India’s Ambassador to Zimbabwe, Bramha Kumar, explores Ayurveda’s ancient origins, scientific development, preventive health philosophy and growing global role.

Amb Bramha Kumar

As we celebrate the 11th World Ayurveda Day on 23 September, it is an opportune time to reflect on the science, philosophy and enduring message behind Ayurveda.

For thousands of years, Ayurveda has formed part of India’s traditional scientific approach to health and well-being. Originating in India, the word “Ayurveda” comes from the Sanskrit words Ayur, meaning life, and Veda, meaning knowledge. It is therefore often described as the “Science of Life”.

Ayurveda’s ancient foundations

Ayurvedic knowledge has deep roots in the Vedic tradition and is associated particularly with the Atharva Veda, considered to have been compiled in textual form around 1500 BCE–1000 BCE. It is regarded as the fourth Vedic scripture, alongside the Rigveda, Samaveda and Yajurveda, whose knowledge was transmitted across generations through a strong oral tradition.

In ancient Sanskrit tradition, the Atharva Veda, sometimes described as the “Veda of everyday life”, addresses practical aspects of health, disease, longevity and well-being.

It contains extensive references to diseases and their remedies, offering early insights into what would later develop into concepts of pathology and medicine. Medical conditions mentioned in the text include Takman (fevers), Kṣetriya (hereditary diseases), Hariman (jaundice), Jalodara (dropsy), Krimi (parasites), Kāsa (cough), Kilāsa (skin disorders), as well as various psychological conditions.

The Atharva Veda also contains significant botanical knowledge, categorising healing plants according to their physical form, colours and native habitats.

Among medicinal plants referred to in the tradition are Pippali (Piper longum), traditionally valued as a rejuvenating herb and used in relation to respiratory and digestive conditions; Apamarga (Achyranthes aspera), traditionally associated with cleansing and metabolic health; Kushtha (Saussurea lappa), historically used in preparations for skin conditions; and Arjuna (Terminalia arjuna), long associated in Ayurvedic practice with cardiovascular health and circulation.

From ancient knowledge to a systematic medical tradition

As scientific and medical knowledge developed, Ayurveda produced a substantial body of classical literature.

Among the oldest and most influential works is the Sushruta Samhita, dating to approximately the sixth century BCE and regarded as one of the earliest comprehensive treatises on surgery. Attributed to the sage Sushruta, it systematised knowledge of anatomy, surgical instruments and complex procedures, including techniques associated with reconstructive surgery such as rhinoplasty.

Another foundational work is the Charaka Samhita, compiled around 100 BCE–100 CE. It became one of the principal classical texts on internal medicine, or Kāyachikitsā, and systematised important concepts including the Tridosha theory of Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

The Charaka Samhita remains an important foundational reference in the study and practice of Ayurveda today.

Ayurvedic knowledge continued to develop from the first century CE onwards.

Texts including the Bhaiṣajyavastu, Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya and the Navanitaka, contained in the Bower Manuscript dating to around the fourth century CE, contributed to the development of ancient Indian pharmacology and practical medicine.

The Rasaratnākara, attributed to Nāgārjuna, advanced knowledge associated with Ayurvedic alchemy and the medicinal use of processed minerals and metals.

The Aṣṭāṅga Hṛdaya and Aṣṭāṅga Saṅgraha, attributed to Vāgbhaṭa around the sixth century CE, brought together elements of the medical knowledge associated with Charaka and Sushruta into comprehensive clinical guides.

Later works including Mādhava Nidāna, the Haṭha Yoga Pradīpikā and Bhāva Prakāśa further developed knowledge relating to diagnosis, therapeutic practice, yoga and medicinal botany.

Bringing Ayurveda into modern healthcare

Since India gained independence in 1947, significant institutional, financial and strategic steps have been taken to develop Ayurveda from a traditional system of medicine into an increasingly researched and formally regulated component of healthcare.

The establishment of the Ministry of AYUSH in 2014 provided fresh institutional momentum to these efforts.

With its focus on holistic and preventive health, Ayurveda is increasingly integrated into India’s healthcare landscape. AYUSH services have been co-located in Primary Health Centres, Community Health Centres and district hospitals in many parts of the country, improving access to different systems of healthcare through shared public health infrastructure.

India has also pursued the development of 12,500 AYUSH Health and Wellness Centres under its national health programmes, with a focus on preventive healthcare, lifestyle management and self-care.

