Talk:Jīvaka, the Physician of Bhagavān Buddha
By Vishal Agarwal
The ancient town of Takṣaśilā, founded by Takṣa, the nephew of Bhagavān Rāma, became renowned centuries later as a great center of learning. Among the many disciplines taught there, Āyurveda, the traditional Vedic system of medicine, was one of the most celebrated.
One of its distinguished teachers was Bṛhaspati. One day, wishing to test the understanding of his favorite student Jīvaka, he handed him a spade and said,
- “Go within a radius of five miles and bring me a plant that has no medicinal value.”
Jīvaka searched far and wide, but after exploring the area, he returned empty-handed. Bowing to his teacher, he said, “Gurudeva, there is no plant without medicinal value. Every plant on this earth possesses some healing property or the other.”
Pleased with his disciple’s realization, Bṛhaspati replied,
- “You have truly grasped the essence of Āyurveda. No herb lacks usefulness; rather, it is the scarcity of wise physicians capable of discerning their proper value that limits their use. I now declare you a graduate, for you will indeed become a great healer.”
Bṛhaspati’s prediction proved true. Jīvaka later became the royal physician to Bhagavān Buddha and King Bimbisāra of Magadha. He also authored a medical treatise devoted to the treatment of children, portions of which survive today under the title Vṛddha-Jīvakīya Tantra.