Essay name: Physician as depicted in Manasollasa
Author:
Sri B. S. Hebballi
Affiliation: Karnatak University / Department of Sanskrit
This thesis critically evaluates the role of physicians in Ayurvedic literature, particularly in King Somesvara's Manasollasa. It explores the connection between mind and body health, emphasizing the influence of diet and actions.
Chapter 4 - Ancient treatises on Indian medicine
12 (of 64)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
Download the PDF file of the original publication
79
Anatomical knowledge in ancient India was derived principally
from the sacrifice of the horse and of man; chance observations of
improperly buried bodies and examinations of the corporal members
made by medical men during treatment contributed comparatively little
to the body of anatomical knowledge. As a result of the precise ritual
procedures of the sacrifice, which called for the recitation of the name of
each part of the body as it was cut (for the horse this is documented at
Rgveda : 啶氞い啷佮じ啷嵿い啷嵿ぐ啶苦啶多う 啶掂ぞ啶溹た啶ㄠ 啶︵啶掂が啶ㄠ啶о啶班啶掂啷嵿啷�啶班ざ啷嵿さ啶膏啶� 啶膏啶掂ぇ啶苦い啶苦 啶膏ぎ啷囙い啶� 啷� 啶呧啷嵿啶苦う啷嵿ぐ啶� 啶椸ぞ啶む啶班ぞ 啶掂く啷佮え啶� 啶曕啶｀啶�
[catustri峁兣沘da v膩jino devabandhorva峁卥墨ra艣vasya svadhiti岣� sameti | acchidr膩 g膩tr膩 vayun膩 k峁涐箛ota
] quagana na || 1.162.18) for man no early references are found, but
later tradition specifies that the action should follow that of the
immolation of the horse), fairly accurate lists of anatomical parts of the
horse and of man have been preserved and transmitted, primarily
through the exegetical Br膩hma峁嘺-texts. Filliozat's efforts at defining
many of these parts have greatly advanced our understanding of the
individual terms. Difficulties, however, still remain in the proper
identification of many of the internal parts, which tend to be described
by the native authorities in terms of a locality or as attached to a known
organ. These enumerations provided the principal sources of anatomical
knowledge until the time of the classical treatises (sa峁僪it膩s) of
Ayurvedic medicine, when the visual inspection of the body by a type of
dissection was introduced, perhaps from the West, into the traditional
system of medical education.
Vedic medicine may be characterized essentially as a magico-
religious system. Such a hackneyed definition implies more than it
expresses. Space does not permit a complete discussion of magico-
religious medicine and it is apparently opposite to empirical medicine.
Causes of diseases are not attributed to physiological functions, but
rather to external beings or forces of a demonic nature who enter the
body of their victim and produce sickness. The removal of such
malevolent entities usually involved an elaborate ritual, often drawing on
aspects of the dominant local religion and nearly always necessitating
