🔘 CHARAKA JAYANTI

CHARAKA (THE FATHER OF MEDICINE):-

👉🏻 Introduction:-

- Charaka was one of the principal contributors to Ayurveda, a system of medicine and lifestyle developed in Indian Subcontinent. 

- He is known as the compiler or editor (प्रतिसंस्कर्ता) of the medical treatise, the Charaka Samhita.

 दीर्घमायुर्यशःस्वास्थ्यं त्रिवर्गंचापिपुष्कलम्|

सिद्धिंचानुत्तमांलोकेप्राप्नोतिविधिनापठन्||

By the vidhina pathan (systematic study) of this treatise (Charak Samhita) a person achieves deerghayu (longevity), yasha (fame), swasthya (health), trivarga (dharma, artha and kama /the three basic desires of life) and pushkala (moksha / salvation) as well as siddhi (professional accomplishment) also in this world.

हिताहितं सुखं दुःखमायुस्तस्य हिताहितम्|

मानं च तच्च यत्रोक्तमायुर्वेदः स उच्यते||

Ayurveda is that which deals with good, bad, blissful and sorrowful life, and with what is wholesome and unwholesome for it, longevity, and about what Ayu (life) is in itself.

👉🏻 Location:-

- Charaka's location is unknown, although various assertions have been made that he lived either in Taxila or in Kapisthal located between Iravati and Chandrabagha rivers Punjab. 

👉🏻 Contribution:-

- Acharya Charak was one of the principal contributors to the ancient art and science of Ayurveda, a system of medicine and lifestyle developed in Ancient India. 

- Acharya Charak has been crowned as the Father of Medicine. His renowned work, the “Charak Samhita“, is considered as an encyclopedia of Ayurveda. His principles, diagoneses, and cures retain their potency and truth even after a couple of millennia.

- When the science of anatomy was confused with different theories in Europe, Acharya Charak revealed through his innate genius and enquiries the facts on human anatomy, embryology, pharmacology, blood circulation and diseases like diabetes, tuberculosis, heart disease, etc.

- The following statements are attributed to Acharya Charak:

“A physician who fails to enter the body of a patient with the lamp of knowledge and understanding can never treat diseases. He should first study all the factors, including environment, which influence a patient’s disease, and then prescribe treatment. It is more important to prevent the occurrence of disease than to seek a cure.”

- These remarks appear obvious today, though they were often not heeded, and were made by Charak, in his famous Ayurvedic treatise Charak Samhita. 

- The treatise contains many such remarks which are held in reverence even today. Some of them are in the fields of physiology, etiology and embryology.

- In the “Charak Samhita” he has described the medicinal qualities and functions of 100,000 herbal plants. 

- He has emphasized the influence of diet and activity on mind and body. 

- He has proved the correlation of spirituality and physical health contributed greatly to diagnostic and curative sciences.

- He has also prescribed and ethical charter for medical practitioners two centuries prior to the Hippocratic oath. 

- Through his genius and intuition, Acharya Charak made landmark contributions to Ayurvedal. He forever remains etched in the annals of history as one of the greatest and noblest of rishi-scientists.

👉🏻 Introduction about charaka samhita:-

- According to the introductory chapter of the Carakasaṃhita itself, there existed six schools of medicine, founded by the disciples of the sage Punarvasu Atreya. 

- Each of his disciples, Agnivesha, Bhela, Jatukarna, Parashara Harita, and Ksharapani composed a medical compendium.

- The Agnivesha Samhita was later revised by Charaka and it came to be known as Charaka Samhita.

- The Charaka Samhita was itself later supplemented by Dridhbala.

- It contains the following eight parts:

1.Sutra Sthana

2.Nidan Sthana

3.Viman Sthana

4.Sharir Sthana

5.Indriya Sthana

6.Chikitsa Sthana

7.Kalpa Sthana

8.Siddhi Sthana

There were 8 main chapters in this book. There had been 120 sub chapters of which they all in total had 12,000 verses and description of 2,000 medicines.

- There were cures for diseases related to almost every body part of human body and all medicines had natural elements to cure the diseases.

👉🏻 Charaka jayanti:-

- Today is the fifth day of the month of Shravan, this day people often worshiping the serpent god in Naga Panchami, but the texts of Ayurveda According to the great Acharya of Ayurveda today Charak was born to learn Ayurveda and to understand Acharya Charak's medicine

 

- It is very important to understand the principles of Chikitsa and charaka is sarvopari among them.