5. Dhanvantari and the Indian medical system

Dhanvantari is regarded as the original exponent of Indian medical system. Dhanvantari has many myths and legends are woven around him. He emerged with the pot of ambrosia (symbolic of medicine) in his hand from the ocean when it was churned by the contesting Gods and demons. He is viewed as the very incarnation of Visnu. He is said to have recovered ambrosia which had been lost, and thus obtained a share in sacrifices (vainabhuti). Legends make him reappear as Divodasa, the prince of Banaras (Kasiraja) in the family of Ayus. According to Susruta Samhita, Dhanvantari, Divodasa and Kasiraja are names of the same person who freed the other gods from old age, disease and death, and who in his Himalayan retreat taught surgery to Susruta and other sages. There are several legends and stories about the identity of Lord Dhanvantari. We come across references of Dhanvantari in Bhagavat Gita, Padmapurana and Sanskrit literature relating to Vikramaditya and Susruta Samhita. Lord Dhanvantari's name comes:- 1. As a divine individual 2. As a king 126

3. As a qualification or title like Padmabhusan, Bharataratna, etc. 4. As a royal physician 5. As a preceptor of Ayurveda. DHANVANTARI AS A DIVINE INDIVIDUAL Bhagavata and Padmapurana describe Dhanvantari as an incarnation of Lord Visnu who has taken an avatara of Dhanvantari at the time ksirasagara madhana (churning of milky ocean) by devas and asuras. According to Bhagavata, Dhanvantari is said to have born in krtayuga on Asvayuja Bahula Trayodasi. This day is celebrated as Dhanvantari Jayanti. This Dhanvantari is worshipped in the form with Sankha, Cakra, Osadhis and Sudhakumbha (Amrta Kalasa) in his four hands and he is the one who is worshipped as a deva vaidya. AS A KING About 5000 years ago there lived a king called Dhanvantari. In his clan or dynasty, there was a Kasi Raja by name Divodasa. His son. who is, also a ruler of Kasi was called Divodasa Dhanvantari. This ' Dhanvantari seems to be the descendant of Divine Dhanvantari who preached Ayurveda to his disciples like Susruta. 127

DHANVANTARI AS A TITLE The name of Dhanvantari comes in several places where ever a great physician of a particular kingdom has to be mentioned. Thus a royal Physician in the Asthana of king Vikramaditya was Dhanvantari. Some critics of Sanskrit literature are of the opinion that Kalidasa, Ksapanaka, Dhanvantari, etc. were in the chambers of king Vikramaditya. But it has no authenticity. The following are the references about Dhanvantari. Dhanuh means Salyam, tasya antam iyarti gacchati iti Dhanvantari one who has attained perfection in salya tantra i.e. surgery is called Dhanvantari. Dhanuh=Dharma, Tasya Antah=vyadhih = Akala mrtyu sampadakah adharmah, tasya arih=Vyadhyakala Mrtyu nivartana dwara. The word Dhanvantari consists of three words i.e., Dhanu, Anta, Ari. Dhanu means Dharma, Anta means its negation, thus Dhanvanta means Adharma. Dhanvanta+ Ari means enemy of Adharma here again adharma also means disease because, disease disables the man from discharging his dharma and other three Purusardhas i.e. Artha, Kama and Moksa. Dhanvantari Relieves or cures man from adharma or vyadhi, so 128

that is the greatness or significance of the word Dhanvantari. Dhanva Vamse jatah Dhanvantari- A great Surgeon who has born in the dynasty of king Dhanva is Dhanvantari. Susruta Samhita, explains the origin of Dhanvantari avatara as- 'I am the adideva, Dhanvantari and, I have blessed the devatas with their astral bodies which have neither old age, disease nor death. After making the heaven and Gods, thus, now I have incarnated here on this earth again as Dhanvantari (Divodasa Dhanvantari) to preach you all the Ayurveda with Salya tantra and other branches as Astanga Ayurveda'. This Dhanvantari also aims that 'Brahma Provaca Tatah prajapati radhi jage tasmad asvinau asvibhyam indrah'. "My dear Susruta, Brahma transferred this knowledge of Ayurveda to prajapati, from him Asvini devatas, and from Indra has gained this knowledge and lastly I have obtained this knowledge from Indra and now I have come here to the earth, to teach Ayurveda to you'. Caraka categorizes all surgical problems as Dhanvantariya visayas and in the context of gulma roga cikitsa, he states that 129

