"A Comparative Study on the Principles of Categorizing Surgical Diseases: Ayurveda vs. Traditional Mongolian Medicine
- VernacularTitle:Аюурвед ба Монгол анагаах ухаанд мэс заслын өвчний ангиллын зарчмын харьцуулалт
- Author:
Davaadulam E
1
;
Batsaikhan N
1
;
Batnairamdal Ch
2
Author Information
1. School of Mongolian Traditional Medicine, MNUMS
2. Central Hospital of Traditional Mongolian Medicine, MNUMS
- Publication Type:Review
- Keywords:
Sushruta Samhita;
Thematic coding;
Tengyur;
Content analysis;
Comparative study
- From:
Mongolian Journal of Health Sciences
2026;94(4):97-101
- CountryMongolia
- Language:Mongolian
-
Abstract:
Background:Traditional Mongolian Medicine (TMM) is a unique repository of knowledge developed through the integration of Indian Ayurveda, Tibetan medical theories, and various therapeutic methods from Chinese medicine. Scholars emphasize that the "Ashtanga Hridayam Samhita," a foundational Ayurvedic text, played a pivotal role in the formation of the "Four Medical Tantras" (FMT), which serves as the ideological basis for both Tibetan and Mongolian medicine. Although historians such as B. Jigmed, Sh. Bold, and Ya. Ganbayar have explored the general historical development of TMM, there remains a significant gap in intertextual comparative research regarding how Ayurvedic surgical concepts were localized and adapted within the Mongolian context. Thus, identifying the Ayurvedic surgical traditions reflected in the works of prominent Mongolian scholars, such as Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir and Mindol Nomun Khan Jambalchoijidanzanperinlei, is essential for a deeper understanding of the historical evolution of TMM.
Aim:The purpose of this study is to analyze the reflection of Ayurvedic concepts—specifically disease taxonomy and surgical traditions—within selected sources of TMM and to determine the patterns of how Mongolian physicians adopted and enriched these practices in their clinical applications.
Materials and Method:The study utilized the Sushruta Samhita (English ed., 1907) and Ashtanga Hridayam Samhita as primary Ayurvedic references, alongside Mongolian historical sources, including Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir’s Four Medical Tantras (1994 edition) and Mindol Nomun Khan’s Ocean of Instructions (2014 edition). Research methods included thematic analysis, content analysis, and comparative source studies. Furthermore, systematic coding methods adapted for historical source research were employed to efficiently condense the extensive information within the materials.
Results:Content and thematic analysis of the selected sources identified 28 distinct types of surgical diseases categorized based on Ayurvedic methodology. These include physical trauma, systemic disorders, and various infectious and dermatological conditions. In Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir's White Parasol of Healing, infectious diseases accounted for 42.8% and physical injuries for 23.8% of these surgical cases, while in the Ocean of Instructions, infectious diseases represented 47.05% and injuries 24.0%. Across both sources, the "Treatment" code appeared with the highest frequency (n=22–25), demonstrating that Mongolian scholars prioritized the inheritance of practical surgical instructions over theoretical abstraction. In terms of practical application, the use of complex ointments consisting of over 15 ingredients, such as pearls, coral, and ivory, for treating weapon wounds aligns with Ayurvedic pharmacological theories. Additionally, unique methods such as diagnosing "Brain Displacement" through string measurement and extracting embedded foreign objects (metal or wood) using leopard gall and ivory confirm that Ayurvedic surgical tactics were localized and enriched within the Mongolian medical tradition.
Conclusion:The study concludes that the principles of Ayurvedic surgical and disease taxonomy were not merely copied into Mongolian sources but were systematically adapted to the Mongolian climate and lifestyle. Mongolian scholars, including Sumbe Khamba Ishbaljir, enriched the Ayurvedic Shalya Tantra (Surgical Science) with practical techniques and unique medicinal compositions for managing infectious wounds and trauma, thereby defining the independent developmental trajectory of surgery within Traditional Mongolian Medicine.
- Full text:202610012301574991019_97-101_Аюурвед ба Монгол анагаах ухаанд мэс заслын өвчний ангиллын зарчмын харьцуулалт.pdf
