11. Surgeons and Tantras of Salakya departments

NIMI Videhadhipati, Rajasri Nimi, was known as a spokesman of Salakya tantra. Caraka samhita and quoting of Vagbhata state that acaryas, such as Nimi and Videhadhipati were experts in Salakya tantra. Acarya Dalhana, narrator of Susruta Samhita states that videhadhipa kirtita ityadi nimiprinitah satsaptair netraroga instead of the passage of salakya sastrabhihita videhadhipa kirtita from the Susruta Samhita, uttara tantra. Nimi was the twelfth son of Emperor Iksvaku, founder of Mithila dynasty. Nimi, Videha and Janaka were the same, so states Ramayana. Excerpts from Caraka such as 'Nimisca rajarsi vaideho' and 'Janako vaideho indicate that names such as Videha and Janaka could be connected to the Videha king Nimi. NIMI TANTRA. Nimitantra too is as important as Videhatantra. Many narrators. have quoted chapters from Nimi tantra. Srikantha, in his chapter about Ear ailments Nidha nadika, quotes lessons from Nimi as slesma pithajalonmisre sobhe sonitamamsaje jayante jantavastatra krsnastamrah sitarunah26 142

VIDEHA TANTRA Though Videhatantra is the most important among Salakyatantra, this is not available at present. It is evident that salakya subjects in Susruta Samhita is based on Videha tantra. Narrators such as Dalhana, Vijayaraksita, Srikantha have quoted chapters from Videhatantra, abundantly. KANKAYANA TANTRA. It is shown in Caraka Samhita that, Kamkayana, the physician of Bahlika desam, was among those who participated in discussions about the eradication of diseases, held at Himalayas. It is stated in Kasyapa Samhita that Kankayana has classified diseases as Sadhyam, Yapyam and Asadhyam. Unfortunately, none of the Kamkayana tantras or quotes is presently not available. Yet, many narrations are found to have adapted the Kamkayana tantra for remedial measures. Pythika virecana in Bower manuscript, Kankayanamodakam in Vyakhya kusumavali and Cakradattam 27, Kankayana tablets described in Haritasamhita, Cakradattam, Sarngadhara Samhita, Kankayanavatakam in Gadanigraham are good examples of the same. 143

GARGYA TANTRA AND GALAVA TANTRA It is stated by Dalhana in Susruta Samhita narration that Dalhana and Galava were disciples of Dhanvantari, but these narrations too are quite rare or practically extinct. Gargyan's statement that vastikarma should be done to children right from the time of birth, is given in Kasyapa Samhita as prabrti balanam vastikarmopakalpayet ityaha gargyo²8 It is stated in Caraka Samhita that Dalhana and Galava too were among those who participated in discussions about the eradication of diseases held at Himalayas. SATYAKI TANTRA Quotes of Dalhana, Cakrapani and Srikanthan indicate that there existed a text named Satyakitantra. In his explanation of Susruta Samhita, Dalhana explains that "tada ca ragakadana prastave satyaki hi:- pitharaktodhita pitascitritah sannipatajah Cakrapanidatta, the commentator of Caraka Samhita points out that there were over 80 eye diseases referred in Satyaki tantra as asitim 144

satyaki praha. Srikantha in his Nidanatika quotes some texts of Satyaki tantra as follows; Yapyascayam tadahi satyaki Trtiyam patalam prapte timire ragi jayate aragi timiram sadyamasadyam patalasritam krcam dvitiye ragisyathotiye yapyamucyate 29. KARALA TANTRA, BHADRA SAUNAKA TANTRA explains the lesson salakyatantrabhihita When Dalhana explains videhadipa kirtita, in the Uttara tantra of Susruta Samhita, he quotes videhadipakirtita iti nimipranitah satsaptirnetrarogah, na karale bhadrasaunakadi pranita. From the quotation one can infer that Karala and Bhadrasauna composed the text book of Salakya tantra. 96 eye diseases discuss were described in Karala tantra Dalhana and Cakrapani quoted some portions from Saunaka tantra. Dalhana mentions the reference to 96 eye diseases in the Karalatantra. Srikantha quotes the Karalatantra texts in netraroga chapter of his Nidanatika as yadaha karalahCunitam kharavartmasi krchonmilavileksanam sadaham sasrga vatachushkapakanvitam vadet 30 145

The opinion of Bhadrasaunaka is also seen in the Caraka Samhita as 'pakvasaya gudamiti bhadrasaunakah marutadistanatvat' Dalhana quotes the Bhadrasaunakatantra text as tada ca bhadrasaunakah tvammamsasamsrito vayustvagdahe naivasamyati mamse dagdhe hi samyanti sirasnayvasdvi sandija and Cakrapani as yastu bhadrasaunake samsristabhaktah sumanah snehapito dridanalah samsudhah parato massadanuvasyasto narah ityuktam. 31 It proves that the Bhadrasaunaka tantra was available up to the period of the era of these two narrators. SAUNAKA TANTRA From Caraka one can understand that acarya Saunaka had participated in the medical conference conducted in the Himalayas. Saunakacarya's opinion was noted in Susruta Samhita and Caraka Samhita. Saunakacarya's opinion was noted in Susruta Samhita as:garbhasya khalu sambhavatah purvam sirah sambhavatityaha saunakah siromulatvat pradhanendriyanam And in Caraka Samhita as 32 kaphapithaharam varam phale svada jimutakamaha saunakah³2 146

CAKSUSYA TANTRA Caksusya tantra was an important book about Salakya tantra. Srikantha in Nidanatika siroroga chapter, quotes the passage of Caksusya tantra as:striprasangadabhigathadheava dehakarmana ksipram samjayate kricah sirorogah ksayatmakah vatapithatmakam lingam vyamisram tatra laksayet 33 KRSNATREYA TANTRA Punarvasu an expert in 'Kayacikitsa' was also known as Atreya and Krsnatreya; Scholars have mentioned hat apart from him, another renowned person, named Krsnatreya too was an expert in Salakyatantram. Dalhana also quoted Krsnatreya lessons. Arunadatta who is the commentator of Astangahrdayam quoted lessons from Krsnatreya tantram. And also Dalhana quotes as:atra ca krsnatreyahsaptavarsamupa daya nasyakarma caturvidam pratimarso ada vamanam janmaprbrti sasyate dumo dvadasa varsasya kabala pancama tatah dosavyadi balavastham veekssycaitan prayojayet³4 147