Astanga Sangraha-Sarira Sthana

DETAILS : 

• Author : Ramachandra Sastri Kinjavadekara 
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Sri Satguru Publications
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 31 December 1990
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Print length ‏ : ‎ 152 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 817030217X
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-8170302179

ABOUT THE BOOK

Astanga Sangraha: Sarira Sthana, critically edited by the legendary traditional Sanskrit scholar Pandit Ramachandra Sastri Kinjavadekara and published by Sri Satguru Publications (as part of their prestigious Indian Medical Science Series), is a fundamental classical textbook of Ayurvedic science. The volume presents the uncompromised Sanskrit text of the Sarira Sthana—the anatomical and embryological section—composed by Acharya Vagbhata in the 7th century CE, along with the highly authoritative ancient commentary Sasilekha by Indu.

The primary objective of this specific volume is to preserve and elucidate the Vedic understanding of human biology, embryonic development, and psycho-somatic anatomy. In the structural division of the Astanga Sangraha, the Sarira Sthana serves as the scientific foundation for clinical practice. It transitions from macro-philosophical concepts to precise human mechanics, unpacking topics through a blend of physical documentation and spiritual insight. The section is structured into core thematic chapters covering:

• Garubha Avakranti (Embryology): Investigates the precise metaphysical and physiological union of the Shukra (sperm), Shonita (ovum), and Atman (consciousness), charting the week-by-week and month-by-month evolution of the fetus inside the womb.
• Prakriti (Constitutional Types): Outlines the epigenetic manifestation of the Tridosha (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) at the exact moment of conception, detailing how physical appearance, behavioral patterns, and metabolic tendencies are permanently established.
• Anga-Vibhaga (Anatomy): Enumerates the structural framework of the mature body, providing a systematic count of bones, joints, ligaments, muscles, and the major physiological channels (Srotas).
• Marma Vijnana (Vital Points): Analyzes the 107 localized anatomical junctions where muscles, vessels, ligaments, bones, and joints meet, serving as a critical surgical safety guide by detailing how trauma to these specific zones can cause immediate death or permanent disability.

By collating rare manuscripts, Pandit Kinjavadekara restored the historical text to its highest philological accuracy. Complete with an extensive English introductory essay by the celebrated Ayurvedic physician Vaidya Bhagwan Dash, this edition remains an absolute prerequisite for undergraduate and postgraduate scholars of Ayurvedic medicine (BAMS and MD), historians of ancient science, and researchers of traditional holistic anatomy.

ABOUT THE EDITOR

Pandit Ramachandra Sastri Kinjavadekara (also spelled Kinjwadekar) was an intellectual pillar of traditional Indian medicine, manuscriptology, and classical Sanskrit editing based out of Pune, Maharashtra, during the mid-20th century. He dedicated his life to digging up, purifying, and systematically printing major Ayurvedic Samhitas and their forgotten commentaries, rescuing them from physical degradation.

Kinjavadekara’s editorial methodology is characterized by its strict text-critical accuracy, deep command over Paninian grammar, and total fidelity to ancestral medical lineages. Rather than altering classical verses to fit modern paradigms, he let the ancient logic speak for itself, framing it with clear structural punctuation and comprehensive index tables. His landmark editions, originally printed in Poona in 1940 and later republished globally, established the standard academic references for modern Ayurvedic universities.