Lord Dhanvantari is an outstanding personality in the history of Ayurveda. He was the physician of the Gods (in both the Vedas and Puranas) and an excellent surgeon. In Hinduism, worshipers pray to Dhanvantari seeking his blessings for sound healing. In his incarnation as king of Kashi, Divodasa, he was approached by a group of sages (including Susruta, the great Indian surgeon)
with the request to teach them the science of Ayurveda. Dhanvantari stated that Brahma composed the Ayurveda even before he created mankind, forming one of the upangas of the Atharvaveda in 100,000 verses arranged in 1,000 chapters,
which was not easy for the restricted intelligence of men to learn within their short life spans. So Dhanvantari complied with the sages’ request, recast Brahma’s Ayurveda into 8 divisions (shalya, shalakya, kayachikitsa, bhutavidya, kaumarabhrtya, agadatantra, rasayanatantra, vajikaranatantra) and began teaching within the framework of pratyaksa (perception), agama (authoritative scripture), anumana (inference) and upamana (analogy).
Lord Dhanvantari is a remarkable personality in the history of Ayurveda. He was the doctor of the gods and an excellent surgeon. Hindu worshipers pray to Dhanvantari in search of his blessings for a healthy healing. In his incarnation as Kashi’s king, Divodasa, he was approached by a group of sages (including Susruta, the great Indian surgeon) with the request to teach them the science of Ayurveda. Dhanvantari stated that lord Brahma had composed Ayurveda even before creating humanity, forming one of Atharvaveda’s upangas in 100,000 verses arranged in 1,000 chapters,
which was not easy for men to learn. the restricted intelligence of men in their short life. Then, Dhanvantari responded to the sage’s request, recast Brahma’s Ayurveda into 8 divisions:
1) Shalya
2) Shalakya
3) Kayachikitsa
4) Bhutavidya
5) Kaumarabhrtya
6) Agadatantra
7) Rasayanatantra
8) Vajikaranatantra
and began teaching within the framework of pratyaksa, agama, anumana and upamana.
Dhanvantari Namavali:
om dhanvantaraye namah | dharma-dhvajaya | dhara-vallabhaya | dhiraya | dhisana-vandyaya | dharmikaya | dharma niyamakaya | dharma-rupaya | dhirodatta gunojvalaya || 10 ||
dharma-vide | dhara-dharine | dhatre | dhatr-garva-bhide | dhatre-ditaya | dharadhara-rupaya | dharmika priyaya | dharmika-vandyaya | dharmika-jana-dhyataya | dhanadadi-samarcitaya || 20 ||
dhananjaya-rupaya | dhananjaya-vandyaya | dhananjaya sarathaye | dhisana rupaya | dhisana pujyaya | dhisanagraja sevyaya | dhisanadhipaya | dhisan-adayakaya | dharmika sikhamanaye | dhi-pradaya || 30 ||
dhi-rupaya | dhyana gamyaya | dhyana dhyatre | dhyatr-dhyeya padambujaya | dhi-svarupine | dhira -sampujyaya | dhira samarcitaya | dhira sikhamanaye | dhuram-dharaya | dhupa dhupita vigrahaya || 40 ||
dhupa-dipadi-puja-priyaya | dhumadi marga darsakaya | dhrsta-sammardanaya | dhrstadyumnaya | dhrsthadyumna stutaya | dhenukasura sudanaya | dhenu vraja raksakaya | dhenukasura vara-pradaya | dhairyaya | dhairya-vatam agranaye || 50 ||
dhairya-vatam dhairya-daya | dhairya-sthirakaya | dhiyam-pataye | dhaumyaya | dhaumyedita padaya | dhaumyadi muni-stutaya | dharma-marga-vighnasudanaya || 60 ||
dharma-rajnai | dharma marga paraika vandyaya | dhama traya mandiraya | dhanur-vatadi rogaghnaya | dhuta sarvadya vrndaya | dharana-rupaya | dharanamarga darsakaya | dhyana marga tatparaya | dhyana margaika labhyaya | dhyana matra sulabhaya || 70 ||
dhyatr-papa-haraya | dhyatr-tapa-traya-haraya | dhana-dhanya-pradaya | dhanadhanya-matta-sudanaya | dhuma-ketu vara-pradaya | dharmadhyaksaya | dhenu raksadhurinaya | dharani raksana dhurinaya | dhrta mohini rupaya | dhira
samarcitaya || 80 ||
dhrtasvini voda sarupaya | dharmabhi-vrddhi kartre | dharma goptre dharma bandhavaya | dharma hetave | dharmika vraja raksa dhurinaya | dhananjayadi vara-pradaya | dhananjaya seva-tustaya | dhananjaya sahayya-krte | dhananjaya stotra patraya || 90 ||
dhananjaya garva hartre | dhananjaya stuti harsitaya | dhananjaya viyoga khinnaya | dhananjaya gitopadesa krte | dharmadharma vicara parayanaya | dharma-saksine | dharma-niyamakaya | dharma-dhurandharaya | dhana-drpta jana-duragaya | dharma-palakaya || 100 ||
dharma-margopadesa-krd-vandyaya | dharma tanaya vandyaya | dharma rupa vidura vandyaya | dharma-tanaya stutyaya | dhi-dhrti-smrti-pradaya | dharmatanaya samsevyaya | dhikkrta-maharogarnavaya | dhara-mrta hastaya || 108 ||
dhrtamrta kalasa karaya srimad dhanvantaraye namah ||
