Hindu Medicine c7.107

c7.107

For the same purpose the secret knowledge of the medical magician is emphasized: he knows what council the divine herbs hold among themselves and how they pledge their assistance to the Brahmin doctor (22), the authentic healer (6), before their king Soma. An important asset of the Brahmin magician in dealing with these disease-demons is his ability to league himself with the divine healing forces. The hymn points out this privileged position of his by referring to the Lord of Magic Spells (Bṛhaspati, Brahmaṇaspati) as his powerful ally (15, 19). Bṛhaspati is the foremost of the Aṅgirases, the ancestors of the oldest priest-families; he attained divine rank through acting as house-priest and arch-magician to Indra and the gods. He is, by very name, the "master" (pati) of the innermost soul-force (bṛh, brahman) which works magic through communion with the divine.