of life, viz., virtue, worldly pursuits, pleasure, and liberation, is subject to diseases which emaciate and weaken it, deprive the senses of their functions, and cause extreme pain. These diseases are great impediments to our worldly affairs and bring on premature death. In the face of such enemies, how can men be happy ? It is necessary therefore to find remedies for such diseases." They turned to sage Bharacl- vaja, and thus addressed him : —
"O sage, thou art the fittest person among us : Go thou to the thousand-eyed Indra, who has systematically studied the Ayur Veda, and by acquiring from him the knowledge of that science free us, sage, from the scourge of diseases."
"So be it," said the sage ; who at once went to Indra and thus accosted him : —
"O Lord, I have been deputed by the parliament of sages to learn from you the remedies for the direful diseases that afflict mankind. I pray you, therefore, to teach me the Ayur Veda."
Indra was pleased with the object of his mission, and taught him the Ayur Veda in all its parts. Bharadvaja recounted the precepts he had acquired to the other sages who had deputed
