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 5 - Surgical instruments in Sushruta Samhita
38 (of 62)
External source: Shodhganga (Repository of Indian theses)
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education from him. I can understand the demerits of the Ayurvedic
education from the Ayurveda Medical College. In college we learn few
portions of the various texts but guru teach full text of Aṣṭāngahṛdaya first
to last portion. This is entirely different from the college studies where as
various texts are taught with different thoughts and ideas. In comparing
these texts with each other, we are sometimes confused. But one who
has studied Aṣṭāngahṛdaya deeply gets insight into the science. It is very
useful to the study of Caraka and Suśruta also.
56 57
Then
VMC Sankaran Namputiri remembering his guru Cherakulappuram
Namputiri says, "I approached Cherukulappuram and he accepted me as
sishya. Then he taught Aṣṭāngahṛdayam twice. The first round of
teaching a grantha is known as mukhāmukham. Teacher and student sit
face to face without any text. Guru chants the slokas from memory and
the student repeats. This will give the right pronounciation.
padacheda of the śloka is done and the stanza is split it into separate
words. Through finding out the main verb and doing akāmkṣa, anvaya,
the proper arrangement of words is done. Thus literal meaning of the
verse is understood. Usually referring to his own experience or some
stories of old vaidyas, Guru will explain it technically. Further analysis of
śloka will be done during the second round of teaching. Here each śloka
is thought with commentaries
on it. like Sarvāngasundari or
