Charaka Samhita

The Caraka Saṃhitā (Devanagari:चरक संहिता) or "Compendium of Caraka" is an early Ayurvedic encyclopedia on medicine. It is believed to be the oldest of the three surviving ancient treatises of Ayurveda. It is central to the modern-day practice of Ayurvedic medicine; and, along with the Suśruta Saṃhitā or "Compendium of Suśruta," it was an important source of medical and life understanding and practice in antiquity.

Origins

The work of Caraka is datable to the period 100 BCE -- 100 CE. However, the text of the Carakasaṃhitā, written in Sanskrit, was re-edited after Caraka, by one Dṛḍhabala, and this is the version transmitted in manuscript to modern times. It is probably datable to the Gupta period, 300-500 CE.

Sanskrit caraka is a term for a wandering religious student or ascetic.

There are several legendary accounts of the origins of medical science in South Asia. According to one, the serpent-king Śeṣa, who was the recipient of Ayurveda, once visited the earth and finding it full of sickness he became moved with pity and determined to become incarnate as the son of a Muni for alleviating disease; he was called Caraka because he had visited the earth as a kind of spy or cara; he then composed a new book on medicine, based on older works of Agniveśa and Atreya pupils (Agniveśakr̥te tantre Charaka pratisaṃskr̥te).

Contents

The extant text has aṣṭāṅga sthāna (eight sections), totalling 120 chapters. These 8 sections are

1. Sūtra sthāna (30 chapters),
2. Nidāna sthāna (8 chapters),
3. Vimāna sthāna (8 chapters),
4. Śārīra sthāna (8 chapters),
5. Indriya sthāna (12 chapters),
6. Cikitsā sthāna (30 chapters),
7. Kalpa sthāna (12 chapters) and
8. Siddhi sthāna (12 chapters).

17 chapters of Cikitsā sthāna and complete Kalpa sthāna and Siddhi sthāna were added later by Dṛḍhabala (5th century). The text starts with Sūtra sthāna which deals with fundamentals and basic principles of Ayurveda practice. Unique scientific contributions credited to the Charaka Saṃhitā include:

• a rational approach to the causation and cure of disease
• introduction of objective methods of clinical examination

“Direct observation is the most remarkable feature of Ayurveda, though at times it is mixed up with metaphysics. The Saṃhitā emphasizes that of all types of evidence the most dependable ones are those that are directly observed by the eyes. In Ayurveda successful medical treatment crucially depends on four factors: the physician, substances (drugs or diets), nurse and patient. The qualifications of physician are: clear grasp of the theoretical content of the science, a wide range of experience, practical skill and cleanliness; qualities of drugs or substances are: abundance, applicability, multiple use and richness in efficacy; qualifications of the nursing attendant are: knowledge of nursing techniques, practical skill, attachment for the patient and cleanliness; and the essential qualifications of the patients are: good memory, obedience to the instructions of the doctors, courage and ability to describe the symptoms.”

Commentaries

The most celebrated commentary on this text is the Carakatātparyaṭīkā "Commentary on the Meaning of the Caraka" or the Ayurveda Dīpikā, "The Lamp to Ayurveda" written by [Cakrapāṇidatta] (1066). Other notable commentaries are Bhaṭṭāraka Hari(ś)candra's Carakanyāsa (c.6th century), Jejjaṭas Nirantarapadavyākhyā (c.875), Shivadasa Sena's Carakatattvapradīpikā (c.1460). Among the more recent commentaries are Narasiṃha Kavirāja's Carakatattvaprakāśa and Gaṅgādhara Kaviratna's Jalpakalpatāru (1879).

Caraka Saṃhitā on nursing

"The Caraka (Vol I, Section xv) states these men should be, 'of good behaviour, distinguished for purity, possessed of cleverness and skill, imbued with kindness, skilled in every service a patient may require, competent to cook food, skilled in bathing and washing the patient, rubbing and massaging the limbs, lifting and assisting him to walk about, well skilled in making and cleansing of beds, readying the patient and skilful in waiting upon one that is ailing and never unwilling to do anything that may be ordered."

External links

• Charak Samhita online version
• Charak Samhita Original sanskrit Text
• Charak Samhita
• English Rendition Of Charaka Samhita Verses With Commentary Of Dr. Vikrama
• Syncretism in the Caraka and Suśruta saṃhitās

Further reading

• Kaviratna, A.C. and P. Sharma, tr., The Charaka Samhita 5 Vols., Indian Medical Science Series, Sri Satguru Publications, a division of Indian Books Centre, Delhi 81-7030-471-7
• Menon, I A and H F Haberman, Dermatological writings of ancient India Medical History. 1969 October; 13(4): 387–392. seen at The Wellcome Trust Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London [3] June 1, 2006
• Muniyal Ayurveda, Manipal, Sacitra Caraka Samhita - Volume 1, published by Muniyal Institute of Ayurveda Medical Sciences, Manipal. 2005 [4]
• Wujastyk, Dominik, The Roots of Ayurveda (Penguin Classics, 3rd edition, 2003), pp. 1-50 gives an introduction to the Carakasaṃhitā and a modern translation of selected passages.
• Meulenbeld, G. J. A History of Indian Medical Literature (Groningen, 1999--2002), vol. IA, pp. 7-180, gives a detailed survey of the contents of the Carakasaṃhitā and a comprehensive discussion of all historical matters related to the text, its commentators, and its later history in the Islamic world and in Tibet.
• Sharma, P. V. Caraka-Saṃhitā: Agniveśa's Treatise Refined and annotated by Caraka and Redacted by Dṛḍhabala (text with English translation) Chaukhambha Orientalia, 1981--1994. The best modern English translation of the whole text. Volume 4 gives summaries of the commentary of Cakrapāṇidatta.
• Sharma, R. K. & Bhagwan Dash, V. Agniveśa's Caraka Saṃhitā (Text with English Translation & Critical Exposition Based on Cakrapāṇi Datta's Āyurveda Dīpikā) Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, 1976--2002. Another good English translation of the whole text, with paraphrases of the commentary of Cakrapāṇidatta.
• Ācārya, Yādava Trivikrama (ed.) Maharṣiṇā Punarvasunopadiṣṭā, tacchiṣyeṇĀgniveśena praṇītā, CarakaDṛḍhabalābhyāṃ pratisaṃskṛtā Carakasaṃhitā, śrīCakrapāṇidattaviracitayā Āyurvedadīpikāvyākhyayā saṃvalitā Nirnaya Sagara Press, 1941. The best current edition of the Sanskrit text. Often reprinted. Online machine-readable transcription available at SARIT.info