Ayurveda Scholars and Ayurvedic Texts

‘Acharya Susruta’ who is regarded as ‘the father of surgery’ is familiar to the medical world. He is the first one who demonstrates the technique of surgery in treatment and dissection in medical education. So a history of Ayurveda without his personal history surely remains incomplete and invalid. Now it is the apt time to search on the great surgeon who structured a new way of treatment in the medical science which was not at all there until then. ‘Susruta’ is a Sanskrit word which means renowned or learn in scripture. The name itself implies about the skill of the great man who has given the wonderful contribution- Susruta Samhita to the world. Chronologically Susruta stands in second among the first trio of Ayurveda who lived sometime around 800 B.C. As like the other ancient scholars of Ayurveda, Susruta also exists behind the curtain, giving only certain hints about him and his era. According to the most accepted arguments Susruta was the disciple of Divodasa, who was the king of Kasi. Susruta who was the author of Susruta Samhita was a follower of Sankhya philosophy. His character and thoughts were modified under the influence of the same. There is a marked difference in the case of Susruta that, most other ancient Ayurvedic scholars were known on the basis of their articles or books where as Susruta is famous for his skill in Surgical practices. Since Susruta focused in the field of surgery, it is clear that he was not at all interested in Boudhic principles. Contradicting those Boudhic doctrines, he encouraged the surgeries and dissection which on his view is the most important in saving the life of a sick. Susruta was an inhabitant of Northern India (Varanasi etc.) somewhere in the Gangetic areas. To search for the social status of Susruta in accordance with the caste system of then was also confusing, because generally the science of medicine is said to be practiced by the upper class, Susruta cannot be included in that group. Because for them the surgical practices over living body and dissection of dead body were forbidden then. So even from these availed data a clear image of Susruta is still illegible. On coming to the medical field, the position of Susruta Mountains up. Even the modern Allopathic system is in debt on our acharya for his indelible achievements in surgery. Susruta was more interested in treating diseases with devices than medicines. He was very fond of the structure and contents of the human body and its parts and so he keenly observed them all and pay attention to study them thoroughly. For that he used to dissect human as well as other animal’s dead bodies. Thus by his indefatigable efforts, he was able to attain the rank of the best surgeon ever in this world. He expressed his ideas clearly and systematically in his book. There we can see the equal importance given by him for the knowledge of science as well as practical knowledge. Susruta dealt with all types of diseases but in most he was given his own methodology of treatment including surgery, bloodletting, thermal cautery etc. along with medicinal drugs. Thus Susruta has given a new face to Ayurveda with scalpels and scissors. The plastic surgery, cataract surgery, management of fractures, dislocations etc. were well described by him. More than 300 surgical procedures were demonstrated by him. Another area of excellence of him lies in embryology and study on fetal development. Now these all are seem to be simple but the unforgettable fact is that Susruta explained all these even before two millennia where there was no scanning machines and microscope. This pays the divinity on him. Thus Susruta has given a new face to Ayurveda with scalpels and scissors. By the seminal and numerous contributions to the science and art of surgery, Susruta has crowned as the Father of Surgery. Yes a legend from the banks of the great Ganges.