Ayurveda was formally organized into eight sections or branches called Astanga (eight-armed) Ayurveda. A founding sage was chosen at the founding medical conference to head a committee on each branch and to write the defining text. All the texts were written in Sanskrit, the language of the Aryans. This formed the basis for the different schools and traditions that evolved over the ensuing centuries. The names of the chairman from each branch are known, but many of the texts were lost and only available as a result of references from existing texts.
The eight branches of Ayurveda are:
Divodasa Dhanwantari and his disciples specialized in Salyachikitsa (surgery) and formed the school of surgery. His important students included Sushruta, Aupadhenava, Vaitarana, Aurabhadra, Pushkalavata, Nimi, Kara, Karaveerya, Gopurarakshita, Bhoja, Kankayana, Galava and Gargava.
Punarvasu Artreya, who was the disciple of Bharadwaja had seven pupils Agnivesa, Charaka, Bhela, Jatukarna, Parasara, Hareeta and Ksharapaani. They were called the Artreya School of physicians and specialized in Kayachikitsa (general medicine). The Kashyapa School specialized in Kumarabhrutya (paediatrics). Foremost among Kashyapa's students was Vruddha (the elder) Jeevaka who wrote Kashyapa Samhita. His other disciples were Vasishta, Atri, Bhrigu, Jeevaka, Parvataka and Bandhaka.
The history of indigenous Indian medical science is probably as old as the Indus Valley Civilisation dating back to 3000 BC. The meticulously planned cities of Harappa and Mohenjodaro are pointers not only to India's rich cultural heritage but also to its advanced systems of hygiene and health care. The remains of deer antler and bitumen found in Harappa testify to the existence of a medical science. It was between 1200 and 700 BC, subsequent to the Aryan invasion, that the four sacred Vedas were composed. References to diseases, herbs and herbal cures can be seen in all the four Vedas especially in the Rig Veda.
The Atharva Veda has many hymns eulogizing herbs. Many plants were worshipped as deities and invoked by incantations. There were also many Mantras (invocations) to combat jaundice, consumption and hereditary diseases among others. The Atharvan hymns chanted for the cure of diseases were known as Bhaishajyams and those for attaining longevity and prosperity were called Ayushyams. These hymns, especially the Ayushyams are considered to be the foundation for advances in later medicine.
Ayurvedic practice was flourishing during the time of Buddha (around 520 BC) , and in this period the Ayurvedic practitioners were commonly using Mercuric-sulphur combination based medicines. In this period mercury, sulphur and other metals were used in conjunction with herbs to prepare the different medications. An important Ayurvedic practitioner of this period was Nagarjuna, a Buddhist herbologist, famous for inventing various new drugs for the treatment of ailments. Nagarjuna was accompanied by Surananda, Nagbodhi, Yashodhana, Nityanatha, Govinda, Anantdev, Vagbhatta etc. The knowledge of Ayurveda progressed a lot during this period, including development of newer and more effective medicines, and is therefore termed as the Golden Period of Ayurveda.
After emerging victorious at the Kalinga War, Emperor Ashoka (304 BC-232 BC) influenced by the Buddhist teachings, banned any bloodshed in his kingdom in 250 BC. Therefore many Ayurveda practitioners, who were practicing surgery along with medicine, left the surgical intervention and adopted totally new medicinal treatments. In this period, Ayurveda again evolved and flourished with the invention of new drugs, new methodology and new innovations. The practice of the accompanying surgery slowly died out during this period.
During the regime of Chandragupta Maurya (375-415 AD), Ayurveda was part of mainstream Indian medical techniques, and continued to be so until the colonisation by the British.
Chakrapani Dutta (DuttaSharma) was a Vaid Brahman of Bengal who wrote books on Ayurveda such as "Chakradutta" and others. Chakrapani Dutta was the Rajavaidya of Great King Laxman Sen {some says rajVaid of King Nayapala (1038 - 1055)}. It is believed by some practitioners that Chakradutta is the essence of Ayurveda.
Ayurveda has always been preserved by the people of India as a traditional "science of life", despite increasing adoption of European medical techniques during the time of British rule. For several decades the reputation and skills of the various Ayurvedic schools declined markedly as Western medicine and Western-style hospitals were built. However, beginning in the 1970s, a gradual recognition of value of Ayurveda returned, and today Ayurvedic hospitals and practitioners are flourishing throughout all of India. As well, the production and marketing of Ayurvedic herbal medicines has dramatically increased, as well as scientific documentation of benefits. Today, Ayurvedic medicines are available throughout the world.
