The Lord Himself is the first divine physician. He is the best among physicians.
When the body is afflicted with senility and diseases, the holy water of Mother Ganga is the medicine and Lord Narayana, from whose holy feet Ganga emanates, is the great physician.
—Lord Dhanwantari.
Once upon a time some distinguished sages happened to meet on the Himalayan mountains, among them being Agastya, Ashvalyana, Asita, Badarayana, Balikhya, Bharadwaja, Chyavana, Devala, Dhaumya, Galaya, Garga, Gautama, Gobhila, Harita, Hiranyaksha, Jamadagni, Kamya, Kankayana, Kapinjala, Kashyapa, Katyayana, Kaundinya, Kushika, Langakshi, Maitreya, Markandeya, Narada, Parashara, Parikshaka, Pulasthya, Sankhya, Sankritya, Shakuneya, Shandilya, Sharaloma, Shaunaka, Vaijapeya, Vaikhanasa, Vamadeva, Vasishtha, Vishwamitra and many others.
All of them were well-versed in philosophy and practised religious austerities. The subject of their conversation was the ‘ills that the flesh is heir to’.
They began to complain: "Our body, which is the means of attaining the four aims of life, viz., virtue, worldly pursuits, pleasure and liberation, is subject to diseases which emaciate and weaken it, deprive the senses of their functions, and cause extreme pains.
These diseases are great impediments to our worldly affairs and bring on premature death. In the face of such enemies, how can men be happy? It is necessary, therefore, to find remedies for such diseases."
They turned to sage Bharadwaja, and thus addressed him:
"O Sage! Thou art the fittest person among us. Go thou to the thousand-eyed Indra, who has systematically studied the Ayurveda, and by acquiring from him the knowledge of that science, free us, O sage, from the scourge of diseases."
"So be it," said the sage, who at once went to Indra and thus accosted him:
"O Lord, I have been deputed by the parliament of sages, to learn from you the remedies for the direful diseases that afflict mankind; I pray you, therefore, to teach me the Ayurveda."
Indra was pleased with the object of his mission, and taught him the Ayurveda in all its parts. Bharadwaja recounted the precepts he had acquired to the other sages who had deputed him, and with the knowledge of this science they were able to live in health and happiness.
Indra taught the science to his pupil Atreya, who wrote several works. Atreya Samhita is a celebrated book.
Atreya is one of the oldest authorities on Hindu medicine.
Brahma propounded the healing art first. He composed the Ayurveda consisting of one hundred chapters of one hundred stanzas each.
It is the oldest medical book of the Hindus. It is divided into eight parts:
(1) Shalya: Surgery.
(2) Shalaka: Treatment of disease of the eye, nose, mouth, ears, etc.
(3) Kaya Chikitsa: Treatment of general diseases affecting the whole body, such as, fever, diabetes, etc.
(4) Bhoota-vidya: Treatment of diseases caused by evil spirits.
(5) Kumara Bhritya: Treatment of infants and of puerperal state.
(6) Agada: Antidotes to poisons
(7) Rasayana: Treats of medicines which promote health and longevity, which preserve vigour, restore youth, improve memory, cure and prevent diseases in general.
(8) Vajikarana or aphrodisiac: Describes the means of increasing the virile power, of giving tone to the weakened organs of generation.
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