Charaka Samhita
The Charaka Samhita (IAST: Caraka-Saṃhitā, “Compendium of Charaka”) is a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine). Along with the Sushruta Samhita, it is one of the two foundational texts of this field that have survived from ancient India. It is one of the three works that constitute the Brhat Trayi.
| Charaka Samhita | |
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A section of the Charaka Samhita. | |
| Information | |
| Author | Charaka |
| Language | Sanskrit |
| Period | 1st-millennium BCE |
| Chapters | 120 (in 8 books) |
| Sutras | Ayurveda |
| Part of a series on |
| Hindu scriptures and texts |
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| Related Hindu texts |
The text is based on the Agnivesha Samhitā, an older encyclopedic medical compendium by Agniveśa. It was revised by Charaka between 100 BCE and 200 CE and renamed Charaka Samhitā. The pre-2nd century CE text consists of eight books and one hundred and twenty chapters. It describes ancient theories on human body, etiology, symptomology and therapeutics for a wide range of diseases. The Charaka Samhita also includes sections on the importance of diet, hygiene, prevention, medical education, and the teamwork of a physician, nurse and patient necessary for recovery to health.