Chandas as Material and Method: An Exploration of the Caraka Saṃhitā
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: A bstract Background: Āyurveda evolved within an oral–aural pedagogical ecosystem in which sound served as the primary medium for transmitting and preserving knowledge. Chandas (prosody), the metrical organization of Sanskrit syllables, played a central role in transforming primordial sound ( Nāda ) into structured rhythm ( Tāla ), written form ( Lipi ), and aesthetic experience ( Rasa ). Despite its foundational role, the metrical dimension of Āyurvedic learning remains underexplored in contemporary discourse. Objective: To examine how Chandas functioned as the mnemonic, pedagogical, and aesthetic architecture of classical Āyurvedic knowledge transmission, particularly in the Caraka Saṃhitā . Materials and Methods: A systematic, narrative review was undertaken using primary classical scriptures— Caraka Saṃhitā , Piṅgala’s Chhandaḥsūtra , Nāṭyaśāstra —and secondary literature from prosody, philology, cognitive science, and memory studies. Textual analysis, comparative metrical mapping, and interpretive synthesis were employed to understand the epistemic role of meter. Results: Analysis revealed a fourfold continuum— Nāda, Tāla, Lipi , and Rasa —mediated through Chandas , wherein meter operates both as an epistemic framework and an aesthetic catalyst. Thirteen distinct meters, including Anuṣṭubh, Āryā , and Vamśastha , are identified in the Caraka Saṃhitā . Metrical recitation was found to enhance memorization, reinforce semantic accuracy, and evoke affective resonance, thereby converting abstract knowledge into embodied cognition. Conclusion: Chandas is the sonic and cognitive skeleton of Āyurvedic knowledge architecture. Reviving Chandas -based pedagogy can restore rhythmic intelligence and reintegrate affective, intellectual, and embodied dimensions of learning. The study underscores the need to re-establish metrical recitation as a core component of contemporary Āyurvedic education.
Authors: Kodla Shubhalaxmi, Shreevathsa
Language: English
Topic: Indian and Buddhist Studies
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
OpenAlex ID: W7162763897