Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c8.29

c8.29

The AS of Vāgbhaṭa⁵ which is frequently quoted in commentaries and is utilized in AHr for the explanation of some rigid statements, is recognised as a very old work at least so far as the major portion is concerned, not only by its priority to AHr but also by its form and contents. AS is composed of a mixture of prose and poetry which reminds us of Caraka and Suśruta ( Cf. § 8 f. ). In an entreaty a saying addressed to Buddha is preserved, while in AHr the Buddhistic tendencies, which are still present in it and which perhaps explain the special reception of this work in Tibet, have considerably faded. At the end of the AS, it is said about the author that he received the name Vāgbhaṭa after his grandfather—himself a distinguished physician, that he learnt under a teacher with the Buddhist name Avalokita and also under his own father Siṃhagupta and that he was born in the Indus region. The versified part often corresponds literally with AHr; but instead of 120 adhyāyas as in AHr, AS has 150, 50 i.e. one third of which constitute the sixth part (Uttarasthāna). In AHr the first five parts contain 80 adhyāyas and the last contains 40. The connection of AS with Caraka and especially with Suśruta from which a direct quotation is also found, is closer than that of AHr. However, AS contains much independent material and is, therefore, of the greatest value for verifying as well as for supplementing our Caraka and Suśruta. If AHr can really be placed in the 8th century or earlier, AS must naturally be still older. In the 7th century Buddhism was still in a flourishing condition in the Indus region. Yet, according to Huth, the Tibetan translations of AHr along with the commentary originated only in the first half of the 11th century.⁶ wanting in the second edition. Much useful is also the new text-edition of Sankarasastri containing some variant readings (Bombay 1900, pp. 792,12). (3) Cf. Cordier *Quelques données* 4; Jolly, I. c. 262. While going to press I have received a new work of Dr. Cordier on Vagbhata (JA 1901) in which he identifies Vaidya Vagbhata with the somewhat mythical court-physician of King Bhoja, following the statement of Merutunga and, therefore, places him in the 11th century. The other facts, particularly the authentic autobiographical information of Vagbhata, can scarcely be reconciled with this identification. (4) According to Cordier l. c. in the 13th century, still the dates collected by him speak for still earlier composition. For an old commentary of Candranandana (not Candrananda) quoted by Arunadatta, see Cordier, l. c. (5) Edition of Ganesh Tarte (Bombay 1888, 2 Vols. pp. 6, 306, 421). (6) Cf. Laufer, *Beitr* 1, 13.