The basic concepts about Ayurveda and its historical concepts and major siddhantas has been explained in a nutshell

13. स्थान – स्थानमथथप्रतिष्ठया | (Ch.su.30/70)
According to Chakrapani,
अर्थप्रतिष्ठयेति प्रधानभूिार्ाथवस्र्ानाि्| एिाश्च योगरूढााः सञ्ज्ााः; िेन, अतिप्रसङ्गो न
वाच्याः|
A sthana or section deals with a particular topic. Number sthanas differs in
brihatrayee.
E.g:- Charaka samhita – 8 sthanas
Susruta samhita – 6 sthanas
Ashtanga hridaya – 6 sthanas
अध्याय - अतिक
ृ त्याथथमध्यायनामसञ्ज्ञा प्रतितष्ठिा | (Ch.su.30/70)
According to Chakrapani,
अतधक
ृ त्येति अतधकारिणं क
ृ त्वा| अर्ं दीर्थञ्जीतविातदकम्| अध्यायनामसञ्ज्ा अध्यायरूपा
नामसञ्ज्ा, अधीयिेऽस्मिन्, अध्येत्यनेन वा, अधीयिे वेत्यध्यायाः||
The specific problems of the topic which is dealt by a sthana are discussed in the
concerned adyayas/chapters.
E.g:- Indriya sthana of Charaka samhita deals with bad prognostic signs and the

14. Number of Sthanas and Adhyayas in Brihatrayee
STHANA CHARAKA
SAMHITA
SUSRUTA
SAMHITA
ASHTANGA HRIDAYA
Sutra sthana 30 46 30
Sareera sthana 8 10 6
Nidana sthana 8 16 16
Vimana sthana 8 - -
Chikitsa sthana 30 40 22
Indriya sthana 12 - -
Kalpa sthana 12 8 6 (as kalpa–siddhi sthana)
Siddhi sthana 12 -
Uttara tantra - 66 40
120 186 120

15. 1. SUTRA STHANA
Sutra sthana is considered as the heart in all Ayurvedic classics because this section
is the synopsis of entire samhita. To understand any part of the text, proper
learning of sutrasthana is needed. It’s defined as :
 सूचनाि् सूत्रणाच्चैव सवनाच्चाथथसन्तिेः .......सूत्रस्थानं प्रचक्षि|
(Su.su.3/12)
A sutra is a verse or a statement, like a sentence. Sutra means thread, because like the
surgical word ‘suture’, a thread strings together a series of ideas. Since it
maintains the continuity of ideas with a view to giving good grasp of medicinal
science, it is titled as sutrasthana.
Chakrapanidatta classified the sutras of Charaka samhita into four categories:
(Chakrapani on Ch.su.1/2)
1. Guru sutra – statements made by Guru
2. Sishya sutra – statements made by disciple
3. Pratisamskarta sutra – statement by redactor
4. Ekiya sutra – statements by individual scholars.

16. श्लोकस्थानं समुतिष्टं िन्त्रस्यास्य तिरेः िुभम् ||
चिुष्काणां महाथाथनां स्थानऽस्मिन् सङ्ग
् रहेः क
ृ िेः|
श्लोकाथथेः सङ्ग् रहाथथश्च श्लोकस्थानमिेः िृिम् ||(Ch.su.30/46)
In fact it serves as the brain of the whole treatise. In this section
quadrates of great importance are collected. Because of the compilation
of fundamental principles concerning various aspects of the Ayurveda,
this is known as the ‘sloka’section.
Chatushkas in Charaka samhita sutra sthana
Among Brihatrayi, it was acharya Charaka who introduced the concept
of chatushka. Sutra sthana is divided into 7 chatushka (each chatushka
contains 4 chapters) and 2 samgraha adhyayas.

17. ARRANGEMENT OF CHATUSHKAS
औषिस्वस्थतनर्देिकल्पनारोगयोजनाेः|
चिुष्काेः षट् क्रमणोक्ाेः सप्तमश्चान्नपातनकेः||
द्वौ चान्त्यौ सङ्ग् रहाध्यायातवति तत्रंिकमथथवि् |(Ch.su.30/44)
Seven quadrates (each containing four chapters) on drugs,
maintainance of positive health, physicians including medicines
etc, therapeutic measures, diseases, therapeutics and dietetics are
described consecutively. The first section as well as the entire
treatise are summarised in the last two chapters. Thus the first
section of thirty chapters is very important.

18. 1. Bheshaja chatushka (Quadrate on drugs/medicines)
र्दीर्थञ्जीतविीयोऽध्यायेः
अपामागथिण्डुलीयोऽध्यायेः
आरग्विीयोऽध्यायेः
षड्तवरचनििातििीयोऽध्यायेः
2. Swastha chatushka (Quadrate on regimens/health)
मात्रातििीयोऽध्यायेः
िस्यातििीयोऽध्यायेः
नवगान्धारणीयोऽध्यायेः
इस्मियोपक्रमणीयोऽध्यायेः
3. Nirdesa chatushka (Quadrate on various instructions)
खुड्डाकचिुष्पार्दोऽध्यायेः
महाचिुष्पार्दोऽध्यायेः
तिस्रैषणीयोऽध्यायेः
वािकलाकलीयोऽध्यायेः

19. 4. Kalpana chatushka (Quadrate on preparations)
स्नहाध्यायेः
स्वर्दाध्यायेः
उपकल्पनीयोऽध्यायेः
तचतकत्साप्राभृिीयोऽध्यायेः
5. Roga chatushka (Quadrate on description of diseases)
तकयन्तेःतिरसीयोऽध्यायेः
तत्रिोथीयोऽध्यायेः
अष्टोर्दरीयोऽध्यायेः
महारोगाध्यायेः
6. Yojana chatushka (Quadrate on planning)
अष्टौतनस्मििीयोऽध्यायेः
लङ्घनबृंहणीयोऽध्यायेः
सन्तपथणीयोऽध्यायेः
तवतििोतणिीयोऽध्यायेः

20. 7. Annapana chatushka (Quadrate on food and drinks)
यज्जेःपुरुषीयोऽध्यायेः
आत्रयभद्रकाप्यीयोऽध्यायेः
अन्नपानतवध्यध्यायेः
तवतविातििपीिीयोऽध्यायेः
Sangrahadhyaya
र्दिप्राणायिनीयोऽध्यायेः - सूत्रस्थानसङ्ग् रह
अथेर्दिमहामूलीयोऽध्यायेः – िन्त्रसङ्ग
् रह

21. तनर्दान मािविष्टेः सूत्रस्थान िु वाग्भटेः |
िारीर सुिुिेः िष्टेः चरकस्तु तचतकस्मत्सि || (M.Ni)
Sutra sthana of Vagbhata is best among sutrasthanas.
Among the Shareera sthanas, shareera sthana of susruta samhita is
considered as best.
Chikitsa sthana of charaka samhita is considered as the best chikitsa sthana.