Origin and history of Ayurveda (आयुर्वेदोत्पत्तिः आयुर्वेदावतरणं च)

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Ayurveda is the system of medicine that evolved in Bharata. It evolved with a rationale logical foundation which has been proven every now and then with the success of Ayurveda treatments in various diseases since time immemorial. And therefore, it has survived as a distinct entity from remote antiquity to the present day. Ayurveda's knowledge and its medical system is based on the fundamentals that are essentially true for all times and do not change from age to age. It is because these are based on human factors, on intrinsic causes. The self is centered and focused and therefore, even for any new medical illness or infection, the solutions from Ayurveda's point of view can be searched and provided with positive results. The origin of Ayurveda is attributed to Atharva Veda where mention is made about several diseases with their treatments. Later, from the 6th Century BC to 7th Century AD there was systematic development of Ayurveda as a Shastra. This period is called Samhita period, when a number of classical works were produced by several authors and during this period there is evidence of organized medical care.

Origin of Ayurveda

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Ayurveda avatarana

Video link- How did Ayurveda come to Earth ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vp9UJUmXiEg

Problem of health and conference for its solution

The origin of Ayurveda can be traced back to its descent on earth from Svargaloka and even beyond that. In first Adhyaya of Charaka Samhita Sutrasthanam, the story of origin of Ayurveda is described. It is narrated that, many thousand years ago, some holy sages had assembled at an auspicious place near the Himalayas. The reason behind their gathering was to discuss, and find out solution for diseases that were emerging in mankind causing obstructions in the people's path of attaining purusharthas and all required activities to do that. It was the time when human beings had started suffering from rogas (diseases) due to deviation from their ideal diet , lifestyle and routine. These diseases in turn started creating impediments in their routine activities as well as in performing (Vratas) religious observance, penance (Tapa), Upavasa (Abstinence and fasting), Adhyayana (study), Brahmacharya (Celibacy) which were the integral components of their lives that time. This overall impacted their Ayu (life) adversely. Therefore after looking at this scenario, out of the compassion for creatures some holy sages gathered at an auspicious place in Himalayas. The meeting of the Rshis or the vedic scholars could be regarded as the conference of ancient times. They discussed about the quality of life of people at that time and discussed about the issue in depth. Charaka Samhita gives the list of names of various Rshis that were present at this conference.

List of scholar rshis participated in the conference

Among all the scholars gathered for the conference following were some Rishis.

Rshis present in the conference to solve health issues at Himalayas

Angira Jamadagni Vashishth Kashyapa Bhrigu Atreya [Gautam], Samkhya Pulastya Narada Asita	Agastya Vamadeva Markandeya Ashvalayana Parikshi Bhikshu Atreya Kapinjala Vishwamitra Ashmarathya Bhargava	Chyavana Abhijit Gargya Shandilya Kaundinya (lya) Varkshi Devala Galava Sankrutya Baijavapi Kushika	Badarayana Badisha Sharaloma Kapya Katyayana Kankayana Kaikasheya Dhaumya Maricha Kashyapa	Sharkaraksha Hiranyaksha Lokaksha Paingi Shaunaka Shakunteya Maitreya Maimatayani Vaikhanasa Valakhilya orders and other great sages.

Acharya Charaka described these Rshis as follows,

ब्रह्मज्ञानस्य निधयो द(य)मस्य नियमस्य च| तपसस्तेजसा दीप्ता हूयमाना इवाग्नयः||१४||

सुखोपविष्टास्ते तत्र पुण्यां चक्रुः कथामिमाम्| (Char. Samh. Sutra. 1.14-15)

The sages that gathered at the Himalayas were the sources of brahmajnana (spiritual knowledge), full of self control (mastery over their sensory & motor organs), and restraint of mind. Due to extraordinary brilliance of penance they were illuminating like a fire. Such vibrant, extraordinarily intelligent vedic scholars discussed about the emerging health issues in mankind and tried to find solution for the same.

Four objectives of Life

Few key-points that were discussed in that conference and became the grounds for further search, discussion as well as the very basis for the learning Ayurveda in later time, have been described by Acharya Charaka.

धर्मार्थकाममोक्षाणामारोग्यं मूलमुत्तमम्||१५|| रोगास्तस्यापहर्तारः श्रेयसो जीवितस्य च| प्रादुर्भूतो मनुष्याणामन्तरायो महानयम्||१६||

Purusharthas viz. Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha are the 4 principle categories of pursuits in human life. The life of a human being was set in the framework of these four Purusharthas by our ancient seers. In order to pursue any and all of these, one has to have good health as a primary criterion. Since Good health is fundamental to achieve Purusharthas, Arogyam (Good Health) is said to be the root or the basic foundation of Purushrthas. Diseases cause ill health and disturb this very basic requirement to perform any activity related to dharma, Artha, Kama or Moksha. Therefore rogas (diseases) appear to be the destroyers of not only health but also of one's welfare, prosperity and life as a whole. Therefore, there was an immense need to find the solution. Realising this need, all of them concentrated on finding the solution. Then in that state of meditation they realized Indra as savior. They could understand that only the King of the Gods will be able to tell the correct means of amelioration (of disease). Hence they decided to send a deputation to Indra to ask, learn the solution and teach it to the seers then.

