Articles

Sanskrit commentaries on the CarakasaṃhitÄ with special reference to Jajjaá¹­a’s NirantarapadavyÄkhyÄ

Authors

  • Kenneth Zysk

Abstract

The genre of Sanskrit commentarial literature is a largely untapped reservoir of important and often crucial information that is all too often forgotten or neglected. The significance of commentaries in technical Å›Ästric literature in Sanskrit, such as Äyurveda, cannot be over emphasised, because frequently no other way exists to understand correctly both the meaning of specialised vocabulary and the ideas particular to the Å›Ästra or science.

This brief study of Jajjaá¹­a's NirantarapadavyÄkhyÄ is but an introduction to a hitherto unexplored yet important early commentary on the Caraka SaṃhitÄ. Further investigations of the manuscript copies and printed edition will reveal the full extent of Jajjaá¹­a's contribution to the development of early Äyurveda and help establish Jajjaá¹­a as a leading figure in the history of Indian medicine.

Published

2009-12-17

Issue

Section

Articles