Acharya Vagbhata (आचार्य वाग्भटः)

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Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Bhela-Samhita, Harita-Samhita, and many other treatises on Ayurveda were composed, marking the initiation of composing treatises on Ayurveda. Thus, the transmission of Ayurvedic knowledge continued in parallel with its popularity. In continuation of this series of treatises, Acharya Vagbhata wrote Ashtanga Sangraha and Ashtanga Hrdaya. These treatises on Ayurveda were coming-of-age texts, keeping the coming generations in mind. “Ashta” means eight and “anga” literally means limb, thus Acharya Vagbhata dedicated himself to composing a work wherein all the eight limbs or aspects/fields of Ayurveda viz. kaya (general medicine), Bala (pediatric), Graha (Psychiatry and demonology), urdhvanga (head and neck), shalya (surgery), damstra (forensics and toxicology precisely), Jara or Rasayana (geriatric), vrisha or Vajikarana (Reproductive medicine) will be covered in depth.

Treatise written by Acharya Vagbhata

It is often opined by historians that Vagbhata 1(Vriddha Vagbhata) was the author of Ashtanga sangraha and Vagbhata 2 his grandson authored Ashtanga Hriday. Vriddha Vagbhata lived around the 7^th cent (625CE) whereas Vagbhata 2 lived a century later.

Ashtanga Hrdayais in the poetic form which makes it easier to memorize, whereas Ashtanga Sangraha is in a mixed form of verses and prose similar to Charaka Samhita. According to certain commentators, the writing in both is similar which makes Acharya Vagbhata the author of both Ashtanga Sangraha and Ashtanga Hridaya.

These treatises consist of 6 sections divided into 120-150 chapters written in the Sanskrit language. Ashtanga Sangraha is one of the brihat trayees (the three great trios), the other two are Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita.

Sections and Adhyayas in 2 treatises written by Acharya Vagbhata

Sthana	Ashtanga Sangraha	Ashtanga Hridaya
Sutrasthana	40	30
Shareerasthana	12	06
Nidanasthana	16	16
Chikitsasthana	24	22
Kalpasthana	08	06
Uttarasthana	50	40
Total	150	120

Period

Acharya Vagbhata was the son of “Simhagupta” hailing from a Brahmin family living in the Sindhu Desha (currently Pakistan). He was named after his grandfather “Vagbhata”. Acharya Vagbhata was the disciple of Avalokita.

Simhagupta also was a scholar (he has Vaidyapati attached to his name according to some manuscripts which means Physician of the king) and taught Acharya Vagbhata earlier.

Acharya Vagbhata quotes Avalokita as his Guru (teacher precisely) / preceptor. Avalokiteshwara was a chief divinity of the Mahayana sector of Buddhism and a manifestation of Buddha himself. His idols were seen during the Gupta period (300-550 CE).

Certain historians believe he later migrated to Ujjain (East of then India)

He lived around the 7^th Cent CE.

A Chinese traveler named Itsing who was in India in the 7^th cent mentions Ashtanga Sangraha.

Acharya Vagbhata mentions “saka” (belonged to Scythian ethnicity) in various verses and “saka” ruled up to the end of the 4^th cent.

Kapilabala”, father of Dridhbala mentions Ashtanga sangraha in 505-580 CE.

Concluding the above we can say Acharya Vagbhata’s precise period being the 7^th cent CE.

History and opinions of different scholars

The treatise Ashtanga Hrdaya is known as Prakaran grantha, which means text composed by researching or referring to Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita as manuals, (Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita are considered as Akara Granthas which means are original work of the authors)

It is often opined by historians that Vagbhata 1(Vriddha Vagbhata) was the author of Ashtanga sangraha and Vagbhata 2 his grandson authored Ashtanga Hrudaya. Vriddha Vagbhata lived around the 7^th cent (625CE) whereas Vagbhata 2 lived a century later.

Ashtanga Hrdaya is in the poetic form which makes it easier to memorize, whereas Ashtanga Sangraha is in a mixed form of verses and prose similar to Charaka Samhita. According to certain commentators, the writing in both is similar which makes Acharya Vagbhata the author of both Ashtanga Sangraha and Ashtanga Hrdaya.

Commentators Indu and Jejjata have used the term “Bahata” for “Vagbhta” which is a variant term that might have been popular during that era. Jejjta also calls Vagbhata “Mahajanupati Bahata” (here Mahajanupati means king of Mahajanu). Nischalakara, another commentator calls him “Rajarshi” (denoting king). Another commentator Bhattara Harishchandra refers to Vagbhata as the King of Mahajanda, a place near Karachi, Sindhu Desha, which suggests he might be the ruler of a small kingdom.

There are various controversies regarding the name of the author and the treatises. Acharya Vagbhata thus is a popular research aspect for many historians.

Different Vagbhatas mentioned as author of different books in history

According to Aufrecht’s: Catalogus Catalogorum which is a detailed registry of Sanskrit works and authors, there are ten Vagbhata as authors along with their works.

1. Author of Vagbhatasmritisangraha
2. Author of Ashtanga Hridaya, Vamanakalpa, Vagbhatiya
3. Author of Bahatanighantu
4. Author of rasaratnasammuchaya, Bhavaprakasha, PadarthaChandrika
5. Author of Chikitsakalika
6. Author of Vagbhatakosha
7. Author of Alankaratilaka, Sringaratilaka.
8. Author of Vagbhataalankara
9. Minister of Malavendra(kingdom)
10. Author of Todarananda

There is also mention of Madhya Vagbhata by certain Commentators, which might have lived between Vagbhata 1 and Vagbhata 2.

In 1938, research was conducted on the work of Acharya Vagbhata, Ashtanga Sangraha, and Ashtanga Hrdaya by Keith, winternitz, and Gode (writers of Indian Sanskrit literature) stated Vagbhata 1 as the author of Ashtanga Sangraha and Vagbhta 2 as the author of ashtanga Hrdaya. Later in 1941 a German translation of ashtanga hrdaya, summarized similar views by different authors.

There are certain facts that support the Vrddha Vagbhata and Vagbhata to be the same person. Few are listed below,

• There is a statement by the author at the end of ashtanga Hrdaya stating it to be the summarized version of ashtanga sangraha.
• In ancient India, there are certain occurrences of a single author writing a voluminous text first and later writing a smaller and easier version of the same text. For example, Vriddha Aryabhatta, Aryabhatta, Vriddha Gargya, and Gargyasamhita.
• Many verses present in Ashtanga Hrdaya are the same mentioned in Ashtanga Sangraha. The theme of composing both treatises also remains the same. (dealt with eight fields of Ayurveda)

Commentaries

• Commentaries on Ashtanga Sangraha
  1. Shashilekha written by Indu is the only commentary available at the present which was written around the 13^th Cent.
• Commentaries on Ashtanga Hrdaya
  1. Sarvangasundari written by Arunadatta
  2. Ayurvedarasayana was written by Hemadri
  3. Padarthachandrika is the work of Chandrananda
  4. Tattvabhodha and Hridayabodhika are also among the others.

Translations

Acharya Vagbhata’s work has been translated into almost all major Indian languages and few foreign languages.

• In 1941 Ashtanga Hrdaya was translated in the German Language as well.
• There is also a Tibetan translation of this treatise named “Rgud bzi” which was done around 755-797 CE
• During the reign of “Kharif Harun-Al-Rashid” this treatise was translated in the Arabic language named “ashtankar”