| Dhanvantari | |
|---|---|
 Murti of Dhanvantari | |
| Devanagari | धन्वन्तरि |
| Affiliation | Vaishnavism,Adi Narayana,Deva,Siddhar |
| Abode | Samudra |
| Mantra | Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya Dhanvantraye Amrutha Kalasha Hastaaya Sarva Maya Vinashanaya Trailokya Nathaya Shri Mahavishnave Namaha |
| Weapon | Shankha,Chakra |
| Symbols | Amrita,Leech |
| Mount | Lotus |
| Festivals | Dhanteras |
| Genealogy | |
| Parents |
|
| Children | Ketuman |
Dhanvantari (Sanskrit:धन्वन्तरि,romanized: Dhanvantari, Dhanvamtari,lit. 'moving in a curve')[3] is the physician of thedevas inHinduism.[4][5] He is regarded as an avatar ofVishnu.[6] He is mentioned in thePuranas as the god ofAyurveda.[7]
During his incarnation on earth, he reigned as the King of Kashi, today locally referred to asVaranasi. Dhanvantari is also identified as the great-grandfather ofDivodasa, the King of Kashi mentioned in theVishnu Purana who is known as the father of surgery in Ayurveda.[8][9][10]
According to the ancientSanskrit workVishnudharamottara, Dhanvantari is a handsome individual and is to usually be depicted withfour hands, with one or two of them carrying a bowl ofamrita, the elixir of immortality.[11] Dhanvantari is depicted in a stark resemblance to Vishnu, with four hands, holding theshankha,chakra, jalauka (herb), and a pot containing amrita. He is often shown with a leech in his hand rather than the scriptures, symbolism for the historical practice ofbloodletting.[12]
Some texts describe him as holding a conch,amrita, medicinal herbs, and a book ofAyurveda.
TheBala Kanda of theRamayana[13] andBhagavata Purana state that Dhanvantari emerged from theOcean of Milk and appeared with the pot ofamrita (elixir of immortality) during theSamudra Manthana, whilst the ocean was being churned by thedevas and theasuras, using theMandara mountain and the serpentVasuki. The pot of amrita was snatched by the asuras, and after this event, Vishnu's avatar,Mohini, appears and takes the nectar back from the asuras. It is also believed that Dhanvantari promulgated the practice of Ayurveda.[14] Of special mention here is the treatise ofDhanvantari-Nighantu, which completely elucidates Dhanvantari's medicinal plants.[15]
TheBrahmanda Purana describes the origin of the physician deity:[16]
Let the origin of Dhanvantari be heard, O Brāhmaṇas. He was born formerly when the ocean was being churned, for the sake of nectar. At the outset, he was born before the Kalaśa (pot). He was encircled by a halo of glory all round. On seeing him having accomplished his task suddenly, Viṣṇu who was standing by said—“You are born of water”. Hence, he is remembered as Abja (water-born). Abja said to Viṣṇu—“O lord, I am your son. Allot me my share and place in the world, O excellent god.”On being told thus, the lord said after review in the factual position, “The division of the Yajña has already been made by the sons of Diti as well as the Suras. The due performance of Homas etc. has been laid down in the Vedas by the great sages. It is not possible to get Homa performed unto you at any time. As you are born subsequent to Vedas O god, you have no Mantra (assignable to you). O lord, in your second incarnation you will earn reputation in the world. Then you will attain the super-natural powers like Aṇimā (minuteness) and others. O lord, you will attain Deva-hood with this selfsame body. Brāhmaṇas (and other twice-born ones) shall worship you with Caturmantras (i.e. Mantras from the four Vedas), ghee offerings and Gavyas (materials of worship obtained from milk, milk products). You will once again reproduce the Āyurveda (the Science of Medicine). These incidents and events are inevitable and have already been visualised by the lotus-born lord (Brahmā) earlier. Undoubtedly you will be born in the second Dvāpara Yuga”. Therefore, after granting the boon, Viṣṇu disappeared.