Tatra Dhanvantaryanam, adhikarah Kriya Vidhau Vaidyanam Krtayogyanam vyadhasodhana ropansey. This indicates that Dhanvantari is a word which denotes special class of medical practitioners, surgeons. Dhanvantari Avatara quotes. Bhagavata as Asvinyam Krsna pakse tu trayodasyam gurordine and in Visnupurana As mandhanam mandharam krtva vetram krtva ca vasukim tato madhithu marabdath maitreya tarasamrtam. tato Dhanvantharir devah svetambara dharah svayam Bhibharatkamandalum puranam amrtasya samuthithah. This means Dhanvantari has taken avatara from ksirasagara to distribute amrt among devas and asuras. Hence Dhanvantari Jayanti is celebrated on Asvayujabahulatrayodasi two days prior to Dipavali. This is the custom of North Indians, but South Indians read the above sloka as karttike and they celebrate Dhanvantari Jayanti on Karttikabahulatrayodasi Bhagavata of Bhagavan Vedavyasa describes the entire picture of Dhanvantari very beautifully and elaborately in the following sloka which is found in eight the chapter of 130

Astamaskandha. Athodadhermadhyamatkasyapairamrtarthibhih Udatisthan maharajapurusah paramadbhutah. Dirghapivaradordandah Kambugrivaruneksanah Syamalah tarunah sragvi sarvabharana bhusitah. Pitavasa mahoraskah sumrsta manikundalah Snigdha kuncita kesantah subhagah simhavikramah. Amrtapurnakalasam bibhradvalayabhusitah Sa vai bhagavatah saksat visnoramsamisa sambhavah. Dhanvantaririti khyatah Ayurveda drugijya bhak. These slokas have to be recited on every Dhanvantari day on the occasion of Dhanvantari puja. All Ayurvedic students are expected to worship Lord Dhanvantari each day in the beginning of all conferences, seminars, functions, celebrations and meetings. In many places, it is a custom to recite the following sloka in chorus. Namami Dhanvantarimadidevam svasurairvandita padapadmam Loke jararukbhayamrtyunasam dataramisam vividhousadhinam In some institutions, one or both of the following poems are recited. 131

Ksirabdhe rudithami devam pitavarnam caturbhujam Namami Dhanvantarim nityam nanagadanisodanam. Ragadirogan satathanusaktan asisakaya prasrtan asesan Outsukyamoharatidan jaghanayopurvavaidyaya namostu tasmai. Dhanvantari appears to have been an actual historical person, although his precise identity is hard to be ascertained .He taught surgery at the instance of Susruta, to a group of sages among whom Susruta was the foremost. Dalhana enumerates 12 of his disciples: Aupadhenava, Vaitarana, Aurabhra, Pauskalavata, Karavirya, Gopuraraksita, Susruta, Bhoja, Nimi, Kamkayana, Gargya and Galava. The names of Nimi, Kamkayana, Gargya and Susruta and their formulae are mentioned in the Bower manuscript, where Susruta appears as the student of ascetic (muni) Kasiraja. Of the names of masters mentioned here, Gargya figures also as a student of Atreya. The disciples of Dhanvantari are said to have compiled their own medical treatises. The acarya trio, Pouskalavata, Karavira, Aurabhra is known as the basic authors of salyatantra. Though, Pouskalavatatantra, Karavirya tantra, and Aurabhratantra are the writings of these acaryas, none of the above are available at present. It is depicted in Susruta Samhita 132

that all the later salya tantra samhita works and is based on these three works and Sausruta.