The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c15.56

c15.56

The *Bhela-saṃhitā* which concurrently with the *Caraka-saṃhitā* presents teachings going back to the same master, Ātreya¹, enables us to go, in comparison with this *Caraka-saṃhitā*, to an older tradition, from which both of them are descended. What is common to both of them has every chance of belonging to an ancient source. Unfortunately the *Bhela-saṃhitā* has reached us only in a single mutilated manuscript.² But the *Indriyasthāna*, which corresponds to the section of the same name of the *Caraka-saṃhitā*, is sufficiently well-preserved. It has, like its pair, twelve chapters.