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About the author:

Dr. Sanjay Pisharodi is uniquely

qualified in both modern and
traditional medicine. After
completing his degree in palliative
medicine, he worked for many
years with terminally ill patients
and served as the director of
several hospitals before deciding
to leave behind his promising
career to study Āyurveda and
other traditional healing arts.

He completed an Ayurveda practitioner level course in the United States, advanced

training at the National Research Institute of Panchakarma and other prominent
institutes in India, before going on to study privately with many prominent Āyurvedic
physicians in South India.

His passion for Āyurvedic medicine led him to establish the Purnarogya Holistic Health
Care & Research Pvt Ltd, an institution that provides treatments and education and is
dedicated to preserving, promoting, and propagating the teachings of Āyurveda—
especially providing access to the ancient Sanskrit texts to international students.

You can write to him at contact@purnarogya.com

Facebook page: Purnarogya Holistic Health Care
Website: www.purnarogya.com

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 Veda

Rg, Sama, Yajur,

Upaveda
Atharva

Ayurveda
(one of upavedas)

Brhat trayi (Big Laghu trayi (small

three) three)

Charaka Samhita
Sushruta Samhita

Ashtanga
Hridayam

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Āyurveda is a subsidiary section of the Vedic literature (upaveda) that deals with:
 concepts of health and wellness
 prevention and cure

It is also sometimes referred to as the fifth veda (Pañcam Veda).

According to modern historians at least 4500 years old (2500 BC)

As per Vedic historians an eternal science that manifested at the

beginning of the creation of the cosmos

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Human being is microcosm
Universe is macrocosm

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We are all a part of nature and affected in many ways by internal and external
environments. The Vedic aphorism “yathā pinḍe tathā brahmāṇḍe” or “puruṣoḥ ayam
loka sammitaḥ” means “as is the human body, so is the cosmos.”

Enjoy good health and prosperity:

The ancient seers of Āyurveda have studied this relationship, understood it, and
explained these unchanging fundamental concepts in their writings. The concepts
have been passed down the generations, helping people enjoy good health and
prosperity.

Importance of Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam

 one of the three major textbooks of Āyurveda.

 compiled around the 700 AD

 extract of all the Āyurvedic literature

 main pillar of Āyurvedic practice, especially in the Indian state of Kerala

(known as the cradle of Āyurveda)

 all essential information from all the important books of Āyurveda

 written in melodious poetry
 can be sung and memorized easily.

It was a common traditional practice for all vaidyas (physicians) of Kerala to memorize
the entire Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam.

 a practical clinician’s handbook

Philosophical discussions are kept to a minimum, unlike in the Caraka Samhita and
Suśruta Samhita. It collates scattered information from all the existing books of its time
and presents the concepts in a systematic manner for easier study and
comprehension.
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Āyurveda and subsidiary Vedic literature

Borrows from all sections of vedas:

Since Āyurveda is a part of the Vedic literature, it liberally borrows from all sections of
the Vedas, such as astrology, astronomy, and philosophy. Some concepts may not be
explained in detail in the Āyurvedic texts due to the expectation that the student would
already be familiar with other Vedic literatures and will correlate the information
appropriately. In this book I have quoted contextually from some of these literatures.

Bhagavad Gīta is an ancient philosophical treatise of India that summarizes the

entire gamut of Vedic philosophy in about seven hundred verses divided into eighteen
chapters. It is a part of the Mahābharata, which is a historical account of the world
written about five thousand years ago. I have extracted some sections from Bhagavad
Gīta to correlate and explain some of the concepts of Āyurveda.

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The ancient Āyurvedic texts are written in:

 an open technique
 help develop the thinking patterns of students
 enable you to handle any given situation
 no rigid protocols and diagnoses
 names of diseases are not important
 understanding underlying pathology is important
 no rigid method to treat any disease

Close observation:
The physician should closely observe the progressing pathology and treat accordingly.
So one who has an overall understanding of the entire text can take those principles
and apply them in any way he or she feels suitable.

The yukti (logical thinking) of the vaidya stands supreme in Āyurvedic

management of disease.

To be able to do this, one must have a thorough understanding of the unchanging

principles. For this one should study the ancient texts.

Principles … Logic
 eternal principles do not change
 applications, however, may change

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Decision to work on the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam
 Not confident? Are you feeling firmly rooted?
After studying Āyurveda at some of the reputed academies in India and the
West, you may still find yourself not confident enough to help people who come to you
for guidance. Do you know why? The answer is in Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam.

Nothing short of a blessing:

When one starts looking into the ancient texts of Āyurveda, Caraka Samhita
and Suśruta Samhita they seem the obvious choices initially. While reading the Caraka
Samhita, one realizes that the concepts, though brilliant, are scattered all over the
book. We want something more organized and structured. This is where the Aṣṭāṅga
Hṛdayam is nothing short of a blessing.

