Vaidyakalanidhi CN Narayanan

Date of Birth:- June 25, 1924
Place of Birth:- Cheruvally, in the Kanjirapally Tehsil of Kottayam district of Kerala, India.
Details of family:- CN Narayanan was the fourth son of C. K. Narayanan Vaidyan, an expert in Visha vaidya(toxicology) and Kunjipennu a home maker. He married PN Sharada in 1950, and they had three children. Their eldest son, M.N Sasidharan was born in 1951, followed by their daughter M.N Susheela in 1953 and their youngest son M.N Muraleedharan in 1955. Both sons followed in their father’s footsteps and became Ayurveda doctors. Dr.M.N Sasisdharan is a practicing physician and the chief physician at Appavu Vaidyan’s Ayurveda Clinic at Kottayam, Kerala. Dr.M.N Muraleedharan retired as Chief Medical Officer from Health and Family welfare society in 2015.

Educational Qualifications:-

CN Narayanan received his primary education from St. Mary’s Primary School and SCTM School, both in Cheruvally.  He completed his high school education at Devaswom Board High School Kangazha, Kottayam. After finishing the three-year Vaidyashastri program at Ayiroor Ayurveda High School (a Pathashala run by Ayiroor mana), he pursued a five-year degree “Vaidyakalanidhi” from the Government Ayurveda College in Thiruvananthapuram.

Professional Trajectory:-

As a researcher: CN Narayanan started his clinical practice in 1950 taking over the Vaidyasala (nursing home) that had been managed by his father-in-law, Appavu Vaidyan. Passionate about Ayurvedic medicine, he conducted thorough research on herbs utilized in Ayurveda and diligently documented their use. He developed a new decoction called Shodashangam kvathah, which he recommended for hypertension. He played a key role in reviving rare or nearly forgotten formulations, such as Kompanchadi gutika, Krimisudarsanam, Panchabana Sindhuram etc bringing them back into prominence.

As an author:- He authored three books including ‘Vaidyatarakam’ a comprehensive manual on Kaumarabhritya (Ayurveda Pediatrics). In Vaidyatarakam, he detailed practical treatments for common pediatric diseases of that era such as measles, mumps, whooping cough, and polio. He served as the editor of ‘Ayurveda Chandrika’ and ‘Ayurveda Ratnam’, both esteemed journals in the field of Ayurveda.

Awards and Nominations:- Vaidya Vachaspathi Award in 1975

Achievements:- He created a masterpiece called Vaidyatarakam, which provided aspiring Ayurveda physicians access to the rich traditional knowledge of Kaumarabhritya. He actively contributed to changes in the curriculum, policies related to drug manufacturing, and the dissemination of Ayurvedic knowledge to undergraduates. Through his publications and successful treatments, he raised awareness of Balachikitsa among the general public. As a revisionist, he made significant and lasting contributions to the field of Ayurveda pediatrics i.e Kaumarabhritya.

Notable Publications:-

Vaidyatarakam	Published in 1974
Garbhaprakasham	Published in 1977
Ayurveda Tarangam	Published in 1998