Progress of Research on Aṣtāṅgahṛdaya Saṃhitā

Abstract

Abstract. Aṣtāṅgahṛdaya Saṃhitā (Compendium of the Essence of the Eight Branches)is one of the most important works on Ayurvedic medicine from ancient India. It provides a comprehensive overview and synthesis of Ayurvedic theories from different schools of thought. With concise and clear contents, it was an essential textbook for Ayurvedic medicine in India and many other regions at the time it was written. This article summarizes the main contents of the book, reviews the current status of research, and finds that the modern research on Aṣtāṅgahṛdaya Saṃhitā focuses on religious philosophy, the theory of bodily humors, discussion of drug use, and its relationship with Chinese medicine. The book was widely disseminated in the areas surrounding India and influenced Tibetan and Arabic medicine, as well as multiethnic medicine along the Silk Road.