This project on the history of medicine is based at the University of Alberta. It builds on the discoveries and publications of the original Suśruta Project (2020-2024).
The project’s goal is to develop a fresh understanding of ancient South Asian medicine based on new evidence from a close study of the evolution of the Compendium of Suśruta between the ninth century and the nineteenth century.
We are especially focussed on highlighting the textual and doctrinal differences between The Compendium as it existed in 878 CE and the later vulgate version and the work of the medieval commentators in reshaping the work over the years. Project outcomes will include further critical editions and translations of the main text as well as selected commentaries, studies of the transmission of scientific ideas within South Asia as well as to China and South East Asia, and outreach to contemporary consumers of indigenous medicine.
Funding for this project is generously provided by an Insight Grant from the Canadian SSHRC (no. 435-2025-0604) and runs from 2025-2029.
Citation for this web page
- Dominik Wujastyk et al., 2025. “The Compendium of Suśruta in Time and Space: Mapping a Medical Tradition,” URL: https://sushrutaproject2.github.io/ and https://purl.archive.org/purl/sushrutaproject/project2. Archived at DOI 10.5281/zenodo.20737614.
Latest posts
- 12 Oct 2026 A Visit to the Āmer Śāstra Bhaṇḍār, Jaipur
- 12 Oct 2026 Candraṭa's editing of the Suśrutasaṃhitā, updated October 2026
- 10 Oct 2026 A Visit to the Kaiser Library, Kathmandu
- 9 Oct 2026 Nirāmayatā: Healing and Wellbeing at the India International Centre, New Delhi
Selected publications
- Wujastyk, D., Birch, J., Chakraborty, D., Bhatt, H., Brooks, L., Gerris, J., Klebanov, A., Rimal, M., & Lele, V. (Eds.). (2026). New Digital Edition of the Suśrutasaṃhitā: The Suśruta Project at Saktumiva. https://sushrutaproject.github.io
- Wujastyk, D., Birch, J., Chakraborty, D., Bhatt, H., Brooks, L., Gerris, J., Klebanov, A., Rimal, M., & Lele, V. (Eds.). (2026). New Digital Edition of the Suśrutasaṃhitā: The Suśruta Project at Saktumiva. https://sushrutaproject.github.ioURL
BibTeX
@article{wuja-2026, title = {New Digital Edition of the Suśrutasaṃhitā: The Suśruta Project at Saktumiva}, url = {https://sushrutaproject.github.io}, year = {2026}, editor = {Wujastyk, Dominik and Birch, Jason and Chakraborty, Deepro and Bhatt, Harshal and Brooks, Lisa and Gerris, Jan and Klebanov, Andrey and Rimal, Madhusudan and Lele, Vandana}, institution = {University of Alberta}, keyword = {ssproject}, organization = {University of Alberta}, } - Birch, J., Wujastyk, D., Klebanov, A., Parameswaran, M. K., Rimal, M., Chakraborty, D., Bhatt, H., Shenoy, D., & Lele, V. (2021). Further Insight into the Role of Dhanvantari, the Physician to the Gods, in the Suśrutasaṃhitā. Academia Letters, 1–5. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL2992DOI
BibTeX
@article{birc-2021, author = {Birch, Jason and Wujastyk, Dominik and Klebanov, Andrey and Parameswaran, Madhu K. and Rimal, Madhusudan and Chakraborty, Deepro and Bhatt, Harshal and Shenoy, Devyani and Lele, Vandana}, doi = {10.20935/AL2992}, journal = {Academia Letters}, pages = {1--5}, title = {Further Insight into the Role of Dhanvantari, the Physician to the Gods, in the Suśrutasaṃhitā}, year = {2021}, keyword = {ssproject}, publisher = {Academia.edu}, } - Birch, J., Wujastyk, D., Klebanov, A., Rimal, M., Chakraborty, D., Bhatt, H., & Lele, V. (2021). Ḍalhaṇa and the Early ‘Nepalese’ Version of the Suśrutasaṃhitā. Academia Letters. https://doi.org/10.20935/al3733DOI