Government support has strengthened institutions such as the All India Institute of Ayurveda, while the country has developed a substantial network of Ayurvedic colleges, teaching institutions, hospitals and registered practitioners.

This expanding professional and educational infrastructure is helping Ayurveda engage more closely with contemporary healthcare while retaining its distinctive philosophy and traditional knowledge base.

Science, research and protecting traditional knowledge

Alongside expanding access to Ayurveda and increasing public awareness, the Government of India has placed growing emphasis on evidence-based research, standardisation and scientific validation.

Collaborative research programmes involving institutions under the Ministry of AYUSH and India’s scientific and medical research establishment seek to examine traditional formulations and practices using contemporary research methods.

Government schemes also support laboratory modernisation, standardisation, capacity building, education and research in Ayurveda and other traditional systems of medicine.

An important initiative is the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library, or TKDL.

The TKDL converts knowledge contained in classical Indian systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, into structured digital information available in five international languages: English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese.

This allows patent examiners internationally to identify traditional Indian knowledge as prior art and helps protect centuries-old knowledge against biopiracy and inappropriate patent claims.

It is an important example of how ancient knowledge can be protected and made relevant in a modern intellectual property environment.

Ayurveda as a growing economic sector

Ayurveda is also becoming an increasingly important part of India’s wellness economy.

Growing consumer interest in preventive health, natural products and holistic well-being, combined with e-commerce and expanding international demand, has supported significant growth in Ayurvedic medicines, personal care products, wellness services and related industries.

Industry estimates place the Indian Ayurvedic products market at around US$11 billion, with forecasts suggesting substantial expansion over the coming decade. Globally, the wider Ayurveda and wellness sector is also projected to grow strongly as consumers increasingly explore traditional and complementary approaches to well-being.

India has developed a large manufacturing base for Ayurvedic products. Companies manufacturing Ayurvedic medicines must operate within India’s regulatory framework, while government policy encourages compliance with quality standards, including Good Manufacturing Practices.

The organised market includes long-established companies such as Dabur India Ltd., Baidyanath Group, Charak Pharma and Kerala Ayurveda Ltd., alongside major contemporary players including Patanjali Ayurved and The Himalaya Wellness Company.

Their growth reflects Ayurveda’s transformation from knowledge preserved primarily through texts and traditional practice into a modern health and wellness industry reaching consumers around the world.

The philosophy of balance

At the heart of Ayurveda are three doshas: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

According to Ayurvedic philosophy, these exist in different proportions in each person. Understanding an individual’s constitution has traditionally been used to guide choices relating to diet, daily routines and lifestyle.

Vata is associated with movement and is traditionally supported through warmth, nourishing foods, regular routines and adequate rest.

Pitta is associated with digestion and transformation, with cooling foods and relaxation traditionally recommended for maintaining balance.

Kapha represents stability and strength and is traditionally supported through regular physical activity and lighter foods.

One of Ayurveda’s important concepts is dinacharya, or daily routine.

In Ayurvedic tradition, regular sleep, mindful eating, exercise, self-care and adaptation to seasonal changes are considered important foundations of well-being. This emphasis on regular habits reflects Ayurveda’s broader philosophy that prevention and balance are essential elements of a healthy lifestyle.

Ayurveda and yoga are also closely connected, with both recognising the relationship between physical and mental well-being.

While yoga places greater emphasis on movement, breathing and meditation, Ayurveda focuses more strongly on diet, lifestyle and daily routines. Together, they have become widely associated with holistic approaches to wellness in India and across the world.

Ancient wisdom in a modern world

The story of Ayurveda is therefore not merely a story about the preservation of an ancient tradition.

It is also about transformation: how knowledge developed over thousands of years can be researched, standardised, protected, taught and adapted to contemporary needs without losing sight of the philosophy from which it emerged.

As the world increasingly considers prevention, mental well-being, healthy ageing and sustainable approaches to health, Ayurveda offers an important perspective centred on balance between the individual, lifestyle and the wider environment.

To conclude, I will quote the English translation of an Atharva Veda hymn:

“May there be peace in the heavens. May there be peace on earth. May there be peace in the vast space between them. May there be peace in the running waters, and may all medicinal herbs and plants bring peace unto us. May the past patterns be at peace, and may all things done or left undone bring us peace. May the past be peaceful, may the future be peaceful, and may the entire universe bring ultimate peace and well-being to us.”

H.E. Shri Bramha Kumar is the Ambassador of the Republic of India to the Republic of Zimbabwe