Charaka and Sushruta

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The Vice-President of India addressed a gathering during the unveiling of statues of Charaka and Sushruta at Raj Bhavan, Goa.

About Charaka and Charaka Samhita

• Charaka, a court physician during the Kushan period, is considered the Father of Medicine in India.
• He revised the ancient Agnivesha Samhita into what became the Charaka Samhita, a foundational text of Ayurveda.
• Charaka Samhita covers topics such as physiology, diagnosis, prevention, and internal medicine.
• The text is part of the Bṛhat-Trayi (Great Trilogy) of Ayurveda, alongside the Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridaya.
• The Charaka Samhita was later expanded by Dṛḍhabala, making it an encyclopaedic treatise.
• Charaka emphasised ethics in medicine, highlighting the importance of physician conduct, diet, and preventive care.
• It remained authoritative for over two millennia, and was translated into Arabic, Latin, and other foreign languages, showing its global medical relevance.

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About Sushruta

• Sushruta, dating back to the 7th century BCE, is revered as the Father of Surgery and possibly the world’s first documented surgeon.
• He authored the Sushruta Samhita, which elaborates on over 300 surgical procedures, 120 surgical instruments, and various types of fractures and dislocations.
• Innovations include rhinoplasty (nasal reconstruction), skin grafting, cataract surgery, and caesarean sections.
• The Sushruta Samhita also integrates anatomical knowledge, surgical training, patient care, hygiene, and scientific observation.
• Sushruta’s teachings display principles of evidence-based medicine, centuries before modern systems emerged.

Charaka and Sushruta FAQs

Q1: Who was Charaka?
Ans: Charaka was an ancient Indian physician known as the father of Indian medicine and the author of the Charaka Samhita, a foundational text of Ayurveda.

Q2: Who was Sushruta?
Ans: Sushruta was a pioneering surgeon of ancient India and author of the Sushruta Samhita, which laid the foundations of surgical practices in Ayurveda.

Source: PIB