Charaka Samhita

Along with the later Sushruta Samhita,
one of the two major sources for the traditional Indian medical school known as
ayurveda. Although its authorship is
attributed to Charaka, it is more likely a
compendium from earlier sources,
given its reference to several different
medical systems and approaches. The
underlying medical framework of
ayurveda is the theory of the three bodily
humors—vata (wind), pitta (bile), and
kapha (phlegm). Although everyone has
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all three humors, each of these is composed of different elements whose varying proportions are used to explain
individual body types, metabolic dispositions, and personalities. Diseases
result from an imbalance of these
humors—caused by one’s environment
or personal habits—whereas equilibrium is the state of health. The Charaka
Samhita has been edited and translated
into various languages and has served as
a source for secondary studies, such as
Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya, Science
and Society in Ancient India, 1977.