Classical Ayurveda, textual and critical studies

My proposed research deals with the traditional Indian medical system called Ayurveda. Ayurveda not only played a major role in the healthcare of ancient and medieval India, but it also plays a major role as a Government-supported health care system in contemporary South Asian societies. Furthermore, internationally, ayurveda therapies and practices (which are manifold) have been integrated in general wellness applications and also, in some cases, in medical use. I shall participate in daily Sanskrit reading classes with local expert scholars, focussing on major classical works on Indian traditional medicine. I shall also learn the Malayalam script which is one of the major language scripts of India. The Malayalam language is spoken in the southern state of Kerala, and the script is used for Sanskrit books and especially manuscripts. These studies will support my textual and critical studies of Indian traditional medicine. The expected outcome of the project will be tremendous for me because this project will offer me the chance to work in situ with medieval manuscripts, and will offer guidance in handling and reading manuscripts, and in metadata generation. Furthermore, it will deepen my ideas on textual criticism and editorial technique.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dominik Wujastyk

Student:

Partner:

Chinmaya University

Discipline:

Sociology

Sector:

University:

University of Alberta

Program:

Globalink Research Award