A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c23.s5.2

v1.c23.s5.2

F. Hessler claimed that Suśruta must be earlier than Caraka, because the latter mentions Dhanvantari. This thesis was brushed aside, too easily, by G. Liétard, 319 who interpreted the Dhanvantari of the Carakasaṃhitā as a mythical being, which is only justifiable for the reference to him as the god of healing (Ca.Vi.8.11). The Dhanvantari, mentioned in the Śārīrasthāna (6.21), is a different person, obviously a medical specialist, whose theory on embryonic development is accepted as authoritative. The same theory, declaring that all the parts of the embryo arise simultaneously, is expounded by Dhanvantari in the Suśrutasaṃhitā and acknowledged there as the final verdict on the issue (Su.Śā.3.32). This need not mean that the Suśrutasaṃhitā was known to Caraka, but shows that particular teachings were associated with Dhanvantari, and that a medical school recognizing him as their authority may already have been in existence.