THE SUSHRUTA SAMHITA
SUTRASTHĀNAM.
CHAPTER I.
Well, we*[1] shall now describe the origin of the Science of Medicine, as disclosed by the holy Dhanvantari to his disciple Sushruta. (Vedotpattimadhya'yam).
Once upon a time, when the holy Dhanvantari, the greatest of the mighty celestials, incarnated in the form of Divodasa, the king of Kási, was blissfully seated, in his hermitage, surrounded by a concourse of holy Rishis; Aupadhenava, Vaitarana, Aurabhra, Paushkalávata, Karavirya, Gopura-rakshita, Sushruta and others addressed him as follows:—"O Sire, it grieves us much to find men, though otherwise well befriended
- ↑ * The present work which originally formed the subject of a discourse by the holy sage Dhanvantari to his disciple Sushruta, has been compiled in its present form by the venerable Nagarjuna, and is accordingly designated as the Sushruta Samhitá.