Mastering the essential concepts: ideal book for the beginner

Every verse in the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam speaks so clearly. The flow is very logical. Within
no time you will be able to master the essential concepts of Āyurveda and put them
into practice. There is no doubt that this is the book for the beginner student who
is serious about understanding Ayurveda. You will notice that the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam
is the book that has the maximum number of commentaries by previous ācāryas,
which adds to its richness.

Addressing the specific needs of international students:

Students often ask for a translation of the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam for them to study. But
honestly, most of the existing translations do not cater specifically to the needs of
international students. And thus I began to think, “What if I could find a way to give
access to all of this to everyone out there?” This is the reason why I chose to translate
and comment on this book.

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Existing Literature
Āyurveda is becoming popular all over the world, with several books being written by
professionals and amateur authors or practitioners. One must have a deep
appreciation for their efforts. At the same time, there are some concerns that in the
 effort to make the science relevant for present times,
 may compromise the core conceptual understanding and application in
favour of prematurely correlating the science with modern medicine.

Many of the “new-age books” lack complete references for what is mentioned in the
book. This prevents the student from going to the source to explore further. It is also
unclear whether the conclusions are those of the ancient sages or opinions of the
present author.

Information and information – no transformation: Soul of Āyurveda

This was summarized beautifully by a swamiji I met recently who is also a Vaidya. He
said “Most of the modern books have a lot of information but the soul is missing.” So
then one will ask “What is the soul of Āyurveda?”
 soul of all vedic sciences is “dharma”
 “Adharma” is the root cause of all disease

It is primarily meant to learn how to conduct ourselves according to the principles of

dharma. Diagnosing and treating diseases is a secondary purpose.

Result of lack of references:

1. The information is selectively and incompletely presented.
2. When the authors express their personal opinions without clearly mentioning
so, the student accepts them as the absolute word of the śāstra.

There are specific requirements to be fulfilled for any book to be accepted as śāstra.
Others can be accepted only as opinions or observations.

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The study and practice of Āyurveda is spreading all over the globe rapidly. At this
juncture, it is of utmost importance that the science be understood in its full
authenticity and actuality by students everywhere. Correct conceptual
understanding is critical. If a wrong or incomplete concept is propagated, it eventually
snowballs into a catastrophic misunderstanding that is difficult to rectify. A clear
understanding of the concepts can be accomplished by giving students a connection
to the unbroken tradition from the roots.

Āyurveda has been practiced in different ways in different places all over the world as
explained by the great teachers. An attempt has been made in the book to give
Āyurvedic students access to the original ancient texts along with their explanations
by Āyurveda’s exalted teachers of the past.

Status of Āyurveda in the world

Āyurveda is slowly finding its way to the shores of almost all the countries in the world.
At a juncture when the medical community is being challenged by a plethora of
diseases which were never heard or seen before … leaving hundreds and thousands
of innocent people dead on their rampage… with all our medical technology and
expertise we still find ourselves helpless … we are at the cross roads … we need to
look further and think broader. Āyurveda comes to us like an angel from heaven…

In India there is often a tendency for the general populace to look down upon Āyurvedic
medicine, which reflects on the confidence of students to practice the same with

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dignity. Sorry to say that this outlook has led to many trained Āyurvedic doctors
practicing Western medicine, with incomplete training in the latter, after having studied
Āyurveda for more than five years. There is a great need to instil confidence in the
practitioners of Āyurveda through educational, social, administrative and political
initiatives and create opportunities for Āyurveda.

A specific methodology to study Āyurveda.

In the modern world, quite often Āyurvedic
concepts are explained by force fitting them into
the concepts of Western medical anatomy,
physiology, and pathology without using the
authentic explanations from ancient texts. Its like
fitting a square peg into a round hole.

This creates confusion. Both systems have their

own unique ways of classifying and understanding
the functioning of the body. Mixing them together
would not be a good idea to understand either one.

Students who try to apply such a westernized understanding of Āyurveda to a clinical

setting experience failure to adequately understand, diagnose and treat different
disease conditions. This results in loss of confidence and faith in the science.

Proper application of the science

Possible only if the concepts are understood in an authentic manner, which will ensure
demonstrable results on application.

Is there the need for a commentary?

The ācāryas had written the commentaries during a time when many of the basic
concepts were commonplace in the culture and lifestyle of the people; it was taken for
granted that they were understood by all, and the ācāryas expected their students to
have a basic understanding of several Vedic concepts, which cannot be done in the
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present day since many of us have a mixed culture having moved far away from pure
traditions. Times have changed, and we are not as familiar with the tenets of Vedic life
and culture. So I have chipped in to fill that gap as much as possible and help students
better understand what the ācārya is trying to convey.

Harmonizing contradictions:
At certain times there are instances where the ācāryas differ among themselves in
opinion. This is only an apparent contradiction. We cannot imitate them and concoct
our own opinions, because we are not at that level. One of the aspects of studying
Āyurveda is that students should be able to harmonize the apparent contradictory
opinions of the ācāryas and apply it as appropriate to the given circumstance. The
ācāryas usually will not contradict in terms of principle but in terms of application only.

I always felt the need of an elaborate translation of Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam during my study
of Āyurveda. Unfortunately it was lacking. This is why I decided to work on it myself.

