Significance of Conservation of Manuscripts w.s.r. to Ayurveda

Abstract

Ayurveda, the medical system of India has developed from the ancient treasure of knowledge recorded thousands of years ago. Ancient medical manuscripts contain so many valuable information on various aspects of Indian systems of health care such as different branches in medicine, ethno-veterinary practices and Vrikshayurveda etc. Analysis of these oldest documents will help to acquire an in-depth knowledge about classical texts and open a new horizon of textual research. Exploration of manuscripts will extend a new arena for research in diverse fields like drug research, clinical research, folk literature etc. It also portrays historic events and changes in the culture pertaining to that period. The ancient medical literature presently available only represents 2% of total medical manuscripts. A lot of them are still under the custody of private repositories which are not accessible to others. Manuscripts are in the verge of deterioration with an alarming speed. So, it is the need of hour to conserve these ancient memories before it fades away. Systematic surveys on manuscripts can be done with the support of public, research scholars, universities etc. Awareness campaigns about the conservation of manuscripts should be regularly conducted at institutions with public participation. Other conservation methods are documentation, critical analysis and digitization. All these activities can be effectively done by co-ordination of experts in different fields. To conclude, the knowledge heritage of manuscripts should be properly conserved and handed over to future generation for the benefit of mankind.