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Longevity

Ch. (1) - How Ayurveda Textbook Or Classical Scriptures Were Originated And Who Wrote Them?

This part of longevity chapter deals with the learning of Ayurveda by Bharadwaja and then its passage to other sages. Atreya taught Ayurveda to six of his disciples and they wrote it down in the form of Ayurveda textbooks.

Bharadwaja Learning And Qualities Of Ayurveda:

"Indra imparted the wisdom of Ayurveda to Bharadwaja. Ayurveda is related to both the healthy and diseased. The ayurvedic wisdom had been threefold - Cause of disorders, clinical features and their holistic management. Ayurvedic wisdom is auspicious, beneficial and eternal. Bharadwaja received Ayurveda as it had been realized originally by Brahma." (Charaka Samhita, Sutra Section, Ch. 1/24-26, Longevity)

Dr Vikrama's Commentary: Bharadwaja received the knowledge of Ayurveda in its entirety and and 'as-it-is' from Indra. That kind of transfer of learning occured at very high level of consciousness.

The highly focused mind, the attuned intuition and receptive heart of Bhardwaja enabled him to get this wisdom in its purity. That is why all this learning took very little amount of time as compared to an average person.

Now we concentrates on attributes of Ayurveda in the above verse. Ayurveda belongs to both the healthy individuals and diseased persons. Healthy persons can enhance their health and live healthier and happier and pursue their worthy goals in life.

The persons suffering with disorders can help them to get rid of disorders and thus can be healthy again. For dealing with disorders, the ayurvedic medicine has three main fields - knowledge of causative factors or etiology and pathological process; the clinical features of the disease and its complications; and finally various holistic tools for the management of disorders. This specific knowledge is scientific, practical and relevant and still used by all doctors when they are dealing with disorders.

Thus we can understand that ayurveda is beneficial for all persons. Ayurveda is auspicious or sacred because it empowers us to pursue our goals and aspirations in life.

Ayurveda is eternal. I know of the times when I saw that my juniors came to me to get this point in Ayurvedic college. This word is grossly misunderstood. Eternal means that one has existed from the begining. It didn't say that Ayurveda books existed right from the begining of creation. It doesn't imply mythological facts.

Eternal stands for the fact that Ayurvedic principles were operational right from the begining of creation whether we have realized them or not. This is perfectly true. Like, gravitational force is eternal. Gravity has existed right from the day when earth was originated. Ayurveda is the natural wisdom of Nature that is already operating in life.

Ayurvedic principles are a set of realized wisdom and learning and it is self-evident and verifiable right inside us, in our day to day dealings. We don't need laboratories, though they can affirm and further validate. So Ayurvedic wisdom is eternal or operational right from the begining.

Ayurveda mentors or sages just dealt with Ayurvedic principles like Newton did with gravitational force. Ayurveda is constantly evolving in historical and medical sense. There had been new additions of herbs, treatment and pharmaceutical modalities.

The sage Bharadwaja was able to receive the wisdom of Ayurveda and realized it as it had been operational in Nature.

How Ayurveda Textbooks Were Written Down And Who Wrote Them?

"The highly intelligent Bharadwaja received the ayurvedic wisdom in a short period with his intuitive concentration. He realized the infinite workings and manifestation of ayurvedic principles being operational in Nature. Bharadwaja enjoyed longevity and happy life and he disciplined other sages with that wisdom in its entirety as was received by the great one himself."

"Other sages received Ayurveda with the desire of longevity and welfare of society. Then all the sages realized Ayurveda and six substances (Generaliy, Specificity, Matter, Quality, Activity, Relationship) intuitively in their life."

"In the next tradition, Punarvasu Atreya who learned Ayurveda from Bhardwaja, disciplined six disciples in Ayurvedic wisdom with the desire of compassion and friendship for all. Agnivesha, Bhela, Jatukarna, Parashara, Harita and Ksharapani were the six disciples."

"Agnivesha was the most intelligent of all and so he ended first with a great scripture of Ayurveda. Agnivesha was followed by other disciples with their own scriptures. All these Ayurveda textbooks were reviewed by Punarvasu Atreya and other sages."

"The sages found all these Ayurveda textbooks in their entirety and found therein all the principles that they have taught to their disciples. The sages were pleased by this effort of their disciples for the greater benefit of mankind and for longevity. All the Gods and Great ones bestowed their blessings on those disciples for they were instrumental for the begining of new era in Ayurvedic wisdom."

"All the six main Samhita of Ayurveda were established and well recognized for their apt content. Agnivesha and other disciples were blessed with longevity, intelligence, power of execution, memory, wisdom, fame, compassion, kindness and other virtues." (Charaka Samhita, Sutra Section, Ch. 1/27-40, Longevity)

Dr Vikrama's Commentary: OK, we have witnessed how the great disciples of ayurvedic sages learned Ayurveda and become famous and recognized for their own written Ayurveda textbook.

We see it as a common practice even today that most of the experts write articles or books in their field of expertise. Genuinely recommendable and practical!

Presently only Agnivesha written 'Agnivesha Tantra' is available in rather textbook form. It is transformed by Charaka and thereafter this book became famous as Charaka Samhita. Other ancient books are either partially available or became unavailable during the course of history.

The good qualities of longevity, health and intelligence represent the characteristics of a person who is holistically healthy, whose body, mind and soul is healthy. So it is natural that these prime disciples of original ayurvedic sages were blessed by these virtues of a healthy and happy life.

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