An Observation of Diagnosis of Elephant Diseases in Hastyāyurvada

Abstract

Elephants are currently employed in Kerala for religious ceremonies, festivals, processions, transportation, and other events. Elephant Ayurveda, or Hastyāyurvada, is a vital resource for understanding our culture and customs. This work explains elephant illnesses and treatments. Elephants have been used for more than three millennia in many different contexts, from worship to warfare. Every significant Indian king's army was normally divided into four sections. Thus, the group was dubbed the "Chathuranga Sena," which translates to "four-armed army." The elephants, chariots, cavalry, and infantry made up the four "arms." Elephants, then, were an essential component of a conventional army and served presumably as tanks do in the current armed forces. In his Arthasasthra, Kautilya states that a king's primary means of winning battles is with elephants. They can perform things in combat with their massive bulk that pose a threat to the other military branches. They are capable of demolishing encampments, battle arrays, foot soldiers, and forts. These days, poor cleanliness, insufficient relaxation and sleep, and inadequate medical care and medicines are all contributing factors to the deaths of many elephants. This is the importance of studying elephant Ayurveda, or Hastyāyurvada, and this article is a humble attempt to possible answers to all these issues.