Indian Medicine (Medicin), translated by C. G. Kashikar c8.43

c8.43

§ 10. Origin of Ayurveda :- The Ayurveda, the Veda of long life, of therapeutics, was first known from Brahman according to the tradition just mentioned. From Brahman, Prajapati or Daksa received it, from him it came to the Asvins and from them to Indra. So far the accounts agree¹. Further according to Susruta, Indra taught Ayurveda to Dhanvantari (i. e. the Professor of surgery), the surgeon of Gods embodied as king Divodasa of Banaras (Kasiraja). Divodasa then transmitted it to the wise men who approached him as pupils, out of sympathy for the suffering humanity and also in order to prolong their own life; really however, he taught Ayurveda to Susruta along with his six companions, with special reference to surgery. On the other hand, Bharadvaja is, according to Caraka, the first human being to whom Indra exposed the Ayurveda. Out of more than 50 Rsis who surrounded him and whose names do not agree with Susruta's companions, Punarvasu, son of Atri (Atreya), transmitted the science obtained from Bharadvaja to his six disciples : Agnivesa, Bhela, Jatukarna, Parasara, Harita and Ksarapani. Of these Agnivesa first composed a text, then the others also compiled theirs, and these six books obtained the assent of Atreya and other wise men and general recognition in the world. At the end of every Adhyaya it is, therefore, said that this work is composed by Agnivesa and is revised (pratisamskrta) by Caraka. AS and AHr also substantially agree with Caraka's version of the legend which Alberuni also knew (Cf. § 9). According to AS and AHr, Atreya and his companions were directly taught by Indra. In AS the names of the five companions of Agnivesa are partly different and Susruta is mentioned as one amongst them.