Concept of Atattvabhinivesha in Ayurveda

Foreword Atattvabhinivesha is a disease of perplexed identity mentioned in Charak Samhita. The confusion creates due to two different commentaries on it by Chakrapani, the great commentator of Charak Samhita. While in Sutrasthana he described Atattvabhinivesha as 'Eko Mahagada' means the immense disease; he straightway refuses its description in Chikitsa Sthana saying it as 'Anarsha' means someone else other than original author has added it in later period. All the other scholars of Ayurveda of Samhita period including Sushruta and Vagbhatta however did not describe this disease.

Owing to this confusion and lack of a detailed description of this disease, its thorough knowledge is the need of time since long. I congratulate the author for his efforts to fulfill this need and for his contribution to the science of life, the Ayurveda. Some scholars may have different opinion on the conclusion of the author that Atattvabhinivesha is a minor psycho- logical ailment and it resembles neurotic disorders of modern psychiatry particularly anxiety states; but his version is enough convincing and thought provoking. Scholars of Ayurveda are authorized by Charka himself that they can augment the knowledge described in texts by through interpretation of the subject by reasoning. The present book is an effort towards this. I wish the author all success in his endeavor.

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