ABSTRACT
The importance of the psyche in the cause of disease and in the maintenance of health has been recognized in Ayurveda, and plants have often been used to treat the Central Nervous System (CNS) disorders and retain mental ability even at a ripe old age. There is a sophisticated system of classification in Ayurveda based on pharmacological properties, and there are several categories described, including some with no equivalents in modern pharmacology.1 Among the several kinds of CNS drugs described in Ayurveda, the most important and closely related to the Ayurvedic categories are-neuroleptics, hypnotics, analgesics, antipyretics, anxiolytics, memory enhancers, etc.2 About 85 drugs have been listed under different groups and some in more than one.3
