Ayur means life and Veda means knowledge.
Any knowledge which is systematic and based on facts is known as SCIENCE.
Yoga of Patanjali AshtangaYoga
This is why Ayurveda is understood as the science of life.
Its origin is traced back to the vedic times about 5000 B.C. During this period medicine was dominated by mythology and sages.
Dhanvantari — the God of medicine was born out of the churning of the ocean during a war between Gods and demons. It is also believed that ayurveda was developed from the medical part of the vedas — the Atharvaveda.
Ayurveda is not just a system of medicine. It is a way of life. It has been practiced for thousands of years and has clearly stood the test of time.
It is still regularly practiced today in India and its counter part has credibility to Allopathy and Homeopathy.
The overall maintenance of health, prevention of disease, treatment of disease at its root and rehabilitation of the patient is the basis of Ayurveda.
Pulse diagnosis is one of the key methods of diagnosing diseases in Ayurveda.
The tradition of learning this art of medicine is still passed down through Oral transmission and apprenticeship. Gurukula means living with the master and learning and sharing the experiences of this guru.
This helps the disciple (shishya) to conceptualize and absorb the basic framework which is the backbone of practical Ayurveda.
Sushruta was the first physician of Ayurveda who developed and practised surgery. Known as the father of surgery, it is reported that he used ants to stitch together a wound. Some of the other eminent Ayurvedic physicians include — Atreya, Charaka, Waghbhatt who practised about 800 B.C.
The majority of Ayurvedic texts are in Sanskrit. These texts give great importance and reference to a person’s constitution, food as medicine, the importance of herbs, the art of identifying and collecting herbs, including how and when to pick them (the time, season, etc.), as well how and where to store them.