All of the practitioners are well versed in both Sanskrit and Ayurveda. Ayurveda and Sanskrit are closely linked with each other. Some of them have made the efforts to make the knowledge available in local Malayalam language.

Only a few of the acharyas of the past are listed here. We also bestow before the thousands of other Ayurveda practitioners, about whom we have no reference or solid knowledge.

Racial discrimination was prevalent in this land and the veda or science knowledge was restricted to upper class Brahmins. They were the only vaidyas. A vaidya is a practitioner of Ayurveda or an Ayurvedic physician. It was impurity for the Brahmins to touch or even see people of lower castes. The ashtavaidyans denied this tradition and practiced salya tantra (surgery technique) on people from all castes. Thus ashtavaidyans got their place in their community lowered. Other Brahmins that did poojas at temples didnÂ’t recognize practitioners of vaidya (vaidyans). Thus, marital alliances between Brahmins practicing vaidya and Brahmins that remained pure from touching people of lower castes ceased.

Learning and practicing Ayurveda to practice vaidya caused the vaidyans not pursuing education of Vedas and pooja rituals. However, later this condition changed and now marital alliance is possible between all Namboodiri or Brahmin families.

Vaidyamadam family, a family that traditionally practiced asthavaidya was a bit different and they practiced Vedas and participated in Yagnas and poojas. History suggests that this family was not known for salya thantra (surgery). They give and take women to and from almost all Namboodiri families.

These ashtavaidyas or ashtavaidyans have recorded their treatment methods. Tracing down descendents of Ashtavaidyas is a difficult task today because of the relative indifference of such families with other Brahmin families.

Thaikkattu vaidyar, Kuttancheri, Vaidyamadam, etc are some of the families usually associated with ashtavaidyans.

He also learned ashtangahridaya, and wrote a lot about the requirement of making science accessible to lay man.

He was also closely related with Arya Vaidya Samajam.

Vaidyamadom vaidyas are the only allowed ashtavaidyas in places of religious rituals like yagnas.

Vaidya madom valiya narayana namboodiri’s words about treatment – “You don’t have to look whether it (treatment) is old or new; from wherever, or by whoever, anything that is good for humankind is acceptable. The best treatment gives the fastest results. Ayurveda is such a great ocean, where all the knowledge accumulates. Modern technology allows the separation of minute components of nature. Mere mechanical knowledge of composition of materials can sometimes be counterproductive. Ayurveda is the sum total of the enlightenment that our yogis got after several thousand years of diligent efforts.”

He learned vaidyam (Ayurveda) from Kuttancheri Vasudevan Moos and allopathy from Dr. Varghese.

He instituted Kottakal Arya Vaidya Sala in 1902 and it is the first attempt to produce medicines in a commercial scale.

Hridaya Priya, his commentary on Ashtangahridaya is noted for its simple lucid style. He insisted in transferring the knowledge of Ayurveda to ordinary people. His book, sukhasadhakam is an attempt in this direction. Diagnosis and treatment methods are described in simple language in this book.

Apart from a well known Ayurveda physician, he was also a well known poet and linguaphile.

Vallathol Narayana Menon learned vaidyam (Ayurveda) and Sanskrit in his childhood, mostly from his uncle Ramunni Menon. He wrote the Ayurvedic books, Arogyachintamani, vaidyabhooshanam, garbha raksha kramam, vaidya jeevanam, and nethramrutham.

Apart from literature, Sanskrit and Ayurveda, he was also fond of Kathakali, the divine dance form of Kerala.