Astanga Hrdayam of Vagbhata: Sutra Sthana

The Astanga Hrdayam or the Core of Eight Limb Science amply justifies its title as it indeed forms the basic principles and narratives of the Ayurveda, traditionally divided into eight parts.  The treatment of subject has been done in to the point and fact of matter manner in this text.  The descriptions presented in the work has been so impressive that it become one of the most popular texts of Ayurveda in India and beyond.  Availability of the largest number of commentaries and reviews based on Astanga Hrdayam testifies to the richness of the work.  The Sutra Sthan section is the preliminary chapter of the work.  It presents the basic principles of Ayurveda.  It stresses on the daily and seasonal regimens and highlights the major herbs and their usage.  It also presents narrative on the methods of principle therapies applied by Ayurveda.  One commanding the Sutra Sthana of Astanga Hrdayam could claim a clear and firm grasp of the Ayurvedic fundamentals. Appreciating the practical utility of the text, the CCIM has included the Sutra Sthana of Astanga Hrdayam as part of the BAMS syllabus.  There is several publications on this subject.  Yet there was needed a work that could present an uncontaminated and plain translation of the book.  The present work translated by Dr. Kanjiv Lochan aims at fulfilling this lacunae.  It has been prepared in a way to present the narrative of the original texts in a lucid and simple reader-friendly English with least use of jargons. Translation of the rest of the Astanga Hrdayam are forthcoming.