A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c21.34

v1.c21.34

BHADRAŚAUNAKA, also simply called Śaunaka, 121 makes his appearance in the Carakasamhitā several times. Śaunaka is a member of the assembly of sages in the opening chapter. In the chapter dealing with the part or parts of the body that develop first in an embryo (Śā.6), Bhadraśaunaka represents the view that these parts are the colon and rectum (pakvāśayaguda). 122 In the chapter containing a discussion on the choice of the best drug for use in a non-oleaginous enema (āsthāpana), Śaunaka shows a preference for the seeds of jīmūtaka (Ca.Si.11.5); 123 the same group of verses of the chapter mentions that Bhadraśaunaka rejected Kāpya’s choice of kṛtavedhana ¹²⁴ (Ca.Sū.11.9). Some scholars ¹²⁵ assert that Śaunaka also gives his opinion in the chapter on the origin of the individual (Ca.Sū.25). These authors are convinced that the text of Ca.Sū.25.16–17, where Kauśika replies to (Hiraṇyākṣa) Kauśika, is corrupt, because Hiraṇyākṣa’s patronymic is not Kuśika, but Kauśika; therefore they propose to read Śaunaka instead of Kauśika. ¹²⁶ This implies that Śaunaka disagrees with Hiraṇyākṣa in giving as his conviction that the parents are at the origin of an individual and his diseases.