Brhat Trayi
Encyclopedia
The Bṛhat-Trayī refers to three early Sanskrit
encyclopedias of medicine (Skt āyurveda). These are contrasted with the Laghu-Trayī or the "lesser triad", a secondary set of later authoritative compositions.
This classification was first devised probably at some time in the 19th century, although its earliest use has not yet (2008) been identified. The classification is not known to authors before the 18th century. It is part of an effort to create a formal canon for ayurvedic literature.
There are older medical encyclopedias than are not included in the Bṛhat-Trayī, for example the Bheḷa-saṃhitā.
A work called Aṣṭāṅga-saṃgraha अष्टाग्ङसंग्रह is also ascribed to the last author, Vāgbhaṭa वाग्भट. It is a more diffuse work than the Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā, and is in mixed prose and verse (the Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā is in verse only). These two works are versions of the same material, but their exact relationship, authorship and priority is still debated by scholars. There are thousands of medieval manuscripts of the Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā in archives and libraries across India, while the Aṣṭāṅga Saṃgraha is very rare indeed, having survived to the 20th century in only a few partial copies. It is thus clear that the Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā is the text that was most widely studied in pre-modern times, and was in fact the standard textbook of ayurveda for several hundred years. In spite of this, probably through a misunderstanding some time in the early 20th century, it is the Aṣṭāṅga-saṃgraha that is primarily taught as part of the modern ayurvedic BAMS syllabus at Government ayurvedic colleges.
The Bṛhat-Trayī or "Triad of the Great" is also sometimes called the Vṛddha-Trayī, which means "the triad of the old/mature (classics or authors)".
All three works have been published in numerous Sanskrit editions, and all have been translated into English more than once. The English translations of P. V. Sharma and of Srikanthamurthy are considered amongst the better ones. The German translation of the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya by Hillebrandt and Kirfel is widely considered the very best and most careful and scholarly translation available.
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
encyclopedias of medicine (Skt āyurveda). These are contrasted with the Laghu-Trayī or the "lesser triad", a secondary set of later authoritative compositions.
This classification was first devised probably at some time in the 19th century, although its earliest use has not yet (2008) been identified. The classification is not known to authors before the 18th century. It is part of an effort to create a formal canon for ayurvedic literature.
There are older medical encyclopedias than are not included in the Bṛhat-Trayī, for example the Bheḷa-saṃhitā.
Overview
The following three works constitute the Bṛhat-Trayī:- Caraka-saṃhitā चरकसंहिता was composed by Agniveśa अग्निवेश and later edited by Caraka चरक.
- Suśruta-saṃhitā सुश्रुतसंहिता was composed by Suśruta सुश्रुत.
- Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā अष्टाग्ङहृदयसंहिता was composed by Vāgbhaṭa वाग्भट (fl. ca. AD 610, in Sindh).
A work called Aṣṭāṅga-saṃgraha अष्टाग्ङसंग्रह is also ascribed to the last author, Vāgbhaṭa वाग्भट. It is a more diffuse work than the Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā, and is in mixed prose and verse (the Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā is in verse only). These two works are versions of the same material, but their exact relationship, authorship and priority is still debated by scholars. There are thousands of medieval manuscripts of the Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā in archives and libraries across India, while the Aṣṭāṅga Saṃgraha is very rare indeed, having survived to the 20th century in only a few partial copies. It is thus clear that the Aṣṭāṅga-hṛdaya-saṃhitā is the text that was most widely studied in pre-modern times, and was in fact the standard textbook of ayurveda for several hundred years. In spite of this, probably through a misunderstanding some time in the early 20th century, it is the Aṣṭāṅga-saṃgraha that is primarily taught as part of the modern ayurvedic BAMS syllabus at Government ayurvedic colleges.
The Bṛhat-Trayī or "Triad of the Great" is also sometimes called the Vṛddha-Trayī, which means "the triad of the old/mature (classics or authors)".
All three works have been published in numerous Sanskrit editions, and all have been translated into English more than once. The English translations of P. V. Sharma and of Srikanthamurthy are considered amongst the better ones. The German translation of the Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya by Hillebrandt and Kirfel is widely considered the very best and most careful and scholarly translation available.