Charaka shapath

Charaka shapath (or, Charaka oath) is a certain passage of text in Charaka Samhita, a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine) believed to have been composed between 100 BCE and 200 CE. The passage referred to as Charaka Shapath is written in the form a set of instructions by a teacher to prospective students of the science of medicine. According to Charaka Samhita, the unconditional agreement to abide by these instructions is a necessary precondition to be eligible to be taught in the science of medicine. The passage gives explicit instructions on the necessity of practicing asceticism during student life, student-teacher relationship, the importance of committing oneself fully and completely for the well-being of the patient, whom to treat, how to behave with women, and several other related issues. The passage appears as paragraphs 13–14 in Chapter 8 of the Vimanasthana (the third Sthana) in Charaka Samhita.

The original text of Charaka Shapath in the Sanskrit language in the Devanagari script along with an English translation of the same is reproduced below. The text and translation are taken mostly from Charaka Samhita, Shree Galabkuverba Ayurveic Society, Jamnagar India, 1947, Volume II, pp. 865–871. The original Sanskrit version is also available as an ebook in the portal of the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage, Hyderabad.

In a discussion meeting with the authorities of all medical colleges in India, the National Medical Commission of India presented a proposal to replace the Hippocratic Oath with the "Maharshi Charaka Shapath" while conducting the white coat ceremony with parents in medical colleges. However, several medical practitioners individually and collectively have protested against the proposal.

• Meharban Singh (1997). "Oaths, codes, ethics and the essence of medicine: A time for resurrection" (PDF). The National Medical Journal of India. 10 (4): 190–193. PMID 9325646. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
• Shaan Bhandarkar (21 November 2020). "The Hypocrisy of Hippocrates: Ethics from Medical Oaths". The Yale Global Health Review. 8 (1). Retrieved 14 February 2022.
• "Oath of Initiation (Caraka Samhita)". Encyclopedia.com. Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Archived from the original on 2022-03-14. Retrieved 14 February 2022.
• "Rogabhishagjitiya Vimana: Vimana Sthana Chapter 8. Methods of conquering debate and disease". Charak Samhita New Live Edition. Charak Samhita Research, Training and Skill Development Centre. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
• For another English translation of the Charak shapath see:Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna (1890). Charaka-Samhita – translated in to English. Calcutta: Pareshnath Sarma, son of Kaviraj Avinash Chandra Kaviratna. pp. 552–557. Retrieved 15 February 2022.