ASHTANG AYURVED

Ayurved is a subdivision of Atharvaved and was composed of one hundred thousand verses and organized into one thousand chapters by Brahma, before he created living beings. He compiled it in to eight parts thereafter considering the short span of life of human being and their limited intellectual capacities.

The eight branches of Ayurved

• KAYACHIKITSA (MEDICINE)
• KAUMARABHRUTYA (PAEDIATRICS)
• GRAHA CHIKITSA (PSYCHIATRY)
• SHALAKYA TANTRA (OPHTHALMOLOGY AND OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY)
• SHALYA (SURGERY)
• AGADA TANTRA (TOXICOLOGY)
• RASAYANA TANTRA (GERIATRICS AND REJUVENATION THERAPY)
• VAJIKARANA TANTRA (SCIENCE OF INFERTILITY AND VIRILITY)

KAYACHIKITSA (MEDICINE)

This part is concerned with the management of generalized systemic diseases such as fever hemorrhagic tendencies, consumption and other wasting diseases, insanity and epilepsy, leprosy and other skin disorders, urinary abnormalities, diarrhoea and dysentery etc. (Kayachikitsa would therefore deal with the systemic diseases affecting the body as Kaya applies soma or body. It also signifies agni, generally known as fire or heat. Agni in ayurved implies for all those substances, which are responsible for the digestive and metabolic processes of the body. Kayachikitsa therefore would deals with the disorders arising from their imbalance.)

KAUMARABHRUTYA (PEDIATRICS)

This part of ayurved is concerned with the care of infants and children and treatment of diseases affecting the breast milk or wet nurses; it also deals with the management of diseases due to the defective breast-feeding and due to the evil spirits.

GRAHA CHIKITSA (PSYCHIATRY)

This subdivision of ayurved deals with the management of psychic disorders in human beings produced as a result of invasion by some evil spirits such as Deva, Danava, Gandharva, Yaksha, Kinnara, Rakshasa, Pitr, Pishachcha, Naga, etc. by means of such treatments of exorcism and offerings, etc. to god.

SHALAKYA TANTRA (OPHTHALMOLOGY AND OTORHINOLARYNGOLOGY)

This section deals with the management of diseases above the clavicles, i.e. ears, eyes, the oral and the nasal cavities.

SHALYA (SURGERY)

Shalya tantra is so named as it deals with the extraction of foreign bodies (shalyas) such as different kind of straw, wood pieces, stones, dust particles, metallic articles, pebbles, bone pieces, hairs, nails, (retained) pus or secretions, contaminated ulcers and obstructed labour; this branch also deals with the use of blunt and sharp instruments, Ksharchikitsa treatment, cauterization as well as diagnosis and treatment of wounds and surgical conditions.

AGADA TANTRA (TOXICOLOGY)

This subdivision deals with the signs and symptoms and also the management of poisoning resulting from the bites of snakes, insects and worms, spiders, rodents, etc. as well as from the combinations of various other poisons.

RASAYANA TANTRA (GERIATRICS AND REJUVENATION THERAPY)

This subdivision deals with the methods to maintain youth, to increase longevity, intellectual capacity and strength as well as to enable the patient to be freed from disease.

VAJIKARANA TANTRA (SCIENCE OF INFERTILITY AND VIRILITY)

The subdivision deals with oligospermia (occurring naturally or due to some disease) qualitatively defective sperms and with azospermia; it also deals with keeping the sperm conducting channels patent, maintaining the vitality of the sperms and with spermatogenesis, as also with the methods to increase the pleasure of orgasm.