Atharvaveda and Charaka Samhita
by Laxmi Maji | 2021 | 143,541 words
This page relates ‘Kashyapa and Jivaka (Ayurveda scholars)’ found in the study on diseases and remedies found in the Atharvaveda and Charaka-samhita. These texts deal with Ayurveda—the ancient Indian Science of life—which lays down the principles for keeping a sound health involving the use of herbs, roots and leaves. The Atharvaveda refers to one of the four Vedas (ancient Sanskrit texts encompassing all kinds of knowledge and science) containing many details on Ayurveda, which is here taken up for study.
Kāśyapa and Jīvaka (Āyurveda scholars)
Kāśyapa—He is the propounder of the Kāśyapa tradition of Āyurveda. His treatise is named as Kāśyapa Saṃhitā. Maharṣi Kāśyapa studied the science of Āyurveda from Indra and taught the same to his disciples.
Jīvaka the youngest disciple of Kāśyapa at the age of five years composed a treatise on pediatrics and showed it to his preceptor but the assembly of sages refused it by considering his age. Then he dipped in the river Gaṅgā at kanakha in the presence of sages and came out as an old man. The sages surprised, admired him as a great physician and accepted his treatise the “Vṛddha Jīvaka Tantra”.
At the starting of Kaliyuga, one copy of Vṛddha Jīvaka Tantra was preserved by a Yakṣa named Anāyāsa for the benefit of mankind. In the latter days, the Vatsya belonged to Kāśyapa-Vaṃśa collected the text from Anāyāsa and divided it into eight parts. In Kāśyapa Saṃhitā the word Mārīca is also seen repeatedly instead of Kāśyapa. Hence it can be inferred that Kāśyapa and Mārīca are one and same. The formulations attributed to him are–Daśaṅga dhūpa, Abhaya ghṛta.