Ayurved sutram

Author(s): Yoganandnatha, R Shama Shastry
Publisher: Government of Mysore

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INTRODUCTION.
There is scarcely it word held to be more authoritative and sacred in Indian literature than the word “Veda." There is a proverbial saying with the Hindus that the Vedas are authoritative and infallible. la conformity with the high place assigned to the Vedas in the Indian literature, it has been usual to appeal to the four Vedas as the ultimate authority for solution of all difficult questions bearing on social, reli gious, moral and philosophical probleins. Tie same authoritative sanctity is also claimed for the Brahmanas and the Sutras attached to each of the Vedas on the ground that they expound either briefly or in detais the same ideas that have been taught eitlier in detail or in briel in the Vedas. With a view to command similar authoritative sanctity for ancient works of unknown authors on even secular branches of learning, it has been usual to append the word Veda' to such treatises. Thus early works on warfare and medicine are called Dhanurveda and Ayurveda respectively. Except occasional references here and there 10 Dhanurveda and Ayurveda, no genuine ancient works as such are found extant. The Nitiprakasika on weapons and arms, thougin styled Dhanurveda, is evidently a modern metrical work. The Asiatic Society of Bengal, Calcutta, is said to contain a prose manuscript called Dhanuive!a, the authoi and date of which are unknown. As to ibe Ayurvedic work in a hundred thousand slokas referred to by Charaka, Susruta, Vaybhata and a host of other medical writers, not even a fragment of it is found Wywhere,