Ayurveda the science of life has multifarious branches and arms. But in the main scriptures (Caraka samhita, Susruta samhita & Astanga hrudya) itself it has 8 branches which are accepeted everywhere in Ayurveda world. These eight branches are sumed up as Astanga Ayurveda.
It is the first branch which deals with the general body, Agni( digestive fire) of the person & moreover with the physical body. The word kaya refers to the baove given words and the full term coined as Kaya chikitsa (here chikitsa is treatment). It is the biggest branch of Ayurveda which include all the general sub branches including Panchakrma in it. Many of the scholars count Panchakarma aa different branch. In the modern correlation it the branch of Medicine.
It is branch which deals with the treament of children i.e. Kaumara in sanskrit. It is also known as Bala chikitsa (here bala is tern for teenager and chikitsa refers to treatment). It contains the treatment of child from newborn upto the age of 18 years of age. If correlated with modern science it comes as Paediatrics and Obstretics branch.
It is the branch which deals with graha, pisacha, pitra, & gandharva etc. (these all are the supernatural powers which enters to the human body and made that sick). The term bhut means which is past (practically which is not in the present time or which is gone). It is also called as Graha chikitsa (the treatment of graha, here graha means which holds the human body),In modern correlation it is correlated to Psychiatry.
The word Shalya refers to the something which hurt the body or mind of a person. Specially it is unwanted thing which can be removed out of the body with the help of surgical procedure. It is commonly called as Shalya tantra (tantra means techniques or knowledge). In modern correlation it is correlated to Surgery.
The word Shalakya refers to the branch where shalakas (probes) are mainly used. So it is correlated with ENT (eye, nose & throat) and Opthalmology (eye). In Ayurveda it is also called as urhdwanga (organs present in the upper body).
The word Agada stands for toxins which can be of any origin plant, animal or man-made. So it deals with treatment of toxins which are harmful to the humen body. It is also called as Drusta i.e. bite of an organism which is toxic in nature. IN modern it can be correlated to Toxicology (branch which deals with toxins).
This term is so vast to understand in few words, but it the branch which helps in the rejuvenation of body tissues & Geriatrics (focuses on health of old person). It also called as Jara (old age/ aging) or Jara chikitsa.
The term Vaji refers to horse; in this branch it helps to improve the sexual vigour of the males like a horse. It is also called as Vrushaan (its formed from term vrushya that again means the sexual potency of the men). Inmodern prespective it is correlated to Sexology (related to sexual intercouse and asphrodiac).
These are the main branches in Ayurveda but these all are further divided and interlinked to each other. So one should not consider only these 8 branches of Ayuveda but the whole Ayurveda itself fully connect to the all other vedic sciences.
