The Vedic literature conations various description about medicine and their uses some preparations found in Vedas are as under.

Soma Rasa is the first ever swarasa extracted juice kalpana. About Soma the ninth section of Riga Veda is fully dedicated in its praise but nothing is written about the preparation of Soma Rasa In Riga Veda the annotation 6-68-10 descriptions of different liquors is found. Again the process of preparation is not given. Likewise there are various descriptions about the foods grains cereals, the milk preparations and more. For example dhana (roasted food grains) saktu (flour of roasted food grains), parivaap (roasted food grains), dadhi (curd), amiksha (boiled and clotted milk) are some of the preparations.

The some preparations as ksheer paak (medicated milk), takra (curd milk) navaneet (butter), payasya (cheese), tokama (germinated paddy grains), madhu (honey) are also found in the Vedas.

The Vedic description is incomplete in respect of the preparation methods but have deep influence on the basics of ayurveda; needless to say that they would have knowledge of ayurveda about, as the Vedas are not the medical text so such descriptions are not found in them.

The bhaishajya kalpana though do not correlate with the Vedas because they are not the medical text but has a very great influence on the basics principles of the Ayurveda. The Vedas mainly consists of the descriptions of the intellect and wisdom offered by sages from Indian Hindu mythological beliefs. The philosophy of the Hindus namely shada dershan (six basic sections of philosophy) has got very much influence on the ayurveda. This subject matter is mainly found in the Vedas.

According to 'Vaisesika theory', whatever is in the Universe can be broadly placed under six categories (Padarthas), one of these categories is substance (dravya), which can be sub divided into nine entities, five of which are prithvi (earth) jala (water), agni (fire), vayu (air) and akasha (space). The Panchabhautkitava theory that supplied the ‘Panchabhuta’, or the five elemental classifications of matter and this forms the basis of the Indian medical system of Ayurveda. The other four entities are mana (mind), atama (soul) kaal (time) and disha (the physical conditions). The bhaishjya kalpanas are mainly dependent upon all these nine entities. As these entities nine concepts are the basis of psychosomatic constitution of the human body.

Vaisesika philosophy describes the manner in which combinations of different types of 'Pramanus' (atoms) occur, producing the various substances that we see around us. These combinations can cause even chemical reactions under the influence of agni (fire). This chemical reaction, provided the basis for the concept of digestion and metabolism of food and its conversion into ‘dhatus’ (rasa, rakta, maansa, majja, vasa, ashit and shukra) and ‘doshas’ (vata, pitta, and kafa) of the body, upon which was built the theory of 'Tridosha'. Thus the contribution of Vaisesika to the systematization and development of Ayurveda is fundamental.

  The other main system of philosophy is found in 'Nyaya Sutra’, which explains all the knowledge needed to establish the identity of a fact or substance. This philosophy of 'Nyaya', consists of four methods of establishing the true identity of a fact, this is needed for the pharmacogansy, which is the basic of pharmacology.

As for identifying the characteristic property of a drug its action and results the four pramaans (Judgment techniques) pratyaksha (perception), anumana (inference), uhamana (comparison) and aptavakya (testrimony) are used in ayurveda. The dravya guna consist of the studies done extensively on various drugs included in Indian medicine. Thus the contribution of the Nyaya system of philosophy to Ayurvedic medicine in establishing scientific methodology is as great as the contribution of the Vaisesika philosophy to Ayurveda.

The philosophy of Samyaka leads to the fundamental basis of Ayurvedic treatment and medicine as it correlates the knowledge acquired by the above two i.e. the Nyaya and the Vaisesika. The basis of making homeostasis in the tridoshasa, and adding or subtracting the various drugs for elevation or reduction of the doshas is based on the third samyaka dershan. Thus the Vedas have great influence on the ayurveda.

They mainly founded the basis of Indian medicine by developing the basic principle of ayurveda. It is the influence of these philosophical intellects that led the medicos from ancient times to learn the causation of disease from religious rituals to medicinal preparations that is Bhaishajya Kalpana.

References

Atharvaveda Samhita by Svami Satya Prakash Sarasvati and Udaya Vir Viraj (Veda Pratishthana, New Delhi)

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