Charak Samhita

The Charaka Samhita stands at the top of the ancient texts representing the Atreya-sampraday (school of medicine) in Ayurveda founded by the great Scholar-Sage Punarvasu Atreya. The Charaka Samhita, is originally the work of Acharya Agnivesh, who composed it by collecting the teachings of his teacher Punaravasu Atreya. This text presumably small in size and content was later improved and enlarged by Charaka on whose name it came to be known popularly as the Charaka-samhita. The subject matter of the Charaka-samhita has been divided into 8 Sthanas(sections). It establishes the theoretical basis of Ayurvedic Medicine, and particularly concentrates on Kaychikitsa (internal medicine).

Charak Samhita is the only text available in complete form where as other contemporary samhitas (Jatukama, Parashara etc.) perished, while some are incomplete (Bhela- Samhita) and the remaining Harit-Samhita is dragged into controversy. Charaka samhita earned great reputation and was translated into Persian and Arabic in the 8th century . A.D.