Bhel Samhita

Samhitas

The Samhitas (Sanskrit saṃhitā, “collection”), are collections of metric texts (“mantras”).There are four “Vedic” Samhitas: the Rig-Veda, Yajur-Veda, Sama-Veda and Atharva-Veda, most of which are available in several recensions (śākhā). In some contexts, the term Veda is used to refer only to these Samhitas, the collection of mantras. Samhita literally means “put together, joined, union”, a “collection”, and “a methodically, rule-based combination of text or verses”. Samhita also refers to the most ancient layer of text in the Vedas, consisting of mantras, hymns, prayers, litanies and benedictions.

The four Samhitas are:

Rig-Veda Samhita – the oldest veda, containing 1,028 hymns devoted to ancient gods.

Yajur-Veda Samhita – a handbook for priests performing sacrifices.

Sama-Veda Samhita – chants and songs to sing during sacrifices.•Atharva-Veda Samhita – ancient spells and magical charms that pre-date the Aryan influence.

•It is believed that having been orally transmitted for so many years, the Samhitas were brought to India by the Aryans and took their present form sometime between 1200 to 200 B.C.E.

Bhel Samhita

•Bhel Samhita is an ancient text on Ayurveda and is believed to have been written around 5000 years ago. Bhela samhita written by Bhelacarya is one of the oldest Ayurvedic Samhita. 

•It is one of the six disciples of Punarvasu Atreya.

•This was published in 1921 from Calcutta University and later in 1959 by Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series Office, Varanasi.

•The text was missing for several centuries and finally the palm leaf manuscript of Bhel Samhita was traced in 1880, in the palace library at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu.

•A total 286 medicinal plants are mentioned in the treatise whereas a total 419 Sanskrit names of the plants are found considering their multiple names.

•Bhel Samhita is divided into eight divisions like the Charaka Samhita.

•Bhel Samhita comprises the specific sets of laws of Nature that are engaged in promoting the quality of Devata-the process of observation, the dynamism of observing in the witnessing quality of Rishi-within the Samhita level of consciousness, providing a structure to the eternally silent, self-referral, self-sufficient, fully awake state of consciousness, which is intimately personal to everyone.

Bhela

•He was one of the six disciples of Punarvashu Atreya, contemporary of Agnivesha.

•He is said to have composed a treatise called Bhela Samhita.

•At present among the treatises written by disciples of Atreya only Agnivesha Tantra and Bhel Samhita are available.

Time Period

•As the concept of Buddha is present it can’t be prior to Lord Buddha.

•Present day Bhela Samhita is contemporary to Gupta period hence it is of 7th century AD.

•Original Bhela Samhita was contemporary to Agnivesha, so the time period is 1000 century BC.

Present day bhela samhita is a big doubtful due to following reasons

•The context of Bhela Samhita which is present in different referrences of Samhita are not from present day Bhela Samhita.

•Vastikarma should be done in children after 6 years is found in Kashyap Samhita was taken from Bhela Samhita but it is not present in the modern day Bhela Samhita.

•The Guru-Shishya question answering pattern is not present in Bhela Samhita as in Charak and Sushruta Samhita.

    Controversies Among Charak Samhita, Sushruta Samhita And Bhel Samhita

    In Charak Samhita it was said that we should consume:

•Bibhitaki – Before Food

•Amlaki – After Food

•Haritaki – At end of digestion

    But according to Bhela:

•Amlaki – Before Food

•Haritaki – After Food

•Bibhitaki – At end of digestion

Contribution Of Bhela Samhita

The word Janmara was used in the context of Janpadadhwamsa ( Epidemics), while Sushruta has used the term Marak. Different names were given to the fever cause in animals. A disease named vatalika was given by him which is considered as plague by some.

•The definition of kayachikitsa is given here.

•8 types of Swedan karma are given.

•Separate chapter for Vishama Jwar.

•Raktapitta is of 2 types butthe asadhya one was named as Sarvsrotspravrittah.

•Special importance was given for Panchkarma.

•In classification of Vatajaprakriti, he has included the concept of philosphical prakriti which is not found anywhere else.

Sanskrit Name found in Bhela Samhita	Botanical Name	Family
Khadira	Cacia catechu (L.f.) Willd.	Mimosaceae
Bilwa	Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa	Rutaceae
Palandu	Allium cepa L	Liliaceae
Lasunam	Allium sativum L.	Liliaceae
Kovidarah	Bauhinia purpurea L.	Leguminosae
Kesarah, Kumkuma	Crocus sativus L.	Iridaceae

Aegle marmelos

Aegle marmelos (L.) Correa is the example of plant mentioned in Bhel Samhita belonging to Rutaceae family.

Sanskrit Name found in Bhela Samhita of Aegle marmelos is Bilwa.

Bael tree is deciduous, and the crown is compact or dense. The tree is tough and widely adaptable to adverse soil and climatic conditions.

The bael tree can grow up to 10 m or higher with medium or large sizes with numerous branches. The trees possess dimorphic twigs.

The regular twigs have 3–5 cm long internodes with a leaf at each node and one to two spines. The fruits mainly occur in the periphery of the canopy.

The trunk is short and thick with narrow oval shape ends. The leaves are alternate, single, or compound. The flowers are fragrant and form 4–7 clusters along the new branches and form 4–7 clusters along the new branches. A flower has four or five recurved and fleshy petals.