Last verified: April 2026

Sharangadhara Samhita

शार୧ाधर संहिता — The compendium of Sharangadhara

Sharangadhara Samhita, composed by the physician Sharangadhara in approximately the 13th–14th century CE, is the classical Ayurvedic pharmacopoeia — the most comprehensive single-source documentation of compound formulation preparation methods. It is one of the Laghu Trayee (three minor classical texts) that complement the Brihat Trayee (three major texts). Its most significant contribution is the systematic documentation of pharmaceutical preparation — Kalpana — for each formulation type, and the classical Dosha-Time (Kala) relationship.

Sharangadhara Samhita, Purva Khanda 1.1

Vaidyarajaya namah — Salutations to the king of physicians. This Samhita presents the essence of Dravyaguna and Kalpana (pharmaceutical preparation) for the benefit of practitioners who need a practical reference for the compounding and administration of classical medicines.

Structure of the Sharangadhara Samhita

Three Khanda (sections): Purva Khanda (introductory) — Dosha physiology, the Kala (time) system, pulse diagnosis basics, and the foundational pharmacological principles. Madhyama Khanda (middle) — the largest section, documenting in detail the preparation methods for each formulation type: Svarasa (fresh juice), Kalka (paste), Kvatha/Kashaya (decoction), Hima (cold infusion), Phanta (hot infusion), and all the compound preparation types (Churna, Vati, Ghrita, Taila, Arishta, Asava, Avaleha, Bhasma). Uttara Khanda (concluding) — specific compound formulations, Rasayana preparations, and administration protocols.

The Tridosha Clock — Kala and Dosha

Sharangadhara Samhita's most widely cited contribution: the systematic documentation of how Doshas follow a time cycle across the day, the month, the year, and a human lifetime. The daily cycle: Kapha dominates morning (6 AM–10 AM) and evening (6 PM–10 PM); Pitta dominates midday (10 AM–2 PM) and midnight (10 PM–2 AM); Vata dominates late afternoon/early evening (2 PM–6 PM) and pre-dawn (2 AM–6 AM). This Dosha-time relationship explains classical recommendations about meal timing (the largest meal at midday when Pitta Agni is strongest), sleep timing (sleeping during Pitta midnight period impairs liver function), and optimal treatment timing (administering Kapha-reducing treatments in the morning Kapha period, Vata treatments in the Vata period).

The Dosha clock in clinical practice

Sharangadhara's Dosha clock explains several classical recommendations that otherwise appear arbitrary: why Abhyanga (oil massage) is recommended in the morning (Kapha period — adds the Snigdha quality that counters Kapha's tendency to cause heaviness without being overwhelmed by Pitta heat); why Panchakarma Vamana is performed in the morning (maximum Kapha period); why the main meal is at midday (maximum Pitta/Agni); and why Vata symptoms (restlessness, anxiety, insomnia) are worst in the pre-dawn 2-6 AM Vata period.

Pulse documentation

Sharangadhara Samhita contains one of the most detailed classical documentations of Nadi Pariksha (pulse diagnosis) — more specific than the Brihat Trayee on this topic. The text documents the specific sub-qualities of pulse for each Dosha, each disease state, and the prognosis of specific pulse patterns. It became the primary classical reference for Nadi Pariksha teaching in many traditional Ayurvedic lineages.

Editions and access

Primary editions: Sharangadhara Samhita with Adhamalla commentary (Dipika) and Kashirama's Gudhartha Dipika — Chaukhamba Surbharati Prakashan. The text is available in Sanskrit with Hindi translation through Chaukhamba publications. English translation: Dr. K.M. Parikh's edition through Krishnadas Academy. As a 13th-century text, copyright has long expired — the Sanskrit text is in the public domain.