Tribes in Ancient India c50.410

c50.410

Magadha was the birthplace of Jīvaka, the famous physician, who educated himself at Taxila and on his return to his native city was appointed physician to the royal family.⁵ His success in operating on King Bimbisāra won for him the post of royal physician, and the king later appointed him physician to the Buddha and the congregation of bhikkhus. Once, we are told, Magadha was badly attacked by five kinds of diseases, and Jīvaka had to treat the suffering bhikkhus.⁶