BibTeX
@article{birc-2021a, author = {Birch, Jason and Wujastyk, Dominik and Klebanov, Andrey and Rimal, Madhusudan and Chakraborty, Deepro and Bhatt, Harshal and Lele, Vandana}, doi = {10.20935/al3733}, journal = {Academia Letters}, title = {Ḍalhaṇa and the Early `Nepalese' Version of the Suśrutasaṃhitā}, year = {2021}, keyword = {ssproject}, publisher = {Academia.edu}, } - Chakraborty, D. (2022). NAK 5/333 Is Not a Direct Copy of KL 699: Further Evidence. https://doi.org/10.5281/ZENODO.6537884DOI
BibTeX
@article{chak-2022, author = {Chakraborty, Deepro}, doi = {10.5281/ZENODO.6537884}, title = {{NAK} 5/333 Is Not a Direct Copy of {KL} 699: Further Evidence}, year = {2022}, copyright = {Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International}, keyword = {ssproject}, keywords = {Nepalese Suśrutasaṃhitā manuscripts, Suśrutasaṃhitā, Āyurveda}, publisher = {Zenodo}, } - Chakraborty, D., Birch, J. E., Wujastyk, D., Klebanov, A., Bhatt, H., Rimal, M., & Lele, V. (2021). The Graphemes ch and cch in the Nepalese Script. Academia Letters, 1–7. https://doi.org/10.20935/al3954DOI
BibTeX
@article{chak-2021, author = {Chakraborty, Deepro and Birch, Jason Eric and Wujastyk, Dominik and Klebanov, Andrey and Bhatt, Harshal and Rimal, Madhusudan and Lele, Vandana}, doi = {10.20935/al3954}, journal = {Academia Letters}, pages = {1--7}, title = {The Graphemes ch and cch in the Nepalese Script}, year = {2021}, annote = {Article 3954}, keyword = {ssproject}, publisher = {academia.edu}, } - Klebanov, A. (2021). On the Textual History of the Suśrutasaṃhitā (1): A Study of Three Nepalese Manuscripts. eJIM: Electronic Journal of Indian Medicine, 12(1), 1–64. https://doi.org/10.21827/ejim.12.1.37385DOI
BibTeX
@article{kleb-2021b, author = {Klebanov, Andrey}, doi = {10.21827/ejim.12.1.37385}, journal = {eJIM: Electronic Journal of Indian Medicine}, number = {1}, pages = {1--64}, title = {On the Textual History of the Suśrutasaṃhitā (1): A Study of Three Nepalese Manuscripts}, volume = {12}, year = {2021}, keyword = {ssproject}, } - Wujastyk, D., Birch, J., Klebanov, A., Parameswaran, M. K., Rimal, M., Chakraborty, D., Bhatt, H., Lele, V., & Mehta, P. (2023). On the Plastic Surgery of the Ears and Nose. The Nepalese Version of the Suśrutasaṃhitā. Heidelberg Asian Studies Publishing. https://doi.org/10.11588/hasp.1203DOIPDF
Abstract
A thousand-year-old Ayurvedic manuscript containing the Compendium of Suśruta was announced to the scholarly world in 2007. The Nepalese manuscript, since adopted by UNESCO as part of the Memory of the World, reveals the state of classical Indian medicine in the ninth century. It enables us to study the changes in this medical classic that have taken place from the ninth to the nineteenth century, when printed texts began to dominate the dissemination of the work. The present monograph describes the research project focussed on this manuscript and offers an edition, study and translation of the historically important chapter about the plastic surgery on the nose and ears.
BibTeX
@book{wuja-2023, author = {Wujastyk, Dominik and Birch, Jason and Klebanov, Andrey and Parameswaran, Madhu K. and Rimal, Madhusudan and Chakraborty, Deepro and Bhatt, Harshal and Lele, Vandana and Mehta, Paras}, publisher = {Heidelberg Asian Studies Publishing}, title = {On the Plastic Surgery of the Ears and Nose. The Nepalese Version of the Suśrutasaṃhitā}, year = {2023}, address = {Heidelberg}, isbn = {978-3-948791-63-6}, doi = {10.11588/hasp.1203}, keyword = {ssproject}, }