Madhava-Nidana (Rogaviniscaya) Ayurvedic Clinical Diagnosis

Sushruta, the father of surgery wrote his Samhita (treatise) about 2500 years ago in Sanskrit at Varanasi and classified into six shtanas (cantos) bearing 186 chapters.

As Sushruta Samhita deals with anatomy & surgery and deliberates on many context of contemporary interest such as plastic surgery, it continued to be on high demand of English readers. Inspired by such demands Prof. G.D. Singhal the then professor & head, Department of Paediatric surgery of Banaras Hindu University along with a team of senior Ayurvedic experts from the same university, took the task of translating Sushruta Samhita in English. After several years of team work the book was published in 10 volumes during seventies.

In the mean time the initial print of the exhausted and several volumes becomes out of print warranting republication of this important work. Considering the high demand and good quality of this produced by the team of experts inclusive of both Ayurveda and modern surgery the publisher decided take up the work of republication in an improved formate pooling in three parts to make it easy to handle. The work is now being published in new print and in new formate pooling the 10 volumes of first edition into only three parts.

The present edition of Sushruta Samhita is endowed with authentic translation of the text in good English with scientific temper appropriate notes chapter summary and indentification of probable research areas in each chapter. The work is easy to read and grasp the contents on contemporary contexts. This work will be of renewed interest among the seekers of Sushrutarian wisdom and expertise.

Born at Allahabad in 1932. Brilliant academic career with medical eduction at Lucknow, Edinburgh and Toronto. A Widely traveled Paediatric Surgeon and historian of Medicine, Rotarian Dr. Singhal was Professor & head of the Paediatric Surgery Section institute of Head of the Dept. of surgery institute of medical Sciences Banaras Hindu University Varanasi.

Prof Singhal was a fellow of the international Society of History of Medicine and was the president of the B.H.U, history of medicine society; he was also a fellow/ Member of many national/ international academic bodies on Surgery/ Paediatric Surgery/ history of Medicine and was recognised as an authority on Ancient Indian Surgery. His monumental encyclopaedic Ayurvedic works on Sushruta Samhita and Madhava Nidana have already won national/ international recognition are changing the history of medicine and are stimulating research on Ayurveda all over the world.

Prof. Singhal claimed Sushruta of Indian to be called the “Father of Surgery” and frequently invited to give authentic talks in the subject in Indian and abroad.

It is a great pleasure and a valuable stimulation for those interested in the important science of Ayurveda that another Sanskrit work of basic important becomes available in an English translation so as to also reach a growing group in western countries.

After elaborating a most valuable translation of the Susruta Samhita under the title of “Ancient Indian Surgery Series”. Published by Dr. G.D. Singhal the same team is now bringing a translation so as to also reach a growing group in western countries.

After elaborating a most valuable translation of the Susruta Samhita under the title of “ancient Indian Surgery Series”, published by Dr. G.D. Singhal, the same team is now bringing a translating of the Madhava- Nidana, which is a work of fundamental important to Ayurvedic diagnostics. The Brhattrayi is well known to persons in the west devoting interest and work to Ayurveda since the Caraka Samhita has become available in a few translations (of which regrettably not all have been finished) as has also the Susruta Samhita especially in the series mentioned above. The Astangahrdaya Samhita however has been fully translated only into German: translation into English are so far not complete. The Astangasamgraha has not yet been fully translated. The Laghutrayi has except for partial translations of the Madhavanidana and a small part of the Bhavaprakasa, not been accessible to westerns without a profound knowledge of Sanskrit. The only translation of the Madhavanidana into English is incomplete but constitutes a very important work by the Dutch physician and Sanskritologist Dr. C. J. Meulenbeld an internationally known authority on Ayurveda. English translation of the Sargadhara Samhita and the Bhavaprakasa are still lacking and are much wished for. It would also be valuable, if the exiting parts of the Bhela (Bheda) Samhita were to be translated and if the narrow selection of other translated ancient scriptures on Ayurveda were to be complete and widened. We are after all dealing with a medical philosophy of fundamental important.

In the interest of Western readers, I add is list of translation of ancient scriptures on Ayurveda into western languages (excluding a few articles in journals, which only bring extracts except for works mentioned above). Where no other language is mentioned the translation is into English.

I wish to congratulate Dr. G.D. Singhal and his team for another monumental work and an important effort for bringing Ayurveda closer to readers not well versed in Sanskrit for thus aiding to spread the knowledge of this important science beyond the borders of India.

