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Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine practiced by sages of the Indian sub continent from a long time before any other system of medicine evolved. In Vedic texts there are numerous mentions of herbs and their therapeutic properties. The term ayurveda appears in samhithas which are the compilations of great sages Aathreya Punarvasu, Mareecha, Kashyapa and Dhanwanthari. More than 2000 herbs and medicinal substances were utilized in healing therapies before the beginning of Christian era. Susrutha speaks of 600 herbs, Charaka speaks about 700 herbs and Sangraha and Astanga hrudaya mentions about 600-700 herbs. With the advancement over the centuries, ayurveda presently uses more than 2000 herbs and medicines for prevention, cure and maintenance of a wide spectrum of ailments and diseaes of various aeteologies . Ayurveda the science and art of living can be traced to vedas the earliest known human literature. Rigveda and Atharvaveda mention about more than thousands of medicinal plants and practices. But it is only in the later years of samhithas(codified knowledge) that detailed documentation of verified knowledge appeared as regarding medicines.
Samhithas of great sages such as Charka, Susrutha, Bhela and Kashyapa etc. remain the
foundation of ayurveda. Ayurveda has been systematised in to eight branches or Ashtanga
ayurveda or eight branches of ayurveda