History of Technology in India, Vol. I: From Antiquity to c. 1200 A.D. v1.c21.s1.2

v1.c21.s1.2

The Śalya Tantra or the science of surgery is the oldest of all the other branches of the science of Indian Medicine (Ayurveda) and is further corroborated by the four classes of testimonies, i.e. perception, inference, analogy and scriptural truths. The primary position of ancient surgery may be inferred from the fact that surgery lands her aid materially towards the healing up of traumatic ulcers. Moreover, Indian surgery (Śalya Tantra) is considered to be the most important as instantaneous actions can be obtained with the help of surgical operations, external applications of caustics, cauterisation, blood-letting, etc. Secondly, it contains all that can be found in the other branches of the medicines as well. It is eternal and is source of infinite piety, imparts fame and opens the gates of Heaven to its voteries, prolongs the duration of human existence on earth and helps the human beings in successfully fulfilling their missions and earning a decent competence in life.