The history of Ayurveda dates back to the dawn of time. The word Ayurveda literally means Sanskrit word “life force” and denotes the study of how and why we react to various situations in our lives. In this field, Ayurveda has never been successful as a life style or a science. But later, due to advances in science and the recognition of its medicinal value, Ayurveda has been considered as a branch of Oriental medicine. The origin of Ayurveda may be traced back to the age of Manu (the ancient Indian sage) whose yogas reveal that he was the one who discovered the link between the reactions of the body and the existence of elements that created health and illness.
It is also revealed that the texts he wrote were not Sanskrit but in Greek and Coptic languages. Even the word Sanskrit is a blend of two Indian languages – Sanskrit and Kharosthi (one of the two dialects of Sanskrit). Thus, the word Ayurveda came from Indian influence. The inventor of Ayurveda was a medieval Indian scholar known as Shaurya as it was the year 1468, when the first references to Ayurveda were being found in India. This happened in the context of the allopathic treatment being available for diseases.
According to the said era, the main purpose of the study of Ayurveda was to learn how to take care of diseases with medicines made out of plants. Later, it was observed that a specific doctor who is duly qualified to treat diseases has to be chosen. Since the root cause of the ailment lies in the body’s reactions, the physician is also responsible for discovering what is the root cause of that reaction. Since then, Ayurveda became one of the oldest branches of Oriental medicine. Today, it is the only branch which is recognized by the scientific community. Many countries also recognize it as an alternative method of treating many ailments. It has also seen a resurgence in popularity as a dieting alternative.