The Enduring Legacy of Indigenous Healing in Sri Lanka
Frontpage Journal | Heritage & Healing Series
By Duminda Pathirana | July 2025
In a quiet corner of Sri Lanka’s intellectual and cultural history lies a work of profound significance, the Sarartha Sangrahaya. While ancient Indian medical texts like the Sushruta Samhita and Charaka Samhita have received global recognition, Sri Lanka’s own contributions to Ayurveda and indigenous medicine have remained largely unsung. The Sarartha Sangrahaya is one such jewel. It is a medical compendium that not only reflects a deep-rooted knowledge of healing but also embodies a uniquely Sri Lankan perspective on Ayurveda.
The Sarartha Sangrahaya, which translates roughly to “Compendium of Essential Meaning,” is believed to have been compiled by King Buddhadasa in the 4th century CE, during the Anuradhapura period. King Buddhadasa was not only a ruler but also a renowned physician and scholar who saw healing as a moral duty and a service to humanity. His reign marked a golden age of medicine, where state-sponsored healthcare, ethical practice, and the integration of Ayurveda with local knowledge flourished.
What makes the Sarartha Sangrahaya particularly fascinating is how it bridges classical Indian Ayurvedic teachings with Sri Lanka’s own indigenous healing traditions, local plants, climatic patterns, and sociocultural contexts. This is not just a textbook. It is a reflection of a society where medicine was deeply connected with spirituality, compassion, agriculture, and daily living.
A King Who Healed with His Hands
Historical records and inscriptions describe King Buddhadasa as more than a patron of medicine. He practiced it himself. Chronicles like the Mahavamsa praise him for personally treating both humans and animals. He is said to have once performed surgery on a snake and cured a monk of a complex illness when court physicians had failed.
This devotion to healing translated into his efforts to compile and codify medical knowledge into a form that was accessible, practical, and ethical. The Sarartha Sangrahaya was not meant for scholars alone. It was designed to serve the broader medical community of his time, including monks, village physicians, and healers working across the island.
What the Text Contains
The Sarartha Sangrahaya covers a broad range of medical knowledge. It includes sections on anatomy, diagnosis, treatments, surgery, pediatrics, toxicology, and geriatrics. It discusses diet and daily regimens, seasons and their effects on the body, and even mental well-being and spiritual discipline.
One of its distinctive features is its inclusion of Sri Lanka’s native medicinal plants, many of which do not appear in Indian Ayurvedic texts. This localization of knowledge made it more relevant and usable for physicians practicing in the island’s diverse climatic zones, from dry zones and wetlands to highlands.
The text also reflects a sophisticated understanding of preventive healthcare, emphasizing nutrition, purification, and seasonal detox routines. It advocates for simple living, mental clarity, and regular self-care practices that align with modern wellness thinking. The idea that food itself can be medicine is deeply embedded in the Sangrahaya’s philosophy.
An Ethical Code in Every Page
Much like Sushruta’s work in India, the Sarartha Sangrahaya places strong emphasis on medical ethics. It outlines the qualities a good physician must have, truthfulness, compassion, restraint, and dedication to service. Healers were expected to approach each patient with humility, regardless of their social class or background.
Importantly, the text advises that a physician should not pursue treatment solely for profit, but see it as a form of service and moral responsibility. This is especially significant in today’s healthcare systems where commercial motives often outweigh care.
The Sarartha Sangrahaya also calls for a balance between mind, body, and spirit, using rituals, meditation, and charity as tools for health. It’s a reminder that healing in ancient Sri Lanka was not just clinical. It was spiritual, communal, and deeply respectful of life.
Relevance in the Modern World
At a time when the global wellness industry is turning back to natural healing, traditional knowledge systems like the one preserved in the Sarartha Sangrahaya are being rediscovered. The emphasis on personalized care, holistic treatment, and preventive routines aligns with the growing field of integrative and lifestyle medicine.
Modern researchers have begun studying the pharmacological properties of plants mentioned in the Sarartha Sangrahaya. Many of these herbs, such as kaladuru, meenabutu, and kohomba, are being validated for their antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory effects. These traditional remedies could support modern solutions in tackling antibiotic resistance and chronic illnesses.
Furthermore, Sri Lanka’s own system of Deshiya Chikitsa, or indigenous medicine, continues to draw from the teachings of this text. Many traditional physicians across the island use formulas and regimens derived directly from the Sarartha Sangrahaya, passed down through generations via palm-leaf manuscripts and oral tradition.
A Call for Preservation and Education
Despite its historical and scientific value, the Sarartha Sangrahaya remains under-researched and poorly documented. Few universities or medical schools offer in-depth courses on it.
Manuscripts exist in temple libraries and private collections, vulnerable to decay and loss.
It is time for this treasure of Sri Lankan knowledge to be preserved, translated, and studied in a way that makes it accessible to the global community. Digitization, academic collaboration, and government support could help revive interest and integrate this heritage into modern healthcare education.
At the same time, young Sri Lankan students and professionals must be encouraged to take pride in their island’s ancient contributions to medicine. The Sarartha Sangrahaya is not just a relic of the past. It is a living guide to health, ethics, and sustainability.
A Healing Legacy Rooted in Humanity
The Sarartha Sangrahaya reminds us that the art of healing is deeply human. It is born of compassion, observation, and wisdom, not just technology. In an era where the world seeks sustainable, people-centered models of healthcare, Sri Lanka’s ancient knowledge systems offer a voice worth listening to.
King Buddhadasa did not see medicine as the domain of kings alone. He saw it as a gift to be shared. His compilation stands as an enduring testament to a time when rulers were healers, and healing was sacred.
As we navigate global health crises, burnout in healthcare systems, and a growing disconnection between doctor and patient, the message of the Sarartha Sangrahaya becomes ever more relevant.
It is not only about treating illness. It is about preserving harmony between human beings and nature, between the body and the mind, between science and the soul.
