Subjects
What you read this year
Each subject below carries the classical
text students work from — with the translator or commentator named — and the modern textbook
that sits beside it. Titles are tagged classical text or textbook.
Dravyaguna Vijnana (Pharmacology and Materia Medica - Herbal)2 papers
Dravyaguna Vijnana (AyUG-DG)
Paper I is Fundamental Dravyaguna (Rasa-Guna-Virya-Vipaka-Prabhava, Karma, pharmacognosy, drug evaluation) and Paper II is Applied Dravyaguna, which is essentially a large drug-by-drug memorisation list - Latin name, family, synonyms, Rasapanchaka, karma, prayoga and matra for roughly 200 plants. Students read one textbook for Paper I and then work Paper II as flashcards, cross-checking each drug against a Nighantu; the herbarium and drug-identification practical runs alongside.
- Dravyaguna Vijnana (Vol. 1-5; Vol. I Basic Principles, Vol. II Vegetable Drugs)textbookAcharya Priyavrat Sharma · Chaukhambha Bharati AcademyThe definitive Hindi work on the subject; Vol. II is the drug monograph volume departments treat as the standard.
- A Text Book of Dravyaguna Vijnana (Vol. 1-2)textbookDr. J. L. N. Sastry and Dr. Tanuja M. Nesari · Chaukhambha OrientaliaThe usual English-medium textbook; the five-volume Dravyaguna Vijnana by the same author is the fuller reference set.
- Bhavaprakasha Nighantu of Sri Bhavamisra, with Hindi commentaryclassical textBhavamisra; commentary by Padmashri Prof. K. C. Chunekar; edited by Dr. G. S. Pandey · Chaukhambha Bharati AcademyThe Nighantu every Dravyaguna student owns; the source of the Sanskrit synonym and guna-karma verses quoted in answers.
- Dhanvantari Nighantuclassical textedited by Prof. Priyavrat Sharma · Chaukhambha OrientaliaOlder Nighantu used as a second classical authority when synonyms or properties differ between texts.
- Some Controversial Drugs in Indian MedicinetextbookDr. Bapalal G. Vaidya · Chaukhambha OrientaliaThe standard reference on Abhava-pratinidhi and disputed plant identities; a recurring source of long-answer questions.
- A Text Book of Practical Dravyaguna VijnanatextbookDr. Dhulappa Mehatre · ChaukhambhaPractical manual for herbarium preparation, macroscopic/microscopic identification and the drug spotting exercise.
Rasashastra evam Bhaishajya Kalpana (Materia Medica - Minerals and Metals, and Pharmaceutical Science)2 papers
Rasashastra evam Bhaishajya Kalpana (AyUG-RB)
Paper I is Ayurvediya Aushadhi Nirmana Vigyana (pharmaceutics - shodhana, marana, the kalpanas, Bhasma preparation) and Paper II is Ayurvediya Aushadhi Prayoga Vigyana (clinical use of formulations). Students read one modern textbook for the process descriptions and then memorise formulation compositions, anupana and matra straight from Rasatarangini, Sharangadhara and the Ayurvedic Formulary; the pharmacy practical and the formulation-preparation record run in parallel.
- Ayurvediya RasashastratextbookAcharya Siddhinandan Mishra · Chaukhambha OrientaliaThe standard Hindi textbook of Rasashastra; the reference for Parada samskara, Bhasma pariksha and the Rasa-aushadhi chapters.
- Bhaishajya Kalpana VijnanamtextbookProf. K. Rama Chandra Reddy · Chaukhambha Sanskrit BhawanThe usual textbook for the Bhaishajya Kalpana half - the panchavidha kashaya kalpana and derived dosage forms.
- Rasataranginiclassical textSadananda Sharma; Hindi commentary editionThe core classical Rasashastra text; students work through it taranga by taranga for shodhana-marana methods and Bhasma tests.
- Rasaratna Samuccayaclassical textVagbhata; Hindi commentary by Dr. Indradev TripathiSecond classical authority, used for Rasashala design, yantra-musha-puta descriptions and mineral classification.
- Sharangadhara Samhita, with Dipika of Adhamalla and Gudhartha Dipika of Kashiramaclassical textSharangadhara; edited by Pt. Parashurama Shastri Vidyasagar · Chaukhambha OrientaliaThe classical source for Bhaishajya Kalpana proportions, mana-paribhasha and the standard kalpanas; heavily quoted in answers.
- The Ayurvedic Formulary of India (Parts I, II and III)textbookGovernment of India, Ministry of Ayush (Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia Committee)The official formulary named in the NCISM syllabus; used to look up compositions and to standardise practical records.
