Ayurveda is now universal and has spread to every corner of the world necessitating the publication of important Ayurveda texts with English translation. The big trio and the small triobrhatrayi and laughtrayi are important and popular workds of Ayurveda. Caraka Samhita, susruta Samhita and Astanga Hrdaya are called brhatrayi. These classic works deal in detail with the fundamental principles, philosophical background and theoretical aspects of ayurveda and among the three. Caraka Samhita and susruta deal with stress on general medicine Kayacikitsa and surgery salya respectively. The third Astanga hrdaya deals with all the eight branches of Ayurveda with details required for Ayurveda scholars and practitioners. While Caraka Samhita and susruta Samhita are in a mixture of prose and verse, Astanga hrdaya is in verse facilitating memorization. It has been very popular throughout India and also in other countries since its compilation. There are more than fifty commentaries in Sanskrit on Astanga Hrdaya, apart from those in regional languages showing its popularity, theoretical and practical value. The presentation of topics is neither too brief nor too elaborate and is appreciated by all.
Astanga Hrdaya is divided into six sections sthanas. I. Sutrasthana dealing with theoretical Principles. 2. Sarirasthana anatomy. 3. Nidana –diagnosis. 4. Cikitsa-treatment of general diseases. 5. Kalpasiddhi of recipes. Purificatory procedures etc. 6. Uttarasthana remaining seven branches. Thus all the subjects of Ayurveda are dealt with in 120 chapters in a lucid manner without complicated arguments and discussions.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR B. Rama Rao
Dr. Bhagavatam Rama Rao, born in Medak (in Andhra Pradesh) in 1937 is a graduate in Ayurveda and Telugu and a post graduate in Sanskrit from Osmania University, Byderabad. He is a profound scholar in Sanskrit, Telugu and Ayurveda and is also well versed in English and Hindi. He worked for a long time in Indian Institute of History of Medicine, Hyderabad in different capacities and as in charge for several years. During his tenure in IIHM he contributed immensely for the development of the research activities and also of Museum and others pertaining to the history of medicine in India in general and history of Ayurveda in particular. He collected information relating to health and medicine from non-medical sources like kavyas, puranas, inscriptions, archaeological sources and traveler’s accounts etc. He also served as the in charge of Dr. A. Lakshmipati Research Centre for Ayurveda and Literacy Research Unit in Chennai and retired as the Director of Indian Institute of Panchakarma and thus gained experience in different fields. He later became the principal of Dharma Ayurvedic College, Sriperumbudur, Tamilnadu. Another important contribution of Dr. Rao is the collection of information and study of manuscripts particularly of Ayurveda in Sanskrit and Telugu available in palmleaf and paper. He brought to light several unknown valuable works on Ayurveda and allied subjects lying as manuscripts. Some of them are Todarananda Ayurvedasaukhya, Ayurvedabdhisara, Rasapradipika of Bharadvaja, Dravyaratnavali, Madanananda, Parahitasamhita, Vaidyasastrasivanubhava, Madanagama, Siddhasara and many others. He compiled a list of Sanskrit Medical manuscripts in India in 1972 and it is revised, enlarged and is being published by the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS). He was an examiner for BAMS and MD for Osmania and other Universities in A.P. and also for PhD of Banaras Hindu University. He was the National Member of the International Society for History of Medicine for several years and was member of National Commission for History of Sciences and other academic institutions. He edited the following books: 1. Carucarya of Bhojaraja; 2. Checklist of Sanskrit Medical Manuscripts in India (Both published by CCRAS); 3. Astangasangraha-Sutrasthana English translation; 4. Camatkaranighantu & 5. Cudamaninighantu.
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