Connecting bridge:
This book only plays the role of a bridge, trying to connect you, the student, with
Vāgbhaṭa, the author of Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam, and the great teachers who have written
the commentaries.

It is our great desire that this knowledge should be available, as it is, without any
distortion for the benefit of students and Āyurveda.
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Commentaries used in writing this book
The commentaries used in compiling this book are:
1. Sarvāṅgasundara, by Aruṇadutta
2. Āyurvedarasäyana, by Hemādri
3. Vākyapradīpika, by Parameśvardās
4. Hṛdayabodhika, by Sridas Paṇḍita
5. Aruṇodaya, by Govindan Vaidyar
6. Bhāvaprakāśa, by Kaikkulangara Ramavāriyar

While studying the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam, I noticed that the wonderful commentaries
written by the ācāryas were hardly studied by students. These commentaries are
found to be very useful in clarifying concepts and I have included them in this book.
The whereabouts of the lives of these great teachers are shrouded in a lot of
controversy, and the exact period they lived in is also not clear. But their writings are
timeless. Now you also have the opportunity to hear about these topics from the best
teachers and clinicians in the world today.

The translations of these commentaries have never been available to

international students, and now, for the first time, they are being made available.
This will help you attain a deeper understanding of the subject. The views of the
ancient commentators have been included without changing or distorting anything.
Some of the comments may appear irrelevant or unpalatable to the modern student,
but I have still kept them as they are to preserve authenticity.

The disciplic succession:

Āyurveda is a science that has been passed down from master to disciple for
thousands of years. The methodology of study has changed over the course of time.
It used to be passed down in an unbroken oral tradition from guru to disciple,
wherein the student lived with the teacher closely, observing him or her and being
observed (gurukula system).

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The knowledge of Āyurveda has been recorded in Sanskṛt, which is a very cryptic
but versatile language.

As with any other medical science, Āyurveda also has a huge compendium of medical
terminologies. Sanskṛt is a language in which each word can have multiple meanings
according to context.

Āyurveda has its own special meanings for

certain terms that can also vary with
context within the subject. The greatest
effort in writing this book has been to
remain loyal to the authenticity of these
terms.

However, some of the fundamental concepts in Āyurveda (e.g., āma, agni, snāyu,
koṣṭha) have such broad connotations that it is not possible to restrict the translation
to either one word or a few words, although for reasons of convention, they have been
translated or described in one or two words in some places in the book. These terms
will require elaboration and deeper study by the student. This is a different subject
called padārtha vijïānam (knowledge of terminologies).

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If we are successful in igniting the spirit of deeper study in the minds of the
students, we will consider this humble effort successful.

We invite all students of Āyurveda to enter into the deep mysteries of Ashtanga
Hridayam with the greatest living masters in the world today.

Study should not be restricted to notes and memorization that help to pass exams.
The spirit and practice of Āyurveda should be kept vibrant, updated, authentic, and
alive in our heads, hearts, and hands.

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 Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam is like a vast ocean
and we are all making humble efforts to
pick out a few gems with the help of our
ācāryas.

May this book and seminar (saptaha) serve as a beginning to inspire us to dive deeper
into an authentic study of the limitless ocean of Āyurveda.

Let us pray to Srila Gurudev, all the ācāryas, saintly persons, teachers, and the
Supreme Lord for blessings upon all of us. Thank you.

Om Tat Sat

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About the book – “Ācārya Vāgbhaṭa’s Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam”:
For students of Āyurveda who are unable to read Sanskrit, learning the intricacies of
this subtle and complex healing science is challenging, if not impossible. Without the
ability to transfer the principles expounded in the ancient texts into practical
application according to the time, place, and person being treated, proper results
cannot be achieved.

During his own study of Āyurveda, Dr. Sanjay Pisharodi discovered some of the
available English translations to be incomplete and inaccurate. Now, as the founder
of the Purnarogya Holistic Health Care & Research Pvt Ltd, an institution dedicated
to preserving, promoting, and propagating the teachings of the Āyurvedic texts, he
presents the most authentic English translation of the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam to date.

Because it is the most practical, concise, and clinical in its presentation and contains
the essential points from all the great classics, this text serves as an excellent
teaching tool. Through exacting transliteration and translation of every word and
verse, Dr. Pisharodi provides unparalleled access to the knowledge imparted in the
Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya, including the enriching commentary.

This text acts as a vital bridge connecting international students of Āyurveda with the
ancient sages and great teachers of this fascinating healing tradition.

As Āyurveda grows increasingly popular throughout the world, preserving the

authentic core principles as expressed in the ancient texts becomes all the more
important. Without this, practitioners cannot truly understand how to diagnose and
treat a client in the Āyurvedic way.

This book is the first to make each verse of the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdayam available to
English speakers through transliteration, a word-for-word translation, and a

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translation of the verse in full. Furthermore, this book is the first to provide the
commentaries of the ācāryas for greater illumination.

International students will be empowered by a deepened connection with the origins

of Āyurveda with this invaluable text.

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