A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c23.s2.33

v1.c23.s2.33

Ideas similar to those of Yādavaśarman have been expressed by Bhishagratna, one of the translators of the Suśrutasaṃhitā into English.¹⁷⁰ Although accepting a revision by Nāgārjuna, Bhishagratna considered the Uttaratantra to have formed an integral part of the original treatise. He asserted that it would be unthinkable for Divodāsa to fall short of his duties by omitting to instruct his pupils in all the divisions of medicine which are listed and specified in the first chapter of the Sūtrasthāna.¹⁷¹ He added that the general plan of the work shows that the more elementary topics were dealt with in the first five sections, while the discussion of those requiring a more advanced knowledge were reserved for the Uttaratantra, which has the nature of a supplement.¹⁷² Bhishagratna identified the reviser Nāgārjuna as the founder of the Mādhyamika school of Buddhist philosophy and placed him in the latter part of the fourth century B.C.