ABOUT THE ROOTS OF AYURVEDA
Ayurveda, the ancient art of healing, has been practiced in India for more than two thousand years and survives today as a living medical tradition whose principles are at the heart of many “alternative” therapies now used in the West. This “science of longevity” has parallels with Buddhist thought, and advocates a life of moderation through which the three humors of the body will be brought into balance. The writings selected for this volume are taken from Sanskrit medical texts written by the first Ayurvedic physicians, who lived between the fifth century b.c. and the fourteenth century a.d. Here readers will find wide-ranging and fascinating advice on the benefits of garlic therapy, prayers for protection against malevolent disease deities, surgical techniques, exercise regimens, the treatment of poisons, the interpretation of dreams, and more.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

The Roots of AyurvedaList of Illustrations
Acknowledgments
Author’s Note

Introduction
The Historical Context
Classical Indian Medicine
The Choice of Texts
The Translations
Plant Names
Measures
Medical Terminology

Caraka’s Compendium
Introduction to the Selections
On Not Suppressing Natural Urges
On Eight Sets of Three
On Hospitals
On Epidemics
On Heredity

Susruta’s Compendium
Introduction to the Selections
The Use of Knives
Gaining Surgical Experience
Starting Out as a Surgeon
Plastic Surgery on the Ear and Nose
The Diagnosis of Embedded Splinters
The Extraction of Splinters
Blood and Bloodletting
On Breath and Wind
Rejuvenation through Soma
Safeguarding Food and Drink
Stationary Poisons

The Uses of Garlic (from the Bower Manuscript)
Introduction to the Selection
The Uses of Garlic

Kasyapa’s Compendium
Introduction to the Selections
Lady Opulence the Demoness Child-Killer

Vagbhata’s Heart of Medicine
Introduction to the Selections
Desiring Long Life
Daily Regimen
Seasonal Regimen
The Six Savours
The Science of the Humours
Lethal Points on the Body
On Insanity

Sarngadhara’s Compendium
Introduction to the Selections
On Weights, Measures, and Definitions
Pulse, Omens, and Dreams
Introducing Medicine Through the Skin
On the Human Body

References
Vocabulary Index: Flora, Fauna, and Medical Terms
Index