A History of Indian Medical Literature v1.c8.8

v1.c8.8

The sheer length of the list of sages (ṛṣi)²⁰ in the Carakasaṃhitā made Cakrapāṇidatta comment that it serves to remove sins (pāpakṣaya) and to show that the āyurveda is worthy of being honoured by great minds (mahāpuruṣa). The motley character of the group was noticed by Cakra; he divides the sages into yāyāvaras, śālīnas²¹ and ayonijas (not born from a womb),²² and into four categories: ṛṣika, ṛṣiputra, devarṣi and maharṣi. 23 Later scholars also expressed their opinion on the remarkable heterogeneity of the assembled sages, who, in the Indian tradition, belong to different yugas, which precludes their meeting together. 24