Abstract

COMPARATIVE ANALYSIS OF ASTHI SHARIR SANKHYA IN AYURVEDA AND MODERN OSTEOLOGY BASICS

*Dr. Roopal Saini, Dr. Ankit Tyagi, Dr. Jitender Kumar Rana, Dr. Aaditiya Bhardwaj

Abstract

Asthi Sankhya is an important topic in Ayurvedic anatomy that explains the enumeration and classification of bones in the human body. Classical Ayurvedic texts describe varying counts of Asthi, with most texts stating 360 bones and Sushruta Samhita mentioning 300, while modern anatomy recognizes 206 bones in the adult human skeleton. This comparative study examines the classical Ayurvedic descriptions of Asthi and correlates them with modern skeletal anatomy. The variation in bone count is mainly due to differences in counting methods, inclusion of structures such as teeth and nails, and the anatomical framework followed by different Acharyas. The study highlights that both Ayurveda and modern science consider the skeleton as the structural support of the body, though they differ in numerical enumeration and classification.

Keywords: Asthi Sankhya, Asthi Sharira, Sharira Rachana, Sapta Dhatu, Comparative anatomy, Osteology.