The Classical Texts: Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridayam

The three main texts

Ayurveda has many Sanskrit works, but three are known as the main classical texts. Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbhata are sometimes called the "Brihat Trayi," or great triad. [1]

• Charaka Samhita: One review calls it the most respected of the classical records and says it describes all aspects of Ayurvedic medicine. [2] A 2025 article says it was initially written by Agnivesha, redacted by Charaka and completed by Dridhabala. [3]
• Sushruta (Susruta) Samhita: Described as the text on the science of surgery. [2] A review of anatomy in India says it provided important surgical and anatomical information. [4]
• Ashtanga Hridayam: Written by Vagbhata. One review calls it a significant text of the medieval period that summarizes earlier Ayurvedic knowledge. [5]

Together, the Charaka and Susruta Samhitas are the two sets of texts that form the foundation of Ayurvedic medicine. [4]

What the texts cover

One review lists eight traditional disciplines (Ashtanga Ayurveda), including internal medicine (Kayachikitsa), pediatrics (Kaumarabhritya), surgery (Shalya), ear, nose, throat and eye care (Shalakya) and toxicology (Agada Tantra). [2] India's 2020 law on the Indian systems of medicine uses the phrase "Ashtang Ayurveda" in its definition of the system. [6] Sushruta's text, as described in a 2021 article, details surgical instruments, incisions, suturing, bandaging and fracture reduction. [7]

Texts are layered, not frozen

A text credited to one name was often compiled, revised and completed by later hands. [3] Later commentaries kept the texts alive; one study notes commentators such as Chakrapani, who lived in the 11th century. [9] The same study found that plant names changed across texts and that some plants named in the earliest works were dropped from later ones, so knowledge of their identity was lost. [9] This matters for anyone who tries to apply a classical text to a modern herb.

What the texts are, and are not

They are a rich record of how physicians in the tradition described disease, diagnosis, medicines and procedures. They are not clinical trials. When a text says a herb or procedure helps, that is traditional use only until trials test it. NCCIH says few well-designed trials of Ayurvedic approaches exist. [10] The traditional ideas inside the texts, such as doshas, are explained in traditional concepts and compared with research in Ayurveda: traditional frameworks vs biomedical evidence.

One editorial argues that Ayurveda cannot be confined to the three texts, since many formulations used in practice today are not described in them. [1] Do not use any classical text as a self-treatment guide. Some preparations in the tradition contain metals, which can be toxic. [10]

Reading the texts today

The texts are in Sanskrit, with translations in several languages. A 2025 article describes a digital online edition of the Charak Samhita started to make a dynamic, accessible version with research updates. [3] For a general reader, a translation helps less than a guide to the ideas. Start with the history of Ayurveda and the Ayurveda glossary.