A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c26.s2.31

v1.c26.s2.31

One author put considerable effort into persuading his readers that the apūrvavaidya is not the Buddha or some figure from the Buddhist pantheon, but, on the contrary, a Hindu deity. His polemics with an opponent prove that a Buddhist interpretation was current in certain circles. This author, Narahari, 153 defends Vāgbhaṭa against the accusation of heterodoxy and of expressing himself in a confusing style. Narahari’s Vāgbhaṭamaṇḍana begins with a lengthy exposition on the opening verse of the Hṛdaya and contains numerous arguments to establish that the apūrvavaidya is Īśvara. Narahari also maintains that the Bhaiṣajyaguru, found in a mantra occurring in both Saṃgraha and Hṛdaya, cannot but designate Dhanvantari.