Vagbhata

Who is Vagbhata?

Vagbhata is one of the three classical writers of ayurveda, along with Charaka and Sushruta, who wrote the Ashtanga Sangraha and the Ashtanga Hridayam Samhita. He is believed to have lived in the 7th century until the age of 135. In his writings, he often made references to Charaka and Sushruta .

Vagbhata was a Disciple of Charaka. Both of his books were originally written in Sanskrit with 3000 sutra. According to Vagbhata, 85% of diseases can be cured without a doctor; only 15% of diseases require a doctor.

The ancient Science of Life, Ayurveda, encompasses the sum total of the experience and knowledge of great sages and physicians, going back almost 5000 years. When speaking of the main proponents of Ayurveda during ancient times, three names instantly spring to the mind. They are Sushruta, one the earliest surgeons, Charaka, a medical genius, and Vagbhata. Together they are considered to be ‘The Trinity” of Ayurvedic knowledge, with Vagbhata coming after the other two. According to some scholars, Vagbhata lived in Sindh around the sixth century. Not much is known about him personally, except that he was most likely to have been a Buddhist, as he makes a reference to Lord Buddha in his writings, and his sons, grandsons, and disciples were all Buddhists. It is also believed that he was taught Ayurvedic medicine by his father and a Buddhist monk, named Avalokita.