Abstract

SUSHRUTA SAMHITA: “AN ANCIENT FUNDAMENTAL SURGICAL TEXT IN AYURVEDA” – A LITERARY REVIEW

*Dr. Gajanan Uttamrao Vaidya

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Abstract

In Ayurveda many texts and samhitas described, among which brihatrayee mentioned. These are charaka samhita, sushruta samhita and astanga sagraha which called as pillars of Ayurveda. Charaka samhita and astanga hridaya mainly deals with medicinal knowledge while sushruta samhita deals with surgical knowledge. Ayurveda is based on astanga ayurveda among which acharya sushruta mentioned shalyatantra in detailed. Sushruta is an adjective which means renowed. Sushruta is the father of surgery. If the history of science is traced back to its origin, it probably starts from an unmarked era of ancient time. Although the science of medicine and surgery had advanced by leaps and bounds today, many techniques practiced today have still been derived from the practices of the ancient Indian scholars. Sushruta described complicated surgeries like cesaerian, cataract, fractures, renal stones, artificial limbs, plastic surgery, major abdominal surgeries etc. All the basic principles of surgery such as planning, precision, hemostasis, and perfection find important places in sushruta. Sushruta has described surgery under eight heads i.e Chedya (excision), lekhana (debridement), vedhana (pucturing), eshya (exploration), aharaya (extraction), visravana (evacuation), and sivana (suturing). Also explained 60 upkarmas, fror treatment of wounds, 120 surgical instruments, and 300 surgical procedures and classification of human surgeries in eight categories.

Keywords: Sushruta samhita, a fundamental surgical text.