Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated
in India thousands of years ago. We can find historical evidence
of Ayurveda in the ancient books of wisdom known as the Vedas.
In the Rig Veda, over 60 preparations were mentioned that could
be used to assist an individual in overcoming various ailments.
The Rig Veda was written over 6,000 years ago, but really Ayurveda has been
around even longer than that. Ayurveda is more than just a medical system.
It's the Science of Life . We are all part and parcel of nature.
Just as the animals and plants live in harmony with nature and utilize the
Laws of Nature to create health and balance within their beings, we, too, adhere
to these very same principles. In essence Ayurveda has been in existence since
the beginning of time because we have always been governed by nature's laws
Ayurveda elucidates the do's and don'ts one has to
follow, which favors the well-being of each individual to lead
a healthy, comfortable, happy and advantageous life physically,
mentally and socially. Ayurveda also emphasis on the adage, 'Prevention
is better than cure'.
There are four Vedas or treatises that form the basis of the Indian medical
philosophy. These are the Rigveda, the Yajurveda, the Samaveda and the Adharva
Veda. Ayurveda emerged as a branch of Adharva Veda; it dates back to over five
thousand years. It is said to have originated from Lord Brahma (Creator of
the Universe, according to Indian mythology) and descended to the earth through
various generations of gods and saints. This has been handed over to us by
means of ancient venerable scripts as palm leaves. The oldest works in Ayurveda
still available are the Charaka Samhita, Susrutha Samhita and Ashtanga Samgraha.
The sage-physician-surgeons of the time were the same sages or seers, deeply
devoted holy people, who saw health as an integral part of spiritual life.
It is said that they received their training of Ayurveda through direct cognition
during meditation. In other words, the knowledge of the use of various methods
of healing, prevention, longevity and surgery came through Divine revelation;
there were no testing and harming animals. These revelations were transcribed
from the oral tradition into book form, interspersed with the other aspects
of life and spirituality. Consequently Ayurveda grew into a respected and widely
used system of healing in India . There are two main re-organizers of Ayurveda
whose works are still existing in tact today - Charaka and Sushrutha. The third
major treatise is called the Ashtanga Hridaya, which is a concise version of
the works of Charaka and Sushrutha. Thus the three main Ayurvedic texts that
are still used today are the Charaka Samhitha (compilation of the oldest book
Athreya Samhitha), Sushrutha Samhitha and the Ashtangha Hridaya Samhitha. These
books are believed to be over 1,000 years old. It is because these texts still
contain the original and complete knowledge of this Ayurvedic world medicine,
that Ayurveda is known today as the only complete medical system still in existence.
