When did Charaka Samhita originate?
- (a)6th Century BCE
- (b)3rd to 2nd Century BCE
- (c)4th Century BCE
- (d)5th Century BCE
Correct — B, 3rd to 2nd Century BCE. The Charaka Samhita, the foundational Ayurvedic text on internal medicine (kayachikitsa), is generally traced to about the 3rd–2nd century BCE, when Charaka is held to have redacted the older Agnivesha Samhita. This is the period the answer key adopts and the one usually associated with the text's origin.
- (a)6th Century BCE — This is too early — the 6th century BCE is the age of the Buddha and Mahavira; the Charaka Samhita is placed later, around the 3rd–2nd century BCE.
- (c)4th Century BCE — The 4th century BCE (the Mauryan era of Chandragupta) is not the date assigned to the text; the key places its origin in the 3rd–2nd century BCE.
- (d)5th Century BCE — The 5th century BCE precedes the accepted window; the Charaka Samhita is dated to about the 3rd–2nd century BCE.
The Charaka Samhita is one of the two great classical texts of Ayurveda (the other being the Sushruta Samhita). It is chiefly concerned with internal medicine, diagnosis, physiology, ethics of the physician and treatment through diet and drugs. Tradition holds it to be Charaka's edited version of an earlier work by Agnivesha.
Exact dating of ancient Indian texts is approximate, but the Charaka Samhita's origin is conventionally set around the 3rd–2nd century BCE (with later additions). The other options bunch nearby centuries to test whether a candidate knows this accepted window rather than the age of the Buddha or the Mauryas.
- The Charaka Samhita is a foundational Ayurvedic text on internal medicine (kayachikitsa).
- It is traditionally a redaction by Charaka of the older Agnivesha Samhita.
- Its origin is generally dated to about the 3rd–2nd century BCE.
- The Sushruta Samhita, focused on surgery, is the other great classical Ayurvedic text.
- Confusing the text's date with the 6th-century-BCE age of the Buddha.
- Mixing up the Charaka Samhita (medicine) with the Sushruta Samhita (surgery).
A straight chronology recall — pick the century window associated with the Charaka Samhita.
No directly related past PYQ was found.
- practice — not a real PYQ
The Charaka Samhita is a classical text primarily dealing with
- (a)surgery
- (b)internal medicine
- (c)astronomy
- (d)grammar
Answer(b) internal medicine — kayachikitsa, the core of the Charaka Samhita.
- practice — not a real PYQ
Which ancient text is chiefly associated with surgery (shalya-tantra) in Ayurveda?
- (a)Charaka Samhita
- (b)Sushruta Samhita
- (c)Ashtadhyayi
- (d)Brihat Samhita
Answer(b) Sushruta Samhita — the classical text of ancient Indian surgery.