Ayurveda Classical Texts

Among the classical works of Ayurveda, the ‘Saarngadhara Samhita’ is included in the second line triad along with Bhavaprakaasa and Maadhava Nidaana. Even though the other associates in the trio are specially discussing about certain specific areas of medical field only, Saarngadhara Samhita is an exception as it deals with most parts of the great science of Ayurveda and tries to give well defined explanations for the complexities in life science. The ideas of the author are commendable in the study of anatomy, physiology, pulse examination, in the field of pharmaceutics etc. more than these Saarngadhara tried to bring the benefits of alchemy (Rasasaastra) in the treatment aspect. Thus goes the merits of the samhita (Saarngadhara). So now let us search for the master mind behind that work.
From the self addressing given in the last line of the text, it is evident that he is the son of ‘Sri Damodara’. There is no data available from the book about his place, family or time. So we can depend on the history of India and its culture for our objective.
As Saarngadhara Samhita is included among Lakhu Trayi, it is sure that the period of him must be after the first trio. From those all, the historians opine that Saarngadhara lived in the thirteenth century A.D. Even though the first trio is considered as the main source of Ayurvedic knowledge, all the further works reflect the aphorism of them. Saarngadhara Samhita also follows the same path with his own betterments in certain areas. From that we can assume that he was lived somewhere in the North India, where the two main legendary treaties Caraka Samhita and Susruta Samhita were more popular. Saarngadhara shows many new methods and formulates new definitions to simplify and promote Ayurveda and it shows his vast knowledgein the science, but then too the educational background of him remains vague. For Saarngadhara, the medical science was not a traditional one because the addressing given to his father just means- ‘Mister’ or the respected and not of a doctor or medical practitioner. More than that, he did not say about any of his forefathers who had practiced medicine. So we can guess that he was self interested in studying medicine and may be because of that he tried his best to simplify Ayurveda for the society to attract more towards it.
The knowledge of Saarngadhara was not limited to the field of medicine but in chemistry, esp. in science of metals and also in the literature. The method adopted in his text was novel at the time i.e., he divided the whole work into three main groups and then subdivided into chapters for convenience in use. On examining the whole work, it seems to give less importance to surgical practices which will lead us to think of a Boudhic influence, anyhow that remains only as an assumption.
These are all the general details about the author of Saarngadhara Samhita. More than these, we have to go further more about his knowledge in the medical field. Among the second trio, Saarngadhara can be taken as the best, that he is the only one who thoroughly discussed about almost all aspects of Ayurveda. But his excellence came not in explaining the usual things of Ayurvedic science but the introduction of science of metals and alchemy to use in conventional medicine. Thus he promotes the words of the great scholars- Caraka and Susruta,”to add new and allied sciences and knowledge to benefit the life science and to improve its outcome”. He may be the first and best who contributed to Ayurveda such a new and effective addition. He was a very efficient clinical practitioner too, for that his work itself is the benchmark. In the treatment aspect Saarngadhara created a new world of his own with wonderful medicinal formulations which are more fruitful and also the different methods like enema, emesis, bloodletting, gargling etc. with his own modifications and medicines. By all these, in the later era Saarngadhara has been regarded as the one of the second triads of Ayurveda which is a short reward for his excellence.
Different from all the other classical works, Saarngadhara Samhita remained as a manual for medical practitioners in the virtue of its practical usefulness.