The Classical Doctrine of Indian Medicine: Its Origins and its Greek Parallels c6.11

c6.11

At the same time, in the light of the indications furnished by the *Chāndogya-upaniṣad*, we can observe that from the period of this text, legends regarding the origin of the science, similar to those of the classical period, had already been current. The two traditions differ as to the pupil of Indra; Dhanvantari, mentioned by Suśruta being a post-Vedic god and Bharadvāja, who is mentioned by Caraka, being a Vedic ṛṣi. But this divergence is only apparent because the two personages are, from antiquity itself, closely interconnected. In effect, the Dhanvantari mentioned by Suśruta is also Divodāsa, and Divodāsa is Vedic and is mentioned in association with Bharadvāja in three passages of the Ṛg-veda: “While protecting, you have made the route circular for Divodāsa, for Bharadvāja, O Aśvins”¹; In hymn VI, 16, Bharadvāja himself invokes Agni: “O thou, pressing these plentiful goods for Divodāsa and serving for Bharadvāja”²; thirdly Indra is told: “Thou hast given by power, O powerful one, treasures to Divodāsa pressing, O very fast one, to singing Bharadvāja.”³ This should suffice to show that these two personalities were closely related to each other, and could easily become the substitutes of each other and that the traditions of Suśruta and Caraka regarding the pupil of Indra, reach back to the same group of ancient data.⁴