Accumulated noble actions performed in thousands of births result in a single human birth on the soil of Bharat, for which even the gods are desperately covetous, says the Visnu Purana.
India, thus, is the land of great souls, sages, saints, intellectuals, devotees, philosophers, politicians, economists and what not. Almost all branches of knowledge which illuminated the world found their maiden appearance on the sacred soil of India.
Medical science also had its initial appearance on the land. Ayurveda, as the indigenous medical science, is meaningfully named, consists of two words “Ayu” (longevity) and “Veda” (knowledge) and is explained as “Ayuso Vedah” or the knowledge of longevity. Tradition venerates this knowledge as eternal and without a beginning (So’yamayurvedah saswato — Charaka). Brahma, the tradition eulogises, created Ayurveda before creating humans to ensure their relief from sufferings. Ayurveda, considered as a sub-branch or Upanga of Atharva Veda, was with the gods till lord Dhanvantari, the god of ambrosia, descended on the earth to spread it.
Our epics, Puranas and other literatures are replete with the story of Dhanvantari, who is universally depicted to have emerged along with thirteen other ‘jewels’ from the milky ocean when the gods and the demons rigorously churned the same for as long as one thousand years. Dhanvantari is
considered to be the son of lord Visnu and a replica (Ansa) of Him. The Bhagavata Mahapurana enumerates Dhanvantari among the twenty-four incarnations of lord Visnu.
Dhanvantari, immediately after emergence from the ocean, says Harivamsa Purana, started chanting the names of Visnu who appeared before him and addressing him as “Abja” (born from water) offered him a boon. Dhanvantari said, “O lord, please allot this son of yours a share of the offerings made in sacrifices performed by mortals.” In response, Visnu replied that the shares had already been distributed among gods much before Dhanvantari’s advent. Hence, it would not be possible to apportion any immediately. Notwithstanding, he was promised a share in the future in Dwapara Yuga when he would take a human birth on the earth to spread the knowledge of Ayurveda. In that body itself, he would acquire godhood and Yajnas would be performed in his name. He would be worshipped by offering of Charu, chanting of mantras, observance of vows (Vrata) and repetition of his name (Japa).
With such a pre-destiny came the Dwapara Yuga. A king named ‘Anena’ was coroneted in Kashi. In the dynasty of Anena, there came a king named ‘Dhanva’ who practised severe penance to propitiate Dhanvantari to get a child. Moved by his devotion, Dhanvantari appeared and offered him his coveted boon. King Dhanva prayed him to be born as his son and acquire a great name by his benevolence. Approving his prayer, Dhanvantari took a human birth as the son of Dhanva, and in course of time became the king of Kashi.
lord Dhanvantari, in order to spread the knowledge of Ayurveda, first systematised it by dividing it into eight parts which renamed the science as ‘Astanga Ayurveda’. The eight Angas of Ayurveda are Salya (surgery), Salakya (treatment of the part of the body above the shoulders), Kayachikitsa (treatment of the diseases which affect the whole body), Bhutavidya (treatment of problems caused by wicked spirits), Kaumarabhritya (paediatrics), Agadatantra (treatment of the patient bitten by various reptiles and insects.), Rasayanatantra (treatment for rejuvenation
and removal of geriatric problems) and Vajikaranatantra (treatment for enhancement of sexual potency).
He also spread the knowledge of other Ayurvedas like Aswayurveda (Ayurveda for horses), Gajayurveda (treatment for elephants) and Gavayurveda (treatment for kine).
After Dhanvantari, the knowledge of Ayurveda, according to Harivamsa Purana, was further spread by the star descendant in his dynasty on whom fame was showered for his massive contribution to the science. This great benevolent propounder of Ayurveda was Divodasa, more widely known as Divodasa Dhanvanratari, the great grandson of Dhanvantari whose instructions were compiled by the glorious name “Susruta Samhita”.
In the beginning of Susruta Samhita, Divodasa Dhanvantari introduces himself as an incarnation of lord Dhanvantari with the words, “I am god Dhanvantari who has removed sufferings of diseases, old age and death from the lives of gods and have come to the earth to spread the knowledge of Ayurveda among the mortals.”
According to the description of Susruta Samhita, Divodasa Dhanvantari, although a king, was leading the life of an ascetic and living in a hermitage. Although a Ksatriya, he was respectably visited by great Rishis. Divodasa Dhanvantari concentrated more on surgery (Salya Chikitsa) and held surgery to be the most important part of the Astanga Ayurveda. He says, “Surgery is the most important part of Astanga Ayurveda because it cures various injuries to the extent of replanting the severed head of Daksa.” It is known that Daksa was beheaded by lord Siva, and Aswini Kumaras replanted the head.
India had a well-developed surgery system in the remote past. Plastic surgery, a very modern concept for the rest of the world, originated and was in practice since thousands of years on the Indian soil by traditional Vaidyas. Restoring severed organs like nose, etc., had been a common practice of Vaidyas in India which was known to the West in the eighteenth Century. In the year 1754, a British doctor was dumbfounded to see the nose of a person, cut as a punishment, was very successfully restored by a Vaidya. He published the news in the Maharashtra Gazette which was later republished in a journal named “Gentleman’s Magazine” in 1794 in london. After reading it, a British doctor, Joseph Constantine Carpue, came to India and took 20 long years to study the methods of Susruta for plastic surgery. later, he performed the first plastic surgery in 1815 in his country.
The Western world even adopted the instruments described in Susruta Samhita but later on modified them. Almost the whole India is ignorant that plastic surgery went to the West from India. To recollect the glory of the great achievements of the land and acquaint the world with the same is the greatest homage an Indian can pay on the birthday of Dhanvantari, the lord of Ambrosia.
(Dr Das is Director, Academy of Yoga and Oriental Studies, Bhubaneswar)