Ayurveda is an ancient system of healing that was part of the spiritual tradition of the Sanatana Dharma during the Vedic period. It was Veda Vyasa, the famous sage, believed to be an avatar of Vishnu, who compiled the complete knowledge of Ayurveda into the Vedas. Thus we find that the Rig Veda, the oldest surviving book of any Indo-European language, contains verses on the nature of health and disease, pathogenesis and principles of treatment as well as discussions of the three dosas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha, and the use of herbs to heal the diseases of the mind and body to foster longevity.

The Atharva Veda lists the eight divisions of Ayurveda: Internal Medicine, Treatment of Head and Neck, Ophthalmology and Otorinolaryngology, Surgery, Toxicology, Psychiatry, Paediatrics, Gerontology or Science of Rejuvenation and the Science of Fertility.