DHANVANTARI : A SYMBOLISM OF HEALTH IN AYURVEDA

Dhanvantari significance in Ayurveda article by Dr. Parthasaradhi Kolla Ayurveda Doctor in Tirupati. Lord Dhanwantari resembles health in Ayurveda and Dhanteras Divas is also the National Ayurveda day as declared by the Indian Government, itself signifies the importance of Dhanvantari in Ayurveda. Lord Dhanwantari, as per Hindu Vedas and Puranas, is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Dhanvantari is said to be the God of Ayurvedic medicine and physician of the Gods. Lord Dhanvantari is worshiped by devotees to seek his blessings and for sound health.

DHANVANTARI GOD OF AYURVEDA - ARTICLE BY DR. PARTHASARADHI KOLLA AYURVEDA DOCTOR IN TIRUPATI

Dr. Parthasaradhi Kolla M.D (Ay) MSc (Psy) describes about the significance of Lord Dhanvantari in Ayurveda.

LORD DHANWANRARI AYURVEDA GOD OF HEALTH IMPORTANTDETAILS

Let us take a look the details relating to Lord Dhanvantari The Ayurveda god of good health and wellness.

Incarnation of Lord Dhanvantari

According to Shreemad Bhagwat and Sushrut Samhita , Lord Dhanvantari emerged from the ocean , With VASUKI as the rope and Mount MANDARA as the churning rod, they churned the ocean till it yielded several valuable things such as desire-yielding trees, a cow, the flying horse, the white elephant and nymphs, Moon and LAKSHMI.

Finally came DHANVANTARI the divine physician, holding the pitcher of AMRITA the elixir of life that could bestow immortality. DHANVANTARI has many myths and legends woven around him. Normally shown as clad in bright yellow silk, He is depicted with four hands- the upper pair of hands carrying sankha and chakra, and the lower pair, a (golden) leech (jalookaa-medical term Hirudo Medicinalis) and kamandalu (pitcher) (sometimes shown as a blood letting bowl). Sometimes he is shown with the text of the upaveda, AYURVEDA and medicinal herbs. Sometime he is shown with a tulasi-seed garland around his neck and a plant-wreath halo. His complexion is blue, making Him another incarnation of VISHNU. Interestingly, the leech was part of the doctor’s kit in olden days since it was used to suck out impure blood from the patient‘s body. Even now, extract from its saliva is used to prevent clotting .Lord Dhanvantari protects all living beings from diseases, untimely death and eliminates sorrows.

DHANVANTARI MANTRA FOR GOOD HEALTH

Lord Dhanvantari Mantra is the prayer addressed to appease Lord Dhanvantari, the God of Ayurvedic medicine. Lord Dhanwantari is considered to be the earliest practitioner of Ayurveda of traditional medicine native to India.

The Dhanvantari mantra is recited to remove fears and diseases, those wishing to improve their health and eradicate diseases recite this mantra. People pray to Dhanvanthari, asking him for improved or good health for themselves and for others. Mantra of Dhanwantari with its meaning is as follows:

Dhanvantari Mantra:

धन्वन्तरी मंत्र :

ॐ नमो भगवते

महा सुदर्शना

वसुदेवा धन्वंताराया ;

अमृता कलसा हस्थाया

सर्व भय विनासाया

सर्व रोका निवारानाया

थ्री लोक्य पठाए

थ्री लोक्य निथाये

श्री महा विष्णु स्वरूपा

श्री धन्वन्तरी स्वरूपा

श्री श्री श्री

ओउषता चक्रा नारायणा स्वाह”

Om Namo Bhagavathe

Maha Sudharshanaya

Vasudevaya Dhanvantaraye;

Amrutha Kalasa Hasthaaya

Sarva Bhaya Vinashanaya

Sarva Roga Nivaranaya

Thri Lokaya Pathaye

Thri Lokaya Nithaye

Sri Maha Vishnu Swarupaya

Sri Dhanvantri Swarupaya

Sri Sri Sri Aoushadha Chakra Narayanaya Namaha

Meaning of Dhanvantari Mantra (Translation Sanskrit to english)

We pray to the God, who is known as Sudarshana Vasudeva Dhanvantari. He holds the Kalasham full of nectar of immortality. Lord Dhanvantri removes all fears and removes all diseases. He is the well wisher and the preserver of the three worlds. Dhanvantari is like Lord Vishnu, empowered to heal the Jiva souls. We bow to the Lord of Ayurveda.

Short (Eka Sloka) Dhanvantari Mantras

Namami Dhanwanthary Aadi Devam, Surasura Vanditham Pada Padmam, Loke Jara Rugbhay Mrityu Nashakam, Datharam EeshamVividhaushadhinam.

Meaning: - “O Lord Dhanvantary, I bestow before you. Your Lotus foot is worshiped both by the Sur [Good people] / Asur [Demons or Bad people]. You have the power to keep away people of this world from miseries, diseases, ailments, oldness, fear of diseases. O God, give me your blessings and medicines to cure the sick humanity.

Dhanteras birthday celebration of Dhanvantari God of Ayurveda

Every year Practitioners of Ayurveda (the Indian traditional medicine) celebrate Dhanvantari Jayanti with much devotion on two days before Deepavali, i.e., each year on the 13th day (trayodasi) of the waxing moon, the Hindu festival of Lights. Goddess Mahalakshmi also re-born on the same day and therefore the birth days of Goddess Lakshmi (Dhan Teras) and Lord Dhanvantari are celebrated on the same day.

The word 'Dhanvantari' meanings

The word DHANVANTARI affords different interpretations:

(a) The word dhanus is only indicative (upalakshna). It denotes the science of surgery. The one who has seen the end (anta) of it is DHANVANTARI.

(b) The word dhanvan means a desert. (Compare RIGVEDA V.36.1] dhanvachara meaning, he who moves in a desert).

There is a mantra in the Veda: dhanvan Iva prapaaasi (Oh Lord! You are like the place where water is distributed to travelers in a desert.) Thus, DHANVANTARI the incarnation of Lord VISHNU with a pot of nectar in His hand is like prapaa (water spot) in the desert of worldly existence.

(c) The RAMAYANA (Balakanda, Sarga 45) describes him as a divine being, emerged from the milky ocean after a churning of 1000 years. He carried a kamandalu (water pitcher) in one hand and a danda (staff) in the other.

(d) The BHAGAVATA PURANA refers to DHANVANTARI as “smritamaatra aartinaasanah” (One who destroys all sufferings even when remembered).

(e) DHANVANTARI, DIVODASA and KASIRAJA are names of the same person who is “the first God and who freed the other Gods from old age, disease and death”, and who in his Himalayan retreat taught surgery to SUSHRUTA and other sages.

(f) The VISHNUDHARMOTTAKA PURANA (I. 73.41) which is a major text on iconography, suggests that, DHANVANTARI should be presented as surupa (handsome) and priya-darshana (pleasant in appearance), with two hands, carrying a pitcher of ambrosia in each hand.

DHANVANTARI is regarded as the patron-god of all branches of medicine. While DHANVANTARI is not credited with any medical treatise of his own, in the early accounts, there is a voluminous glossary and Materia medica known as DHANVANTARI NIGHANTU.

Even as there is the HIPPOCRATES’ oath for allopathic doctors, so is there the DHANVANTARIoathforAYURVEDICpractitioners.

Based on Vedic traditions, he is regarded as the source and fountainhead of Ayurveda. He perfected a system of herbs and roots based on Ayurvedic cures, natural remedies and incorporated in his overall regimen of cures.