The subject of Nidana or Rogavijnana always had a special place in Ayurveda. Ancient sages axiomated that knowing the causation prodromal symptoms stagewise progression complications prognosis and the holds true that unless the disease was essential before starting the treatment. It still holds true that unless the disease was essential are known in this way it is not possible for any physician to treat them effectively and rationally. Depending upon the disease, it severity constitution of the patient etc. actual treatment may differ from individual. Based upon these consideration the Ayurveda treatment is divided into the following :

The ancient Ayurvedic classics like Caraka Samhita, Susruta Samhita etc. described Rogavijnana separately in Nidana-sthana. However, it was Madhavakara who developed this subject into a discipline by writing the book “Rogaviniscaya” which is now famous as ‘Madhavanidana. This book became so popular that traditional Ayurvedic studies in those days were started with this book.

The very fact that the work the Madhava is considered a classic even today reflects that the author’s approach to the subject arrangement of disease and the style of presentation are of a standard as yet unsurpassed. As can be seen, Madhavakara collected his material from Samhitas to a great extent. His work became the trend setter for later works like Siddha Yoga of Vrndamadhava, Cikitsa Samgraha of Cakrapanidatta Cikitsasara Samgraha of Vangasena, Bhavaprakasa of Bhava Misra etc. as can be seen by the scheme of arrangement adopted. The book become so popular that many scholars of Ayurveda have written authentic commentaries on the book. Madhukosa by Vijayaraksita and Srikantha data. Atamkadapana by Vacaspati, Siddhantacintamani of Narasimha Kaviraja Subodhini on different portions of Nidana of Vadeva (Vasudeva?), Madhavanidana tippani of Bhavamisra, Rugvinirnayatika of Bhavani Sahaya, Vaidyamanorama of Ramakrisna, Rugviniscaya parisista of Haradhana are just a few of the works cited as commentaries on this treatise. This book was translated in foreign languages also in various countries. Khaleefa harun ul Rashid got it translated in the Arabic in 8th century. This book was translated and popularized in Italian language in 1913-14 by Dr. Mario Vallauri which was published in Florence. Ten chapters of this book alongwith Madhukosa and Atamkadarpana commentary were translated by Dr. Meulenbeld which was published by E.J. Brill at leiden in 1974.

The text and commentaries of Madhavanidana being in Sanskrit its accessibility and understanding has been restricted to those who know that language. It is necessary that an important work of this kind on Nidana should be translated into English and Hindi so that a lorger section of readers can have the benefit of grasping the text of Madhavanidana.

Dr. G.D. Singhal, M.S., F.C.S., Prof, and head of the Paediatric Surgery section of the Institute of medical science Banaras Hindi University Varanasi is famous all over the medical world for his renowned work on Ancient Indian Surgery series. His valuable contribution for dissemination of ancient Ayurveda knowledge to the modern medical world has been widly recognised and appreciated. By translating the Madhavanidana in English and hindi in joint authorship with the well know Ayurveda scholar teacher and physician, Dr. S.N. Tripathi Professor and Head of the Dept of kayachikitsa of the same institute, Dr. Singhal is presenting a vast medical knowledge for greater utility of the medical profession. The work is not a mere translation but a novel presentation and a monumental work in an impressive style.

I congratulate Dr. Singhal, Dr. Tripathi and their associates for this commendable job. I am sure this work will be well appreciated by the medical and Ayurvedic scholars teachers students and physicians all over the world.

It is great pleasure and a valuable stimulation for those interested in the important science of Ayurveda that another Sanskrit work of basic importance becomes available in an English translation so as to also reach a growing group in Western counties.

After elaborating a most valuable translation of the Susruta Samhita under the title of Ancient Indian Surgery Series, Published by Dr. G. D. Singhal the sane team is now bringing a translation of the Madhava Nidana which is a work of fundamental importance to Ayurveda diagnostics. The Brhattrayi is well known to person in the west devoting interest and work to Ayurveda since Caraka Samhita has become available in a few translation (of which regrettably not all have been finished) as has also the Susruta Samhita especially in the series mentioned above. The Astangahrdaya Samhita, however has been fully translated only into German translation into English are so far not complete. The Astangasamgraha has not yet been fully translated. The Laghutrayi has except for partial translations of the Madhavanidana and a small part of the Bhavaprakasa, not been accessible to westerners without a profound knowledge of Sanskrit. The only translation of the Madhavanidana into English is incomplete, but constitutes a very important work by the Dutch physician and Sanskritologist Dr. C. J. Meulenbeld and internationally known authority on Ayurveda English translation of the Sarngadhara Samhita and valuable if the existing parts of the Bhela (Bheda) Samhita were to be translated and of the narrow selection ancient scriptures on Ayurveda were to be complete and widened. We are after all dealing with a medical philosophy of fundamental importance.

In the interest of Western readers, I add a list of translations of ancient scriptures on Ayurveda into western languages (excluding a few articles in journals, which only bring extracts except for works mentioned above). Where no other languages is mentioned the translation is into English.

I wish to congratulate Dr. G. D. Singhal and his team for another mounental work and an important effort for brining Ayurveda closer to readers anot well versed in Sanskrit for thus aiding to spread the knowledge of this important science beyond of India.