Roga Nidana evam Vikriti Vigyana (Methods of Diagnosis, Diagnostic Procedures and Pathology)2 papers
Roga Nidana evam Vikriti Vigyana (AyUG-RN)
Paper I covers the fundamental principles of Vikriti Vigyana (Nidana Panchaka, Shatkriyakala, Ama, Srotodushti, the pariksha methods) and Paper II is Vyadhi Vigyana - disease-by-disease nidana with its contemporary correlate. Madhava Nidana is the text read cover to cover and largely memorised; a modern pathology text is used alongside for the laboratory and general-pathology component, and the practical is haematology plus clinical case-taking.
- Madhava Nidanam of Sri Madhavakara, with Madhukosha Sanskrit commentary of Vijayarakshita and Srikanthadatta and Vidyotini Hindi commentary (Vol. 1-2)classical textMadhavakara; Hindi notes by Shri Sudarshana Shastri; revised and edited by Prof. Yadunandana Upadhyaya · Chaukhambha Sanskrit BhawanThe central classical text of the subject; students read all 69 chapters and memorise the purvarupa/rupa/samprapti verses.
- Madhava Nidanam of Madhavakara - English translationclassical textProf. K. R. Srikantha Murthy · Chaukhambha OrientaliaThe English reading edition of Madhava Nidana for students who do not study in Hindi.
- Roga Nidana evam Vikriti Vigyana (Vol. 1-2), as per NCISM syllabustextbookDr. B. K. Sevatkar and Dr. Prabhjot Kaur · ChaukhambhaCurrent NCISM-aligned textbook split to match Paper I and Paper II; the most commonly bought new text for this subject.
- Ayurvediya Vikriti Vigyana and Roga Vigyana (Vol. 1-2)textbookProf. P. S. Byadgi and Prof. A. K. Sharma · ChaukhambhaLong-established two-volume text; the departmental standard for Shatkriyakala, Ama and Srotas pathology.
- A Textbook for Roga Nidana evam Vikriti Vijnana (Vol. 1-2)textbookDr. Nisha Kumari · ChaukhambhaEnglish-medium NCISM-syllabus textbook, widely used in southern and western colleges.
- Textbook of PathologytextbookHarsh Mohan · Jaypee Brothers Medical PublishersThe modern pathology reference for inflammation, neoplasia, haematology and the lab-investigation component; used chapter-wise.
Agada Tantra, Vyavahara Ayurveda evam Vidhi Vaidyaka (Clinical Toxicology and Medical Jurisprudence)1 paper
Agada Tantra, Vyavahara Ayurveda evam Vidhi Vaidyaka (AyUG-AT)
One 100-mark paper covering three distinct blocks: classical Agada Tantra (Visha, Dushivisha, Sthavara/Jangama visha, agada formulations), modern clinical toxicology, and forensic medicine plus medical jurisprudence and the law relating to practice. The classical half is memorised from the Sushruta Kalpasthana and Charaka Chikitsa 23 verses; the forensic half is studied from a standard MBBS forensic text, and the medical-jurisprudence sections (consent, negligence, medical records, Ayush-specific Acts) are the reliable scoring block.
- A Textbook of Agada Tantra evam Vidhi Vaidyaka (NCISM Syllabus)textbookDr. Sudheendra V. Honwad · ChaukhambhaWritten to the current single-paper NCISM structure; the usual primary text for the whole subject.
- Illustrated Agada Tantra (Handbook of Ayurvedic Toxicology)textbookDr. Mallikarjuna Rao · ChaukhambhaIllustrated treatment of the classical toxicology half; popular for revision and for the practical/spotting component.
- A Textbook of Vyavaharayurveda evam VidhivaidyakatextbookDr. D. Anil Kumar and Dr. Mallikarjuna Rao · ChaukhambhaCovers the jurisprudence and legal-practice block - consent, negligence, medical records, Acts relevant to Ayurvedic practice.
- The Essentials of Forensic Medicine and ToxicologytextbookDr. K. S. Narayan Reddy · Jaypee Brothers Medical PublishersNamed in the NCISM AyUG-AT reference list; the standard forensic medicine text used for autopsy, injuries and identification.
- Textbook of Forensic Medicine and Toxicology: Principles and PracticetextbookDr. V. V. PillayThe second forensic text named in the NCISM reference list; stronger on the clinical toxicology and poisons sections.
- Sushruta Samhita, with Ayurveda Tattva Sandipika Hindi commentaryclassical textSushruta; commentary by Kaviraj Ambikadutta Shastri · Chaukhambha Sanskrit SansthanRead for Kalpasthana, the classical Agada Tantra source; students memorise the visha vega, agada yoga and Dushivisha verses from it.
