Ashtanga Hridaya Samhita is written in Sanskrit in the form of simple and easily understood poetic verses. It contains the salient features of the texts written by Charaka and Sushruta as well as the essence of Ashtanga Samgraha. The book contains about 7120 poetic verses. Mainly focussing on kayachikitsa, Ashtanga Hridaya also discusses in detail about various surgical treatments. The kapha subtypes are first listed and described in this samhita, with exhaustive explanation of vata, pitta, and kapha along with their five subtypes.

• This text is considered as a combined form of both the Atreya and Dhanwanthari schools. Many of the ayurvedic medicines are prepared through the methods described in Ashtanga Hridaya.

• Ashtanga Hridya Samhita is divided into sutra , nidana, sharira, chikitsa, kalpa, and uttara sthana, and was also written by Vagbhata. It contains 120 chapters and the author quotes Charaka, Susruta Bhela, Nimi, Kasyapa, Dhanvantari and other earlier authors and their works; the chief source, however, is Ashtanga Samgraha. It s a complete but concise description of Ayurvedic medicine.

• Astanga Hridaya focuses more on the physiological aspect of the body rather than the spiritual aspects of it.

• Ashtanga Samgraha and Ashtanga Hridya, particularly the latter, indicate advancement in knowledge over the two samhitas of Charaka and Susruta. This is particularly noticeable in the new drugs and some of the new surgical procedures that have been introduced.

AUTHOR of Ashtanga Hridaya :- Vāgbhata (वाग्भट) is one of the most influential writers, Scientist, Doctor and advisor of ayurveda. Several works are associated with his name as author, principally the Ashtāṅgasaṅgraha (अष्टाङ्गसंग्रह) and the Ashtāngahridayasaṃhitā (अष्टाङ्गहृदयसंहिता).