Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S
Bheshaja – medication
Vyakti – particular person
Bheshaja Vyakti are classes of people who find themselves talked about in Sushruta Samhita, who really don’t straight belong to the medical system however have lent a really helpful hand in evolution of Ayurveda system of drugs as a science, over generations. So far as Ayurveda is anxious, their contribution is immense.
They are often thought-about as ‘para-physicians of Ayurveda system of drugs’.
Allow us to see who these persons are whereas exploring the reference from Sushruta Samhita.
Ref – Sushruta Sutra Sthana, Chapter 37, verse 10 (Su.Su.37/10)
Bheshaja Vyakti: 5 vital Ayurveda Para-physicians
गिपकास्तापसा व्याधा ये चान्ये वनचारिणः ।
मूलाहाराश्च ये तेभ्यो भेषजव्यक्तिरिष्यते ॥१०॥
Bheshaja Vyaktis are individuals who have good information of medicinal herbs and vegetation and are much like physicians on this method. They’re referred to as as Bheshaja Vyakti and assist to construct the medical system with their immense contribution.
Beneath talked about is the record of people who find themselves referred to as as Bheshaja Vyakti.
1. Gopala – are cowherds, individuals who have a tendency cattle. In olden days (even right now in villages), the cowherds used to take cattle to the forests for grazing them. They need to know which vegetation are good for cattle and which aren’t. Additionally they had information of vegetation, roots and herbs which has descended via their familial career.
2. Tapasa – are ascetics. They’d rejected all riches and comforts of life and had been dwelling within the forests, of their hermitage. They too had exact information of herbs. Many ascetics knew the best way to use them within the type of medicines and put together easy treatments out of herbs and roots out there of their neighborhood and in addition taught individuals round them. They too handed on this data to their gen-next. They had been in true sense, the ‘mini medical doctors.
3. Vyadha – are hunters. Hunters too are wanderers. Searching was a career and a royal interest of the traditional occasions. Because the hunters roamed loads within the forests searching for their hunt and meals for his or her household, in addition they learnt concerning the flora to which they’re uncovered to. There have been possibilities and dangers that they get injured or attacked by animals very often after which wanted to know the vegetation which might are available in as fast first-aid for them. These individuals additionally had a exact information of the meat and animal merchandise. Lot of animal merchandise had been additionally used for preparation of medicines and therapies and these individuals had been the supply of that information. Additionally they most likely catered them to the physicians.
4. Vanacharina – are individuals who stay and roam round in forests, as in tribal individuals. There’s loads of information of tribal folklore medicines contributing in the direction of evolution of medical science, primarily Ayurveda, from time immemorial. Sure tribes have information of sure units of herbs and roots grown of their geography.
This additionally contains individuals who wander within the forests or make a dwelling there, dwelling by consuming the roots, vegetation, fruits and so on. out there wherever they stay or migrate. These individuals had immense information of the herbs and roots together with what is nice and what not. Some individuals additionally roam in forests to gather roots and herbs.
Hypothetical understanding of ‘Bheshaja Vyakti’ and the possible principle of their evolution within the historical past of evolution of Ayurveda medication
They cope with the medicinal herbs and therefore they’ve ‘bheshaja’ of their title / title. They aren’t medical doctors, so they aren’t referred to as Vaidya however in actual fact referred to as as ‘vyakti’ i.e. an individual. These individuals act as a bridge between the pure sources of medicinal vegetation, forest areas and the doctor who’s in want of these herbs to fabricate medicines. This used to come in useful for the reason that physicians couldn’t wander within the forests to gather the medicinal herbs. So, most likely there was an association that some people who find themselves linked to the forests, who had exact information of medicinal vegetation, coming from many generations and who had been wanderers had been employed by the physicians. These individuals grew to become helpers and used to often accumulate and ship the medicinal herbs to the physicians, most likely with a small favor from the doctor within the type of cash, meals grains or free session and remedy for his or her households. So, regardless of these individuals not being medical doctors, they grew to become vital members of the medical system and therefore referred to as as bheshaja vyakti. In all probability, in later occasions, this follow of accumulating and conveying the herbs to the physicians grew to become a household affair and doubtless a job / career or side-job for these forest dwellers. And people individuals handed this data to their subsequent technology and the following technology of dwellers would serve the following technology of physicians in the identical method.
Some amongst them, like Tapasa – the ascetics, not solely knew concerning the herbs and roots but additionally learnt utilizing them as medicines and in addition serving individuals with easy treatments ready from them. They had been ‘para-physicians’ by all sense they usually served individuals within the neighborhood within the absence of medical doctors round or when the individuals in that point couldn’t journey to cities to satisfy the physician. They had been individuals out there for ‘firsthand or first-aid assist’ and therefore Bheshaja Vyaktis.