Knowledge transfer from Indra to Bharadwaja

कः सहस्राक्षभवनं गच्छेत् प्रष्टुं शचीपतिम्||१८||

अहमर्थे नियुज्येयमत्रेति प्रथमं वचः|

भरद्वाजोऽब्रवीत्तस्मादृषिभिः स नियोजितः||१९||

स शक्रभवनं गत्वा सुरर्षिगणमध्यगम् |

ददर्श बलहन्तारं दीप्यमानमिवानलम्||२०||

सोऽभिगम्य जयाशीर्भिरभिनन्द्य सुरेश्वरम्|

प्रोवाच विनयाद्धीमानृषीणां वाक्यमुत्तमम्||२१||

व्याधयो हि समुत्पन्नाः सर्वप्राणिभयङ्कराः|

तद्ब्रूहि मे शमोपायं यथावदमरप्रभो||२२||

तस्मै प्रोवाच भगवानायुर्वेदं शतक्रतुः|

पदैरल्पैर्मतिं बुद्ध्वा विपुलां परमर्षये||२३||

Who should go to the abode of Indra to inquire about the correct means of amelioration of disease? On this, volunteered Bharadwaja, “I may be deputed for this work” and so he was deputed by the sages. Having gone to Indra’s abode, he saw Indra- the slayer of Bala (a demon), sitting in the midst of the groups of godly sages and glittering like fire. He approached him with felicitating words of praises and blessings and the intelligent one submitted to him the message of the sages humbly and in the best possible way- “Diseases causing fear in all living beings have appeared so, O Lord of the Gods! Tell me the proper measure for their amelioration!”. Then Lord Indra, having sensed the wide intelligence of the great sage, delivered to him Ayurveda in a few words. [18-23]

Hierarchy of transfer of knowledge of Ayurveda

दीर्घं जीवितमन्विच्छन्भरद्वाज उपागमत्|

इन्द्रमुग्रतपा बुद्ध्वा शरण्यममरेश्वरम्||३||

Bharadwaja 2, a great scholar, went to the King of Gods and the saviour Indra3, in quest of longevity. [3]

ब्रह्मणा हि यथाप्रोक्तमायुर्वेदं प्रजापतिः|

जग्राह निखिलेनादावश्विनौ तु पुनस्ततः||४||

अश्विभ्यां भगवाञ्छक्रः प्रतिपेदे ह केवलम्|

ऋषिप्रोक्तो भरद्वाजस्तस्माच्छक्रमुपागमत्||५||

Ayurveda in its entirety as recited by Brahma4 was received by Prajapati 5 at first. Then the Ashwins (received) the knowledge. From Ashwins, lord Indra received it fully. That is why Bharadwaja, as beseeched by the sages, came to Indra.[4-5]

Medicine in the Vedas and Puranas

References to medicine are found in the earliest texts including the Vedas. The legendary version of the origin of the Ayurvedic system is that Brahma reminded it to Prajapati, who handed it down to Atreya Punarvasu etc. In the Rig Veda there are reference to the first divine physician Rudra and of how the Aswini Kumaras cured Chyavana of senility. There are number of Riks addressed to Marut, vayu etc, in which the reference to medicine is unmistakable. Although such references are found in the Rig Veda, as systematic and comprehensive treatment of medicine is to be found only in the Atharva Veda. The Atharva Veda is considered to have originated later than the Rig Veda, and contains a description of diseases and the cure of them.

The tradition of medical knowledge is further carried during the period of the puranas. References to drugs, diseases and health care are to be found in the epics. Thus we see in the Ramayana, that expert physicians attended on kings and they were capable of preserving dead bodies. In the Mahabharatha there are references to surgeons attending on the wounded and the disabled with all the appliances and equipments in the battle field.

Beginnings of Systematic Development

We shall next consider the period whensystematic development can be said to have taken place. This era is associated with a few illustrious names, the first of whom is Agnivesa. The Samhita written by him which is classic which has survived to this day has been made available to the world by Caraka, a redactor. Historically it would appear that during Caraka’s time the Agnivesa Samhita has fallen into discuse or partly perished, and Caraka undertook the great task of restoring the work, filing up the gaps and re-writing the parts of the work, which had become obscure. This will be evident from the subscription to each chapter in which the author states that he has redone the chapter (Pratisamakrita). The work has undergone a further revision by one Dridabala: at least the last 17 chapters devoted to Cikitsa and the whole Kalpa and Siddhi stanas have been re-written by Dridabala as stated in the colophon of each chapter.

Story of origin of Ayurveda as per Charaka Samhita sutrasthanam 1