Illustrated History of Ayurveda

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.

Dr. J.L.N. Sastry hails from a traditional Ayurvedia family. He is born at Narasapuram (W.G. Dist., Andhra Pradesh) on 06-07-1965). He had School studies at Kakinada (E.G. Dist., A.P.) and passed B.A.M.S. in 1989 from Dr. N.R.S. Govt. Ayu. College, Vijayawada (A.P.) IN FIRST CLASS. He completed M.D. (Ay.) in Dravya Guna Speciality from Dr. B.R.K.R. Govt. Ayur. College, Hyderabad in 1998 October. He stood first in A.P.P.S.C. selection (January 1990) and worked as Med. Officer (Ayu.) for Govt. of A.P. in the Indianj Medicine & Homoeopathy Dept., (1992-99). Between 1998-99 he acted as Research Projects Coordinator at the Govt. Research Dept. of Ayurveda, Hyderabad. He stood first at the UPSC (1998) and joined as Medical Officer (Ay.) inj CGHS, Chennai in June 1999. The author is the recipient of two gold medals from Nagarjuna Univ. (A.P.) for the merit shown during B.A.M.S. (1988). The author presented several clinical and scientific papers at Regional, National and International seminars. He had more than 15 publications in standard journals and also published several articles in newspapers. Author also had given Radio-talks and given guest lectures at various prestigious institutes (both Ayurvedic & Modern Medicine). He published a book 40 Years of research in Ayurveda in A.P. (on behalf of grda, Hyderabad).