Ayurveda (Devanagari: आयुर्वेद ) or ayurvedic
medicine is a form of alternative medicine in use primarily in India & originated probably more than 5000 years old. The
word "Ayurveda" is a tatpurusha compound of āyus "life" and veda "knowledge", and would roughly translate as the "Science
of Life".Ayurveda deals with the measures of healthy living, along with therapeutic measures that relate to physical, mental,
social and spiritual harmony.
Ayurveda is also one among the few traditional systems of medicine involving surgery.
Ayurveda was first
described by Agnivesha, in his book Agnivesh tantra. The book was later revised by Charaka, and renamed to Charaka Samhita.
Another early text of Ayurveda is the Sushruta Samhita, which in addition to the Charaka Samhita, served as the textual material
in the ancient Universities of Takshashila and Nalanda. These texts are believed to have been written around the beginning
of the Common Era, and is based on a holistic approach rooted in earlier Vedic culture. Its conspicuous use of the word veda,
or knowledge, reveals its role in early Hinduism and explains its popularity in India. The origin of Ayurvedic medical sciences
is claimed to come from a divine revelation from Lord Brahma.
