Dhanvantari Nighantuh धन्वन्तरिनिघंटु:

DETAILS : 

• Author: Prof. Priyavrat Sharma
  
• Publisher: Chaukhambha Orientalia
  
• Lannguage: Hindi
  
• ISBN: 9788176370066
  
• Paperback: 398 Pages 
  
• Weight: 400 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

Dhanvantari Nighantuh (धन्वन्तरिनिघंटु), critically edited and translated into Hindi by the legendary Ayurveda scholar Prof. Priyavrat Sharma, is an ancient, irreplaceable landmark in the history of Indian pharmacology (Dravyaguna Vigyan). Published by Chaukhambha Orientalia (Varanasi), this foundational classical lexicon represents arguably the oldest surviving Nighantu (materia medica) of Ayurveda, originating between the 8th and 10th centuries C.E. The core philosophy of this ancient text is to bridge the gap between basic botany and clinical therapeutics. It addresses a timeless challenge in classical medicine: a physician operating without a Nighantu to identify herbs is as helpless as a soldier heading onto a battlefield without weapons. Historically emerging from a simpler prototype known as the Dravyavali, this expanded work provides an absolute, structured standard for the identification, energetic profiling, and therapeutic classification of natural healing substances.

The structural arrangement of the book follows a rigorous, seven-part thematic classification system where substances are divided into distinct groups known as Vargas, each named after its principal or "star" medicinal herb. Prof. Priyavrat Sharma's expert edition seamlessly integrates the original, cryptic Sanskrit verses with a precise, fluent Hindi commentary that demystifies ancient terminology for modern clinical practitioners. The text systematically opens with the Guduchyadi Varga (focusing on bitter tonics like Guduchi), followed sequentially by the Satapushpadi Varga (aromatics and spices), Chandanadi Varga (fragrance-bearing and cooling elements), Karaviradi Varga (small flowering plants and herbs), Amradi Varga (large fruit-bearing trees), Suvarnadi Varga (metals, minerals, and essential dietary items), and finally the Mishrakadi Varga (complex multi-herb formulations and toxic compounds). For each individual substance, the text details its extensive list of Sanskrit synonyms (Paryaya) to prevent misidentification across different geographies, followed by an immediate breakdown of its Ayurvedic pharmacology—specifically its primary taste (Rasa), post-digestive effect (Vipaka), metabolic potency (Virya), and direct therapeutic action on the three biological humors (Tridosha).

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 

Prof. Priyavrat Sharma (1920–2006) was an elite Indian institutional leader, author, and researcher who is widely revered as the father of modern Dravyaguna (Ayurvedic Pharmacology). As the longtime Professor and Head of the Department of Dravyaguna at the Institute of Medical Sciences, Banaras Hindu University (BHU), he dedicated his life to translating, annotating, and modernizing dozens of classical medical texts.

Prof. Sharma's translational and writing style is deeply scholarly, analytical, and meticulously objective. Rather than treating ancient verses as mystical or beyond question, he approaches them with the absolute clarity of a research scientist, providing modern botanical correlations, clearing up historical copyist errors, and providing precise cross-references. Through an immense literary legacy that includes editing the Caraka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Sodhala Nighantu, and Kaiyadeva Nighantu, his authoritative commentaries remain the ultimate benchmark for academic curricula and pharmaceutical research across the global Ayurvedic community.