Humankind got ‘life of knowledge’ through many Ayurveda practitioners. The knowledge is transferred to present generation by ways of palm scripts and word of mouth from Ayurveda masters to students.
We can’t gather information about the life story of the thousands of seers who spend their lives to nurture and spread the knowledge for the benefits of humankind. Ayurveda is ascribed a divine origin and the acharyas approached Ayurveda, medicines with religious fervor.
The divine handling of the knowledge must be one reason that Ayurveda was today made available to the whole humankind.
Acharyas like Charaka, Sushruta, Vagbhata, Atreya, Bhavamisra etc don’t claim Ayurveda started with them. In fact they generally acknowledge Ayurveda practice of many other seers who lived before them and their contemporaries.
We know about these acharyas, because of the texts they have written or because of other texts that mention their names and works
Bharadwaj -Ancient Ayurveda Acharyas
The life stories of Bharadwaj are found in Matsya Purana, Hariwarsha Purana etc.
Atreya Acharya was a student of Bharajwaj. From Atreya acharya, Agnivesha learned Ayurveda.
Vagbhata – Ancient Ayurveda Practitioners
His attempt to make available the full knowledge of Ayurvedic knowledge is commendable. He lists in simple language, the methods of diagnosis, medicine preparation, and treatment.
Vagbhata says in astanga hridaya
“idamagama sidhathval, Prathyaksha phala darsanal,
Mantraval samprayoktavyam Na Meemamsyam Kathanchana:”
It means, this (Ashtangahridayam) is the collection of past experiences. Its use gives tangible results. So, like a mantra, utilize its power by constant meditation and use it with confidence.
Sushruta – Ancient Ayurveda Practitioners
Sushruta can rightly be called the father of surgery and plastic surgery. He practiced salya tantra (surgery) in 600 BC. Some researchers tell that Sushruta wrote his books somewhere between 400 BC and first century AD. Even if the latter claim is taken into account, you can ensure that Sushruta is the first in the world to narrate a clear-cut process for surgery, with accurate details of the sastras (weapons) to use, which have striking similarities with modern surgical equipments in every aspect.
He clearly describes the method of doing plastic surgery on a nose, or an earlobe. The method of reconstruction of a mutilated nose from cheek tissue is acceptable even today.
Susruta believed that one cannot be a complete vaidya (Ayurveda practitioner) without the complete knowledge of medicine and surgery. However, it may not be right to believe that Sushruta invented surgery or plastic surgery. It might have been practiced by many physicians before him. It is possible that he just elucidated the details for the first time.
Susruta was born in the family of Viswamitra, a prominent figure in Indian mythology. He practiced medicine and surgery under Divodasa Dhanvantari. Surgeons of ancient India were called dhanvantareeyans, because Lord Dhanvantary is believed to transfer the knowledge of surgery to humankind.
Susrutha also recommends giving wine to the person before performing surgery. This wine gives numbness to the person and leaves the person insensitive to the operation.
Madhavacharya or Madhava Acharya – Ancient Ayurveda Acharyas
Madhavacharya’s contribution to Ayurveda includes his inferences to pathology and diagnosis of diseases.
He lived in south India in 9th or 10th century AD. Madhavanidana is the authentic book that describes nidana or the diagnosis process of various diseases. Madhava described pathology, diagnosis, causes, symptoms and conditions of various diseases.
Jivaka (Jeevaka) – Ancient Ayurveda Acharyas
Jivaka or Jeevaka is a much quoted name in the history and teachings of Ayurveda. The main reason can be Jivaka’s test, the test given by his teacher, Atreya Acharya on completion of his medicine studies. He, like other disciples of Atreya had to bring a herb or a leaf with no medicinal value. Jivaka, could not find such a plant or a herb. However, it was only a manifestation of superior knowledge he had on the value of plants, herbs and all elements of nature.
Buddhist texts have elaborate mentioning of Jivaka as the physician of Lord Buddha. Like sushruta, Jivaka also is believed to perform surgical procedures.
Charaka – Ancient Ayurveda Practitioners
Charaka lived in India in third or second century BC. Charaka Samhita, his book on Ayurvedic way of life and treatment has words of wisdom that modern researches and medical science accept after a gap of 2,000 years. He took the knowledge from Acharyas like Athreya and Agnivesa.
Prevention is better than cure – this sentence can appear to be a cliché today, but Charaka Acharya has told about the importance of lifestyle balancing for a healthy living more than 20 centuries ago. In his book, he details each and every aspect of leading a healthy life, eating healthy food, finding medicinal herbs when someone feels unhealthy or diseased, the quality of herbs occurring in the nature and its effect on human body.
Charaka puts a direction for everyone who attempts to practice Ayurveda – a physician who is not capable of entering the body of a person with the lighted lamp of knowledge cannot treat diseases.
Charaka Samhita is the first Ayurvedic text that details the body types, the three doshas or tridosha. Charaka is also the first to describe the processes of metabolism and immunity. Metabolism or digestion and absorption of food can vary in persons of different dosha types. The same amount of food can give different levels of nourishment and energy to different persons. Identifying the physical type of a person is thus the most important part of Ayurvedic treatment.
The three doshas – vata, pitta and kapha when in a balanced state, the person enjoys health.
There are some differences of opinion about Charaka as a person. He is believed to be the son of a nomadic sage. There are also counter opinions that Charaka is a group of Ayurvedic practitioners that traveled from one place to another. They served with Ayurvedic treatment to people wherever they went.
Bhavamisra Ancient Ayurveda Practitioners
Bhavamisra or Bhava Misra was an Ayurvedic practitioner lived in 16th century AD. His contributions to Indian medicine include his compilation of vast treatise by Bhava Prakasa. The compilations have reference to all the different branches of zoology and medicine – anatomy, embryology, physiology, pathology, diseases, diagnosis, medicines, etc.
He is also the first to explain several concepts appearing in ancient Ayurvedic scripts. Bhavamisra studies medicine systems prevailed in other countries like Persia and Sri Lanka.
Atreya – Ancient Ayurveda Acharyas
Atreya Acharya was the teacher of Agnivesh or Jeevaka (Jivaka) who was the physician of Lord Buddha. Atreya had Ayurvedic education under Bharadwaja. His original name was Punarvasu. Atreya means the son of Atri. Atri, the sage is believed to live in India between 8th and 6th century BC. Atreya Samhita, a collection of 46,500 verses on Ayurvedic concepts is his work.
He is the first to describe six tastes – sweet, astringent, bitter, sour, salty and pungent are the six tastes that humans experience. Each taste has specific effect on human body and characteristics.
He classifies diseases as curable and incurable. He also directs the practitioners to choose the patients to attend and not to.
He is the first to give a detailed description of diseases, its causes, and cures. Atreya has also classified poisons and toxic substances.
The cornerstone tridosha concept of Ayurveda is also a contribution of Atreya Acharya. Charaka, Sushruta, Vagbhata and other ancient Ayurveda practitioners got the basics from Atreya Acharya.
Although no one can give an accurate picture of the origin of Ayurveda as a life science, the oldest available records of this complete science of life and medicine runs to and ends at Atreya Acharya.
