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A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c43.s33.t3: The author

A History of Indian Medical Literature v3.c43.s33.t3

Language
English

The author

v3.c43.s33.t3.1

Vaṅgasena gives information about himself at the beginning and end of his work. Śiva, Caṇḍī and Sarasvatī are praised in the opening lines, which also provide us with the author's and his father's name, adding that Gadādhara, Vaṅgasena's father, was born in Kāntikā. 1560 The vaṅgasenotpatti at the end of Vaṅgasena's treatise opens as follows: "When Śrīkṛṣṇa, who had freed the earth of diseases, had left and had returned to his abode, it became filled with diseases and frightening again in a short time. On seeing this, I was born in the house of Gadādhara 1561 and made the earth healthy again". It ends with the words: "After being born in the house of Gadādhara, I redacted the work that was called Agastisamhitā 1562 before my birth. Thereafter it became well known under the name of Vaṅgasena. This book, being the quintessence of all the doctrines, will speedily confer success".

v3.c43.s33.t3.2

The identity of Vaṅgasena's father with one of the persons called Gadādhara who are known from Sanskrit medical literature is a matter of speculation, for information on his literary activity is entirely lacking. It is improbable, on chronological grounds, that Gadādhara, the father of Vaṅgasena, wrote the commentary on the Suśrutasaṃhitā or the Vaidyaprasāraka, but Vaṅgasena's probable date does at least not conflict with identifying his father with Vaidyagadādhara or Gadādharavaidya, quoted in Śrīdharadāsa's Saduktikarṇāmṛta, compiled in 1205. 1563

v3.c43.s33.t3.3

It is commonly assumed that Gadādhara and Vaṅgasena were of Bengal origin. 1564

v3.c43.s33.t3.4

Gadādhara's birthplace has been identified as Kāñjivillī in Rāḍha (Western Bengal) 1565 and Kāntinagara of the Muzaffarpur district in Bengal. 1566

v3.c43.s33.t3.5

Apart from the Cikitsāsārasamgraha, no other works by Vaṅgasena are known. 1567

Cites (4)