Question

Who wrote Charak Samhita, a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda?
A.Maharshi Dayanand
B.Maharshi Charak
C.Maharshi Sushruta
D.Aryabhatta

Answer 1

Hint:He is one of the contributors of Ayurveda in ancient India. He is called as a compiler of medical treatise of Ayurveda. He is always known for the book called Charak Samhita. He has written this book in the Sanskrit language.

Complete answer:
Charaka Samhita (Compendium of Charaka) is a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda written by Maharshi Charak. This book is one of the foundational Hindu texts of Ayurveda that existed from ancient India. This book was believed to be written around 400-200 BCE. Charaka Samhita is the per-second century text consisting of eight books and 120 chapters. This text includes topics such as:
Ancient theories on the human body
Etiology
Symptomatology
Therapeutics for a range of diseases
Importance of diet
Hygiene
Medical education
Prevention of diseases and related recovery processes.
This text was first taught by Atreya and then revised by Maharshi Charaka. Primarily the book was named as ‘Agnivesha Samhita’ Maharshi Charaka was one of the most important contributors to Ayurveda in ancient India. Maharshi Charaka is known as the editor of the medical treatise. This book is regarded as the greatest trio of Ayurveda. Charaka Samhita includes Sutra sthana, Nidan sthana, Viman sthana, Sharir sthana, Indriya sthana, Chikitsa sthana, Kalpa sthana, Siddhi sthana. This book is one of the oldest and an important ancient authoritative writing on Ayurveda. This book is written in poetry style (as a memory aid) in the Sanskrit language. It includes the theoretical basis of Ayurveda and concentrates on the branch of internal medicine. The last part of this book was done with the help of Dridhabala. This book states the promotion of health and prevention of disease as the actual solution for controlling diseases, which is relevant in modern times. It also concentrates on the concept of healthy aging and longevity.
Dridhabala has written one third of the book (Charaka Samhita) all by himself because this portion of the book had been lost, and he rewrote the last part of the book. This book tells the theory of internal medicine, in modern terms. It lists out and describes the 5 subtypes of vata.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note:The Charaka Samhita, states Curtin, was among the earliest texts that set a code of ethics on physicians and nurses, attributing “moral as well as scientific authority to the healer”. It mandates that the physician must seek consent before entering a patient’s quarters, must be accompanied by a male member of the family if he is attending a woman or minor, must inform and gain consent from patient or the guardians if the patient is a minor, must never resort to resort to extortion for his service, never involve himself in any other activities with the patient or patient's family (such as negotiating loans, arranging marriage, buying or selling property), speak with soft words and never use cruel words, only do "what is calculated to do good to the patient", and maintain the patient's privacy.