Abstract

ANALYTICAL STUDY OF VARIANT READINGS (PATHABHEDA) IN THE COMMENTARIES OF CHARAKA SAMHITA IN CLINICAL PRACTICE

*Dr. Kiran, Dr. Suman Godara, Dr. Asit K. Panja

Abstract

Purpose: Ayurvedic compendium was composed couple of thousand years ago. Underlying concepts and their implementations were testified time to time according to need. Charaka Samhita has gone through various stages of metamorphosis in the course of the same and various principles medicines, and formulas were added later on. From the time of Acharya Agnivesha the texts has travelled about 3,500 years and time to time the text is copied, recopied, redacted, edited by various scholars. Multiple variants of readings are found regarding the principles, identification of drug, formulations, methods of preparation of drug, etc., in various available texts. So evaluate the pattern of changes in the fore said segments study of variant readings are mandatory. Ayurvedadipika commentary of Chakrapani, Jalpakalpataru commentary of Gangadhar, Charakopaska of Yogendranathsen, Tatvapradipika commentary of Shivdassen are taken into account for evaluating, analysing variant readings of Charaka Samhita. Among the variants found in Charaka Samhita, 256 are related to Nidana, 56 in the section of Dravya, 217 in the formulatuion or Aushadh Yoga, 27 in Chikitsa, and 2755 in Samanya. By studying all these variants, we came to know the huge variant domain of difference in treatment. So, the variant readings of the original texts in various commentaries must be studied to make the treatment easier and up to date for the current era. Analysing variant reading are essential to study the onward propagation of the thought process concept of compendium and their implementation of those in day-to-day practice and to and explore their further scope of research for the future. The full study will discuss the justification of 3,400 variant readings in the parlance of clinical practice.

Keywords: Commentary, Acharya Chakrapani, Charak Samhita, Dravya.