Re:Danvathri as the Founder of Aayur Vedam

[Guest guest]

Dear BhakthAs:

 

An astute bhaktha asked the following question.

I welcome these questions since it helps me

to think about them to assemble the answers for

wider discussions .The response to some questions

might be of wider interest and hence I copy

the two lists.

 

I do recieve a lot of questions. Most of them I answer

privately. I wish I have the knowledge to give the correct

answers to them . Some times I copy the public list

to generate discussions. If I delay in my response

to questions asked , it is because of time pressures

or I am seeking the information needed to respond

appropriately .

 

The Bhakthi list alone has a huge archives and

many of the doubts that come again and again have been

addressed before . A google search on the topics , just like

the one being discussed now --Kali Yugam/Kali Purushan/

will give you links to Kali DhOsham /Kali santharana Upanishad /

importance of Naama sankIrthanam in Kali age et al . you will

get links to 69 plus postings.

 

I suggest that you search first and you will be amazed at

the wealth of Information that is housed there thanks to

the sharing of knowledge by so many devotees.

 

There are two special BhakthAs that I must refer to

when it comes to the knowledge about the contents of

the Bhakthi and other archives . These precious bhakthAs

are Srimans Malolan Cadambi of Bangalore/Iowa and

MadhavakkaNNan Of Srirangam/Simhapuri. Many times

they have helped me out about locating particular

posting of mine from the past. Please browse the archives

whenever your time permits. It will be beneficial .

The responses by other BhakthAs may already be there.

This observation refers particularly to controversial

topics outside the purview of the Mission of Bhakthi

List. Hope , Sri MaNi VaradarAjan will find some time

to establish the revised guidelines to postings

in the Bhakthi List that he was preparing prior to

his recent trip to India. It will be very helpful

to avoid painful controversies regarding

Goudiya VishNavam et al . Let us stick to

the central theme and mission of Bhakthi List .

There is so much to learn from AzhwAr/AchArya

SrI Sookthis . Running in circles is not essential

in my humble opinion .

 

BTW , There are number of SadagOpans in the Bhakthi List.

I would like to identify myself as Oppiliappan Koil

Varadachari Sadagopan in my responses to avoid any

confusion .

 

Now coming to the subject matter of the question

regarding Ayurvedam , here is my response preceded

by the question from my friend :

 

QUESTION

*********

 

At 09:08 PM 2/18/02 -0800, you wrote:

>SrI:

>

>Dear Sri Sadagopan mama

>

>adiyEn has a small doubt. Is Aayur Vedam part of vedas. If so Vedas

>are considered apourusheya. Am I missing something here?

 

 

RESPONSE:

*********

 

Ayur Vedam is one of the auxillary Vedams (UPA VEDAMS)

like Dhanur Vedam . It has no svarams and is not learnt

by adhyayanam . It has no VedAntha VichAram . It has

no Veda Siras like Upanishads. Like Paancha Raathra

Saasthram , which originated from SrIman NaarAyaNan

to help us perform His worship, Srimann Vaidhya NaarAyaNan

out of His compassion blessed us with this auxilary

Vedam to help those suffering from bodily afflictions

and get back on their feet to worship Him and seek

the Sadhgathi.The famous saying is:

 

SarIramAdhyam khalu dharma saadhanam

 

The pramANam for Aayur Vedam being one of the four

UpavEdams is:

 

Aayur vEdhO Dhanur VEdho GhAndharva VEda yEva cha

arTasAsthramithi prOktham UpavEda Chathushtayam

 

( Aayur Vedam /Science of Medicine and physiology ,

Dhanur Vedam /archery and handling of weapons for

KshathriyAs for Raajya paripAlanam , Ghandharva Veda/

the Science of Music , dance and other fine arts,

ArTa Saasthram /the subject of Polity and

Political Economy are the FOUR UpavEdams).

 

These are distinct from the six VedAngAs

( Sikshaa/Phonetics , VyAkaraNam/ Grammar ,

JyOthishA/astronomy and astrology,Chandas/

prosody and Kalpa/practise of rituals).

 

UpavEdAs have no Vedic svarAs ; Ghandharva Vedam

ofcourse is built on the seven svarAs and their

combinations.

 

Ayur Veda is HIndu Vaidhya Saasthram dating back to

the Vedic age. It has links to ATarva Vedam.Several

references to diseases (Jaundice, kidney stones

Cholera et al)and their treatment thru herbs

and surgery are referred to in ATarva Vedam .

 

Susrutha is a great scholar/author of Medical

Science(Aayur Vedam) and his famous samhithA

has six broad sections. He advocates high moral

standards for physicans and surgeons. Section 1

of the Susrutha samhithA is general .Sections

2-5 deal with anatomy , pathology, treatmentof

diseases and preparation of medicines from herbs.

Section 6 (Uttara Tantra ) is a research supplement.

 

Charaka is another distinguished scholar /author of

a "SamhithA " of Indian medicine.He was a royal physician

to King Kanishka , the KushAna King.There are 8 sedtions

in Chaaraka samhithA ( Treatment of disease and diet,

treatment of special diseases, general study of anatomy &

medical science, prescriptions and general therapy). There

are six commentaries on Charaka's samhitha starting from

Dradbala of Kashmir (pre-middle ages to post middle ages).

 

Charaka's definition of "Aayu" is classic and is based on

Vedic doctrines :

 

sarIrEndhriya-sathvAth-samyOgO dhAri jeevitham

nithyagascchAnubhandhasccha paryAyairAyuruchyathe

 

(Meaning): " the Physical body with the senses and

the mind combined with the soul is capable of enjoying

the ruits of karma. This relation of the body with

the eternal soul is termed as aayuhu".

 

He talks about the gross physical body,

the subtle soul , transmigration of the soul

to another gross body based on karmAs and

how that process is not perceptible to the eye.

 

BhUthaiscchathurthibhi: sahitha: susookshmai:

manojavO dEham upaithi dEham

karmAthmakathvAth na thu tasya dhrusyam

dhivyam vinA darsanamasthi roopam

--Chaaraka samhitha: chapter II.31

 

I will stop here due to the lengthiness of

this posting.

 

Oppiliappan Koil Varadachari Sadagopan