— Brahmanda Purana, Chapter 67
During the second Dvapara Yuga, the King of Kashi, Dirghatapas, propitiated the physician deity for the birth of a son. The deity agreed to incarnate himself as the desired child as a boon. Dhanavantri proved to be a great king, and is described as the "dispeller of all ailments". He is described to have been exempt from infirmities and recognised as a "master of universal knowledge".[9] The sageBharadvaja educated him regarding the therapeutic practice of Ayurveda, and further caused him to study medicine. The king created a classification of his knowledge of medicine into eight fields and disseminated it to a number of diverse disciples.[16]
According to theBrahma Vaivarta Purana, Dhanvantari, accompanied by his disciples, once journeyed toKailasha. On the way, anaga namedTakshaka emitted a venom-spitting hiss. A disciple plucked the diamond upon the head of Takshaka and hurled it towards the earth. Upon learning these events, the powerful serpent-kingVasuki amassed thousands of serpents under the leadership of Drona, Pundarika, and Dhananjaya against the entourage. The poisonous emissions of all these serpents united to make the disciples of Dhanvantari faint. Immediately, Dhanvantari concocted a medicine made fromvanaspati, allowing his followers to recover and causing the snakes to faint in turn. When Vasuki understood what had transpired, he sent aShaiva serpent goddess,Manasa, to face Dhanvantari. Manasa sent the disciples of Dhanvantari into a swoon, but since the deity was proficient in the art ofVishvavidya, he soon restored his disciples to consciousness. When Manasa deemed it impossible to defeat Dhanvantari or his disciples, she held thetrishula given to her by Shiva and aimed it at Dhanvantari. Seeing this,Shiva andBrahma appeared before them and restored the peace, sending them all on their way.[17]
In Konkan, there is a Dhanvantari temple at Dapoli, District Ratnagiri, Maharashtra. It belongs to Dongare family and is owned and run by Vaidya Aniruddha Dongare. Many devotees from Konkan and rest of Maharashtra visit the temple and offer their prayers.
There are a few dedicated temples to Dhanvantari in South India especially inKerala andTamil Nadu, where ayurveda is highly practised and patronised. TheThottuva Dhanwanthari temple in Kerala is a particularly famous temple, where Lord Dhanvantari's idol is almost six feet tall and facing east. On the right hand the lord holds Amrita and Chakra with the left hand the lord holds Leech and Conch Shell The 'Ekadasi' day celebration, which falls on the same day as the 'Guruvayur Ekadasi' is of special significance.
InTamil Nadu, in the courtyard ofSri Ranganathaswamy Temple (Srirangam), there is a Dhanvantari shrine where daily worship of the deity is performed. In front of this temple there is an engraved stone believed to be from the 12th century. According to the writings on the stone, Garuda Vahana Bhattar, a great ayurvedic physician, established the statue inside the temple. Aprasada ortirtham, a herbaldecoction, is given to the visitors. The shrine is the oldest Dhanvantari shrine in the state.[18] Another Dhanvantari shrine is found in the second precinct ofVaradaraja Perumal Temple inKanchipuram.[19]
In theSiddhar tradition ofTamil Nadu, Dhanvantari is one of the 18 esteemedSiddhars of yore. TheVaitheeswaran Koil or Pullirukuvelur in the village of Vaitheeswarankoil, Mayiladuthurai,Tamil Nadu is home to hisJeevaSamadhi.[20][21][22]
Dhanvanthari temples in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry include:
In Varanaseya Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya,Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh state, one statue of Dhanvantari is present in the university museum. Two statues are at the headquarters of theCentral Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha atNew Delhi. There is another statue inside the Ayurveda Maha Sammelan office, Dhanawantari Bhawan at New Delhi and one statue of Dhanvantari is present at Mohyal Ashram inHaridwar.[citation needed]
There is a shikar style temple dedicated to the god in the Jaya Bageshwari neighbourhood ofKathmandu. The temple is near the famousPashupatinath temple.
Devotees pray to Dhanvantari to seek his blessings for sound health for themselves and others onDhanteras, two days beforeDeepavali.[29] It is also celebrated as National Ayurveda Day in India, which was first observed in 2016.[29]
Media related toDhanvantari at Wikimedia Commons| Dashavatara (for example)1 |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Other avatars | ||
1 The list of the "ten avatars" varies regionally. Two substitutions[clarification needed] involve Balarama, Krishna, and Buddha. Krishna is almost always included; in exceptions, he is considered the source of all avatars. | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
