major references of
Ayurveda are found, hence ayurveda is considered as a
supplement of Upaveda of Atharva veda
 Atharva veda gives a systematic description of Astangha
Ayurveda or 8 bracnches of Ayurveda
 The knowledge we have now is by three surviving texts of
Charaka, Sushruta and Vaghbata.

9. अष्टाङ्ग आयुवेद (8 Branches of Ayurveda)
काय बाऱ ग्रहोर्धर्वााङ्ग शल्यदंष्ट्रा जरा र्वृषान्||५||
अष्ट्टार्वङ्गानन तस्याहुश्चिककत्सा येषु संश्रिता|
 काय श्रिककत्सा General medicine
 बाऱ श्रिककत्सा Pediatrics
 ग्रह श्रिककत्सा Psychiatry
 उर्धर्वााङ्ग श्रिककत्सा  ENT & ophthalmology
 शल्य श्रिककत्सा Surgery
 दंष्ट्रा श्रिककत्सा Toxicology
 जरा श्रिककत्सा  Geriatrics
 र्वृष श्रिककत्सा  Aphrodisiac therapy

10. Brahma
AYURVEDAVATARNA
(Descent of Ayurveda)
Dakshaprajapati
Aswini kumara
Indra
Dhanwantari Sampradaya
(Suhsruta Samhita)
(Shalyatantra)
Kashyapa Sampradaya
(Kashyapa Samhita)
(Koumaryabhrutya)
Atreya Sampradaya
(Charaka Samhita)
(Kayachikitsa)
Bharadwaja Dhanwantari Kashyapa,Vasiata
Atri , Bhrugu
Atreya Punarvasa Kasiraj divodas
Sons & Disciples
Agnivesa, Bhela,
Jatukarana, Parasara,
Harita, Ksharapani
Susruta, Auopadenava,
Aourabra, Poushakalavata,
Karavera, Vaitarna, Bhoja,
Goupurakshita
6
8

11. School of Ayurveda
Atreya Punarvasa
(the school of Physician)
Kasiraj divodas
(the school of Surgeon)

12. Charaka
 Meaning of Charaka i.e the physician who wonders from place
to place offering medical service to the people
 Acharya Charaka redacted the treatise, Agnivesa tantra which
has become popular as Charaka Samhita

13. Sushruta
 Son of Vishwamitra & learned Ayurveda from Kasiraj Devodas
 Panini told derivation of word Sushruta as
“A person skilled in surgery”
 Sushruta is considered as father of surgery
 Sushruta  Sushruta Samhita (Shalya Tantra)

14. Vagbhatta
 He was Son  Simhagupta & Grandson  Vagbhata
 He belongs to the region of river Sindhu
 His Father & Grandfather were great scholar of Ayurveda
 He was disciples of Avalokita
 Author of Astanga sangraha & Astangahrudaya  5th C AD
 Some says
AS  Vridhha Vagbhata
AH  Laghu Vagbhata

15. thus the three main ancient ayurveda texts
 Charaka Samhita
 Sushrurta Samhita
 Vagbhata Samhita