A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c42.s5.7

v3.c42.s5.7

The *Bhelasaṃhitā* is basically in the form of a dialogue between Ātreya as a teacher and Bhela as a student. The former is also designated as Punarvasu (Sū.25.5), Punarvasu Ātreya (Śā.4.2),¹⁶ Cāndrabhāga (Sū.25.1), Cāndrabhāga Punarvasu (Sū.18.1),¹⁷ and Kṛṣṇātreya (Sū.16.1; Śā.3.9; I.1.14).¹⁸ However, Bhela is not the only person receiving instruction from Ātreya. In the chapter on the detection of poison in food (Sū. 18) it is the royal sage (rājarṣi) Nagnajit¹⁹ who asks Ātreya questions during the latter’s stay in the country of Gāndhāra. Gurdālu Bhekin²⁰ is desirous of information on medical topography (Sū.13), while Suśrotar Medhāvin,²¹ who puts forward his own opinions on the treatment of disorders of the doṣas, is instructed by Ātreya in this subject (Sū.25).