Ayurveda (Sanskrit: ; yurveda, the "science of life") Ayurvedic medicine is a system of traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and practiced in other parts of the world as a form of alternative medicine. In Sanskrit, the word ayurveda consists of the words yus, meaning "longevity", and veda, meaning "related to knowledge" or "science".Evolving throughout its history, ayurveda remains an influential system of medicine in South Asia.The earliest literature on Indian medical practice appeared during the Vedic period in India.The Su ruta Samhit and the Charaka Samhit were influential works on traditional medicine during this era. Over the following centuries, ayurvedic practitioners have also identified a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for curing various ailments and diseases. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan have done yeomen service to the spread of Ayurveda both within and outside India.They have published more than a dozen classic books including the amazon best seller Ayurvedic Pharmacology and Therapeutic uses of Medicinal Plants. The proceedings of the first ever Indo-US workshop on Traditional Medicine and Mental Health have been published in the book form almost immediately after the workshop was conducted