A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c23.s2.6

v1.c23.s2.6

The Śātavāhanas were brāhmaṇas,71 and Gautamīputra Śātakarṇi is known as a king who sought to restore the dharma;72 the brāhmaṇas and the lower classes were objects of his special care, while the kṣatriyas were repressed as a conceited class. The religious conditions found in the Suśrutasaṃhitā show that Hinduism was predominant, as to be expected during the Śātavāhana dynasty. The story about a conflict between Vasiṣṭha and Viśvāmitra (Su.Ka.8.90–93) reflects, in P.V. Sharma’s opinion, Gautamīputra’s hostility to the kṣatriyas. The rather numerous passages of the Suśrutasaṃhitā which refer to a king,73 the chapter on the surgeon of the royal army (Sū.34), etc., are in favour of regarding Suśruta as a physician living during the reign of a powerful king. P.V. Sharma believes that Gautamīputra is mentioned as Vikrama in the first chapter of the Kalpasthāna (1.4), where enemies attacked by Vikrama may be alluded to.74