Kevalaodhi Buddhist And Jaina History Of Deccan Vol 2

Author(s): Aloka Parasher Sen, B Subrahmanyam, E Siva Nagi Reddy
Publisher: Bharatiya Kala Prakashan

Page 133

Contribution of Jainas to Medicine in Ancient Deccan
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the physicians as lököpakāras“. All the inscriptions record the land village gifts made to the physicians and they too were mentioned as maintaining learning centers at their homes. Here in the present record also, Mardanārya is mentioned as giving relief to the destitute and the Brahmins and also as a
Vaidyavidyāvilasaḥ, which indicates that he might have taken delight in spreading the knowledge of medicine by maintaining a learning center at home. These parahitas dedicated their lives to serve the patients and taught the students without receiving any remuneration from the beneficiaries, but received land grants in lieu of their services and to maintain gardens to cultivate herbs.
The third son of Mēda was Pampa, who used to take delight in singing devotional Jaina songs. Kõța, a successor in the family, whose parentage is lost in the damaged record had a son, Bhima, the recipient of the grant. Bhima is said in the record to have been an expert in the Jaina system of medicine, especially in dealing with the maternity (prasūti) cases.
The Sanigaram, inscription dated Ś. 973 (25th December 1051) registers the renovation of the Jaina temple and a grant of a water wheel made by Nārāyaṇa son of Rājavaidya of Kākatīya Bētarasara Preggada. There were many Jaina basadis that had spread all over the Deccan and many in the Telangana region. The Jaina scholars and the monks belonging to Müla Samgha of Kondakundācārya dedicated their lives for the promotion of learning. The itinerant Jaina monks of the Gauda Samgha and Dravida Samgha also served the people of the Deccan and strove for the promotion of ethics in the society.
Thus the present study makes it clear that the Jaina scholars in Andhra served the people by teaching medical science and treating the patients with their art of healing. They strictly adhered to the ethics enunciated in their philosophy even in the treatment of the subject and also in treating the patients. They were liberal in their attitude towards the promotion of the subject and accepted the merits of the other systems as well. Unlike the Buddhists, who discouraged only animal killings and not meat-eating, the Jainas did not compromise to make the principle a prey in treating the human beings at the cost of the lives of other living creatures and strictly adhered to the positive approach in the observation of the principle of non-violence (ahimsa). But at the same time, they did not discourage surgery, as some modern scholars have opined. It was effectively in progress according to the inscriptional evidences. To them, causing pain to save the life was no sin in itself and on the other hand, it was considered as more meritorious and ethical.
NOTES AND REFERENCES: 1. Jain, J.P., The Jaina Sources of the History of Ancient India, (100 B.C-AD 900), Munishiram Manoharlal, Delhi,
1964, pp. 146-147 2. Ibid. p.148 3. Ibid. 4. Bulletin of Indian Institute of History of Medicine, 1976, Vol. VIII (1-4), p.8 5. A Checklist of Sanskrit Medical Manuscripts in India, Institute of History of Medicine, Hyderabad, 1972, NO.503 6. Ibid. No. 688 7. Ibid. No. 420 8. Ibid. No. 687 9. B. Rama Rao, (Tr.), Kalyanakäraka, Bulletin of Dept of History of Medicine, 1965, p. 210 10. P. Hymavathi, Scientists of Andhra: Ancient and Medieval, Bhargava Publishers, Warangal, 1992, pp. 28-29 11. J. P. Jain, op. cit., 1964, p. 154 12. Ibid. 13. Ibid. pp. 152-58