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KRISHNASWAMY
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book called Vaidyaka Sarvaswa or 'All about medicines' and Sahadeva being
the author of a book called Vyadhisindhu Vimardana or 'The cure of the ocean
of diseases'. These two books are not now extant. But the book called
Aswachikitsa or 'The treatment of horses' as written by one Nakula is now
available to us in print.
Mrigasarma, Brihaspathi and Narada are the other persons whose names
are prominent in connection with the authorship of works on veterinary science.
All these were invited by King Rōmapāda to the conference of sages referred
to, in the beginning of Pālakāpya's book on elephantology and they are there
fore recognized veterinary authors of authenticity and antiquity, and contempo
raries of Pālakāpya in the early epic age. The works of Mrigasarma and
Nārada. are not so far available to us, but the work of Brihaspathi, known by
the name of Brihaspatimata, is to be found in the Government Oriental Manus
cript Library, Madras, but is not in print.
Then come the authors known by the names of Vaisampāyana and Vyāsa.
These two authors appear to be one and the same person, generally known by
the name of Vyāsa. The Editor of the Journal of Oriental Research, Madras
in his review of Edgarton's Elephant Lore of the Hindus in the April-June
1933 issue of the journal remarked that Vyāsa's work on elephantology was
not so far available to him. But during my search among the manuscripts
of the S. M. Library, Tanjore, in 1939, I found that the works on veterinary
science reported to be from the pen of Vyasa and Vaisampayana, viz. the
books on horses called Aswāyurvēda Sārasindhu or 'Treatment of horses' and
the one on elephants called Gajasāstram or ' The science of elephants ' both
under the authorship of Vaisampayana and another book on elephants called
Gajalaksshana Chikitsa or ' The treatment of the ailments of elephants '
under the authorship of Vyāsa are available there, but require detailed study.
Besides, as Vyasa is acknowledged to be the author of several of the Hindu
Purānas, it is likely that the copious information on veterinary matters avail
able in the Matsya, Garuda, Agni, Brahmānda, and Linga Purānas is of his
authorship.
Garga is the author of another work on the treatment of horses. Reference
to Garga as an author on medical science is made in a book called Prayōga
Ratnākara and in the Matsya Purāna. His work on horses was believed not
to be available, but during my recent tour in Orissa in connection with the
indigenous veterinary drugs enquiry scheme of the Imperial Council of Agri¬
cultrual Research , I came across a palm-leaf manuscript of this work in the
Ravenshaw College library at Cuttack.
Next in order come Gana, the author of a book on horses called Aswāyur
vēda Siddhayōga Sangraha (now available at the S. M. Library, Tanjore, and
Government Oriental Manuscript Library, Madras) Jayadatta Suri, the author
of a work on horses called Aswa Vaidyaka (now available in print) ; Malladeva
Panditha, the author of the book on horses called Aswāyurvēda Sāra Sindhu
(now available at the S. M. Library, Tanjore) and Dinapathy, Simhadatta
and Nala, whose works have not so far been traced. Though it is not possible
for me to discuss in detail the age and authenticity of each one of these authors,
frequent references to them and their works by later authors show that they
and their original works are very nearly as old as those of the earlier authors
dealt with above.