Vagbhata completes the “Great Three” (Brhatrayi) of Ayurveda, with his predecessors, Caraka and Susruta. His identity and period are controversial but a major section of the scholarly community believes that he was a native of Sindh, who lived in the sixth century and write Astangahrdayam and Astangasngraha. The two texts frankly acknowledge the authority of Samhitas of Caraka and Susruta and closely follow in the footsteps of the earlier masters. The Legacy of Vagbhata is based on a study of Astangahrdayam and employs a thematic approach with the plentiful use of tables. As in the earlier volumes on Caraka and Susruta, great care has been taken in this volume on Vagbhata to maintain fidelity to the original text while ensuring easy readability for the students of Ayurveda, medicine and the sciences.
A native of Kerala, Dr M S Valiathan received his medical education in India and training in surgery and cardiac surgery in the UK and USA. During a career spanning three decades as a surgeon and investigator, his major interests were cardiac surgery in children, studies on a tropical hear muscle disease, and the development of cardiovascular devices. His contributions are embodied in a monograph, many scientific papers and a family of medical devices including a tilting disc heart valve which are used widely in India. Dr Valiathan is a National Research Professor of the Government of India.
Tramliteration Chart Preface Quotes from Vagbhata List of Figures Introduction
Section I 1. Ayurveda-an overview
Section II: Healthy Living (Svastavrtta) 2. A code for healthy conduct (svastavrtta) 3. Life in harmony with seasons (rtucarya)
Section III: Drinks and Food (Dravadravya) 4. Liquids as food (dravadravya) 5. Food (annasvarupa) 6. Food safety (annaraksa) 7. Measure of food for health (matrasitiya) Section IV: Human Body (Sarira.\) 8. Pancabhutas as the stuff of existence(Dravyavijnana) 9. Tastes (rasas) 10. Dosas, tissues (dhatus), wastes (malas): 11. Dosas (dosabhediya)
Section v: Development,, Structure and Functions of the Body l Sarira 1 12. Procreation, pregnancy and fetal development (garbhotpatti, garbhavakrantiya) 13. Disorders of pregnancy (garbhavyapat) 14: Body parts and functions (angavibhaga) 15: Vital spots (marmas)
Section VI: Outline of Medical Measures (Cikitsa) 17: Increasing (brmhana, santarpana) and reducing (langhana, apatarpana) 18: Groups of drugs for evacuative and other measures (sodhanadi group) 19: Herbal drugs (bhesajakalpa) 20: Lubricant therapy (snehana) 21: Fomentation (svedana) 22: Emesis and purgation (vamana, virecana) 23: Emetics and purgatives; medicinal formulations; Complications (vamanakalpa, virecanakalpa) 24: Enemas (vasti) 25: More on enemas (vastikalpa) 26: Nasal purging (nasya) 27: Other procedures: smoking (dhumapana), gargling (kabala) 28: Procedures for eye care (ascyotana, anjana)
Section VII: Outline of Surgical Measures (Salya) 29: Blunt instruments (yantras) 30: Sharp instruments (sastras) 31: Venesection (siravyadha) 32: Removal of foreign bodies (salyaharana) 33: Surgical operations (sastrakarma) 34: Cauterisation (ksaragnikarma) Section VII I: Systemic Diseases 35: Causation and clinical course of diseases 36: Fevers (jvara) 37: Pitta-induced bleeding disease (raktapitta) 38: Cough (kasa) 39: Shortness of breath; hiccup (svasa; hikka) 40: Phthisis and allied conditions (sosa) 41: Alcoholic intoxication (madatyaya) 42: Diarrhea (atisara) 43: Bowel disorder (grahani) 44: Polyurias (prameha) 45: Abscess (vidradhi) 46: Disease of pallor (panduroga) 47: Vata disorders (vatavyadhi) 48: Vata-induced blood disorders, gout-like disorders (vatasonita, vatarakta) 49: Swelling (sopha) 50: Cellulitis (visarpa) 51: Disease caused by suppression of physical urges (Vega)
Section IX: Health and Disease of Children (Kaumarabhrrya) 52: Care of the newborn (balopacaraniya) 53: Diseases of children (balamayas) 54: Diseases in children caused by evil spirits (balagrahas) Section X 55: Superhuman power in humans (bhutavijnaniya) Section XI 56: Insanity (unmada) Section XII 57: Seizure disorder (apasmara) Section XIII: Poisoning (Visa) 58: Poisons: fixed and mobile (visa: sthavara and jangama) 59: Snake bites (sarpavisa) 60: Bites by insects. Spiders (Kitalutadi Visa) 61: Poisoning by bites of rats, dogs (musika-a!arkavisa) Section XIV: Regional Disorders 62: Piles (arsas) 63: Urinary obstruction (mutrakrcchra) 64: Scrotal swelling (vrddhi) 65: Gaseous lumps of the abdomen (gu1ma) 66: Abdominal swelling (udara) 67: Leprosy (kustha) 68: Leucoderma (svitra) 69: Worm infestation (krmi) 70: Ulcers (vrana) 71: Fractures and dislocations (bhanga, sandhimukta) 72: Rectal fistula (bhagandara) 73: Glandular swellings, tumours, filarial swelling, cervical glandular swellings, sinus ulcer (grandhi, arbuda, slipada, apaci, naqi) 74: Diseases of the genital organs (guhyaroga) 75: Minor diseases (ksudraroga)
Section XV: Diseases of Head and Neck (Salakya) 76: Diseases of the ear (karnaroga) 77: Diseases of the nose (nasaroga) 78: Oral diseases (mukharoga). 79: Diseases of the head (siroroga)
Section XVI: Disease of the Eye (Netraroga) 80: Diseases of eyelids (vartma) 81: Diseases of the fornix, sclera and cornea (sandhi-sita -asitaroga) 82: Vision defects (drsti) 83: Blindness due to the disorders of lens (linganasa) 84: Global diseases of the eye (sarvaksiroga) Section XVII: Fatal Signs (Ritas) 85: Signs of imminent death (rista) 86: Messengers, omens, dreams (duta, nimitta, svapna)
Section XVIII 87: Rejuvenant therapy (rasayana) Section XIX 88: Virilisingtherapy (Vajikarana)
Section XX 89: Epilogue Botanical Names Glossary Index