Essay name: Surgery in ancient India (Study)
Author:
P. P. Prathapan
Affiliation: Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit / Department of Sanskrit Sahitya
This essay studies Surgery in ancient India based on Sanskrit sources such as the Sushruta Samhita. These references indicate evidence of theoretical and practical knowledge of hygiene rivaling contemporary routine practices. Further topics include Ayurveda, a historical study of surgery, surgical schools and instruments used in ancient India.
Chapter 1 - Ayurveda and Sanskrit literature
34 (of 54)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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34
emerged as a reaction to this degradation of life and religion under
Br膩hma峁噄sm. The life of Buddha and his teachings are well known. The
main purpose of his teaching was to enable one to achieve salvation by
understanding the causes of human sufferings and eliminating them.
Buddha revolted against the prevalent br膩hma峁噄cal religion and worked
against the rigid caste rules and laws according to Var峁嘺. He stood for
equality among people and pleaded for virtue and simplicity in life. As a
result of his teaching a system of education developed which is known as
the Buddhist education.
Buddha regarded that yaj帽a was purposeless. He was not
interested in the speculations about 膩tma or brahman. He did not follow
that style of education. He gave importance to the analytical study of
fundamental problems of life and moulded religion in a novel form. But
like the ancient Indian philosophy reflected in the Upanisads, Buddha
considered Dharma as the highest aim of life. The Buddhist sangha and
viharas were the sources of preaching of this dharma which instructed the
principles of right conduct and right ways of life.
The main educational centres of Buddhism were monasteries or
viharas. Buddhist sangha gave education which was parallel to the
gurukula system of the R峁s. R.K. Mukerji has pointed out that the
Buddhist system is practically that of the Buddhist order or sangha.
