YOGA DARSHANA AND AYURVEDA: SHARED PRINCIPLES OF MANAS, AHARA AND ACHARA
Background: Yoga and Ayurveda are described as sister sciences. Both give a central place to the mind and to conduct, yet their relationship is usually discussed in general terms and not on the basis of the classical texts. Objective: To review the concepts of manas (mind), chitta, ahara (diet) and achara (conduct) in the Yoga Sutras and the Ayurvedic Samhitas, and to identify points of agreement and difference. Methods: The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali, the Charaka Samhita, the Sushruta Samhita and the Ashtanga Hridaya were read in translation. PubMed was searched in November 2026 for reviews on manas, Yoga Darshana and Ayurveda. Results: Both traditions treat the mind as the instrument of knowledge and the site of suffering, and both attribute mental health to the balance of the gunas. Yoga emphasises restraint of mental fluctuations through practice, while Ayurveda emphasises regulation of ahara, vihara and sadvritta, with sattvavajaya and daivavyapashraya chikitsa for the mind. Conclusion: Yoga and Ayurveda share a theory of mind and conduct but differ in aim and method. Their complementarity is best described through exact textual comparison.