Last verified: April 2026
Every herb, formulation, and remedy documented in this codex traces to one of these texts. Not to a blog post. Not to a wellness article. To a named text, a named chapter, and a named verse. This is the source hierarchy — and these are the primary sources at the top of it.
The foundational text of Ayurvedic internal medicine. The most cited source in this codex. Every herb classification, every Dosha theory, every dietary guideline — if it appears in Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita is likely the primary source. Eight sections (Sthanas), 120 chapters. Attributed to Punarvasu Atreya via his disciple Agnivesha, redacted by Charaka, and later completed by Dridhabala.
The foundational text of Ayurvedic surgery — and the earliest systematic surgical text in the world. Documents 300 surgical procedures, 120 surgical instruments, and extensive materia medica. Attributed to Sushruta, a student of Dhanvantari at the Kashi school. Also the primary source for Panchakarma, toxicology, and paediatrics. Internationally recognised by historians of medicine as a landmark document in surgical history.
Vagbhata's synthesis of Charaka and Sushruta, composed approximately 600 CE. The most widely used clinical reference across the Ayurvedic tradition today. Notable for its systematic organisation and its composition entirely in Anushtubh metre — making it memorisable and orally transmittable. Six sections, 120 chapters. Covers all eight branches of Ayurveda in a single text. Quoted extensively in BAMS curriculum across India.
Composed by Madhavakara, approximately 7th–8th century CE. The definitive classical reference for Nidana Panchaka — the five-fold diagnostic framework: Nidana (causative factors), Purvarupa (premonitory symptoms), Rupa (manifested symptoms), Upashaya (diagnostic tests), and Samprapti (pathogenesis). The text that standardised Ayurvedic diagnostic methodology. Cited throughout ailment pages in this codex.
Composed by Sharangadhara, approximately 13th–14th century CE. The primary classical reference for formulation types — Churna, Kashaya, Arishta, Asava, Ghrita, Taila, Vati, Bhasma, and the other preparation categories documented in this codex. Introduced new formulation types not found in the Brihat Trayi. The standard reference for pharmaceutical methods in Ayurveda.
Composed by Bhavamishra, approximately 16th century CE. The most comprehensive classical materia medica — the primary reference for herb classification (Varga system), herbal properties, and herb-specific formulations. Includes the Haritakyadi Varga, Guduchyadi Varga, and other classification systems cited throughout the herb pages in this codex. Also documents food items (Dhanya Varga, Shakha Varga) making it essential for the food directory.
Other classical texts referenced in this codex include the Kashyapa Samhita (paediatrics and gynaecology), Yoga Ratnakara (later clinical compendium), Chakradatta (formulations), and Sahasrayogam (Kerala tradition formulations). These are cited specifically where they are the primary source for a particular herb or formulation — they are not part of the core Brihat or Laghu Trayi hierarchy.