Samhita Adhyayana 2 (Study of Ayurveda Classical Text)1 paper
Samhita Adhyayana 2 (AyUG-SA2)
A single 100-mark paper on the Charaka Samhita Purvardha - the remainder of Sutrasthana beyond the chapters done in AyUG-SA1, plus Nidana, Vimana, Sharira and Indriya Sthana. Like SA1 it is read in the original cover to cover with a commentary alongside, and shlokas are memorised verbatim; students usually keep the Sanskrit edition for citation and a Hindi or English commentary for meaning.
- Charaka Samhita of Agnivesha, with Ayurveda Dipika commentary of Chakrapanidattaclassical textAgnivesha; commentary by Chakrapanidatta; edited by Vaidya Yadavji Trikamji Acharya · Chaukhambha Surbharati PrakashanThe authoritative Sanskrit text with Chakrapani's commentary; the edition answers are expected to cite.
- Charaka Samhita, with Vidyotini Hindi commentary (Vol. 1-2)classical textPt. Kashinath Shastri and Dr. Gorakhnath Chaturvedi · Chaukhambha Bharati AcademyThe single most purchased Hindi Charaka; the working reading copy for the whole Purvardha.
- Charaka Samhita, with Charaka Chandrika Hindi commentaryclassical textDr. Brahmanand TripathiAlternative Hindi commentary named in the NCISM reference list; preferred by some departments for its explanatory notes.
- Agnivesa's Caraka Samhita - text with English translation and critical exposition based on Chakrapanidatta's Ayurveda Dipika (7 volumes)classical textDr. Ram Karan Sharma and Vaidya Bhagwan Dash · Chowkhamba Sanskrit Series OfficeThe standard English translation-with-commentary; the default for English-medium students and for quoting in English answers.
- Caraka Samhita (Vol. 1: Sutrasthana to Indriyasthana) - text with English translationclassical textProf. Priyavrat Sharma · Chaukhambha OrientaliaCompact English edition covering exactly the Purvardha; commonly used as the portable study copy for this paper.
- The Caraka Samhita (Illustrated) - Jamnagar Editionclassical textShree Gulabkunverba Ayurvedic Society, JamnagarThe classic six-language Jamnagar edition; kept as a departmental reference for comparative readings.
Swasthavritta evam Yoga (Lifestyle Management, Public Health and Yoga)2 papers
Swasthavritta evam Yoga (AyUG-SW)
Often overlooked in older subject lists but it is a full 2-paper, 400-mark Second Professional subject under NCISM. Paper I is classical Swasthavritta (Dinacharya, Ritucharya, Sadvritta, Ahara-vidhi, Nidra, Brahmacharya) and Paper II is community medicine and yoga; students read one Swasthavritta textbook cover to cover for Paper I, use Park for the epidemiology, nutrition, sanitation and national health programme content of Paper II, and practise the prescribed asana-pranayama set for the practical.
- Svasthavrtta (Swasthavritta Vijnana), New EditiontextbookDr. Mangalagowri V. Rao · Chaukhambha OrientaliaThe most widely used English-medium Swasthavritta textbook; covers both the classical and community-health halves.
- A Textbook of Swasthavritta and Yoga (NCISM Syllabus)textbookDr. Beena M. D. and Dr. P. Sudhakar Reddy · ChaukhambhaWritten to the current two-paper NCISM structure; the usual primary text for students admitted from 2021-22 onwards.
- Swasthavritta evam YogatextbookDr. Sarvesh Kumar Agrawal · ChaukhambhaHindi-medium standard for the subject; the companion Swasthavritta Sutra Samgraha is used for shloka revision.
- Park's Textbook of Preventive and Social MedicinetextbookK. Park · Banarsidas Bhanot Publishers, Jabalpur · 28th edition, 2025 editionThe public health text for Paper II - epidemiology, nutrition, sanitation, immunisation and national health programmes.
- Hathayoga Pradipika of Svatmarama (Hindi)classical textSvatmarama; edition by Dr. Sarvesh Kumar Agrawal · ChaukhambhaThe classical yoga text prescribed for the yoga component; asana, pranayama, shatkarma and mudra descriptions are memorised from it.
- The Essence of YogatextbookDr. Mangalagowri V. Rao · ChaukhambhaUsed alongside the classical text for the practical yoga record and for applied/therapeutic yoga questions.
We print files you send us. We do not host, sell or supply book PDFs — send us a file you are entitled to print and we print, bind and deliver it.