Ancient Indian Education (Brahmanical and Buddhist) c18.13

c18.13

It is also pointed out that Āyurveda has many branches of study which throw light on one another. A student of one subject should approach the master of another subject for interpretation of allied topics or points. In medical study, proficiency in one particular subject or branch is not sufficient. The complete knowledge of Medicine as a whole cannot be contained within only one subject or branch but is spread over many subjects and branches which thus help in the interpretation of each. The meaning of a particular science is not understood in its full implications like the contents of a seed (*vīja-bhuta*) and is rendered explicit by the light derived from allied subjects. Therefore, a medical man cannot achieve success unless he is a master of several sciences (*Bahu-śruta*) [*Sūtra-sthāna*, chs. iii and iv].