Kerala’s Āyurvedic Tradition and Sanskrit Sources

Kerala’s Ayurvedic Tradition and Sanskrit Sources is an investigation into the continuation of Kerala Ayurvedic Tradition by Keralite authors through their Sanskrit work on Ayurveda in the evolution of Kerala culture.Firstly, the origin of Ayurveda from Indus Valley and its transition from magico-religious treatment to empirico-rational treatment reflected in the authentic texts of Ayurveda are traced. Basic principles of Ayurveda like Pancabhuta theory, Tridosa theory, etc., are dealt with in detail. Then an attempt is also made to trace the evolution of Ayurveda in Kerala and to give a number of some special therapies exclusively developed and practiced in Kerala. The influence of Siddha tradition can also be noticed in the Kerala tradition of Ayurveda. It is hoped that the present study will prompt Ayurvedic scholars to pursue the subject matter further and establish the link between Sastra (Theory) and Prayoga (Practise). And it is high time to collect and codify the traditional rural knowledge among common masses and disseminate that knowledge and methods of preparation of some simple and yet effective medicine to the common people through Kutumbasrees (organizations of women) and educational institutions etc., to check the exploitation by multinational companies in the era of globalization.