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disciple. In the eighth or the last part of a book called Sālihōtra in the Madras
Oriental Manuscripts Library, Susruta is described as the son of Sālihōtra.
In the Mahābhārata, Susruta is described as the son of the sage Viswāmitra ;
other evidence also leads us to assume that Viswāmitra was, indeed, the
father of Susruta, and that Sālihōtra was only his teacher, and addressed him
as his son in the same way as a teacher may address his disciple as his son.
Though it is not our purpose now to elucidate these questions, it is clear that
Sālihōtra was the teacher of Susruta, who is considered to be the father of
Hindu surgery and whose work, the Susruta Samhita, has been proved by Pro
fessor Dietz to be of considerable antiquity.
The antiquity of Sālihōtra can again be inferred from the fact that he has
been quoted by Hāēmādri in Vratakāndnda. Some portions from his work have
been quoted in the Agni Purāna, the Matsya Purana, and the Garuda
Purāna, and this goes to prove that Sālihōtra's work is pre-Purānic.
Sālihōtra is again mentioned by Sarvānanda in his commentary called
Tēēkasarvasva of Nāmalingāsusāsana, the dictionary of Amarasimha.
Moreover, many other authors on horses, who are equally antique and
authentic, begin their writings by paying respect to Sālihōtra, as the originator
of the science. All this goes to prove that Sālihōtra is the foremost and indeed
' the father ' of all Indian authors on veterinary science.
His work on horses appears to be a very comprehensive one, consisting of
eight parts (16,000 slokas in 120 chapters) dealing with practical farriery. It
is a complete guide to the science of horses, dealing with their breeding, training,
feeding, watering, stabling, and grooming, their care in health and disease,
with an elaborate description of several diseases they are subject to, and their
treatment. The entire work is not extant. A portion of it is, however,
available at Tanjore, and other portions in stray parts are reported from Cal
cutta, Lucknow, Baroda and Nepal.
Age of Pālakāpya.—Next in importance comes Pālakāpya, the first and
the most ancient author on elephantology. About the date and authenticity
of his work, there appears to be some controversy. Burnell in his catalogue
says that Pālakāpya's Hasthyāyurvēda is no doubt a very modern compila
tion, even later than the Sārasangraha on horses. No reasons, however, have
been assigned by him for his conclusion. But Edgarton, Professor of Sanskrit,
Yale University, U. S. A., remarks in the introduction to his book The Elephant
Lore of the Hindus : ' All known texts agree in attributing the founding of
scientific elephantology to a mythical sage, Pālakāpya. They likewise agree
in making him reveal this elephant lore to an apparently mythical Rōmapāda,
King of Angās, whose name is not otherwise known, etc. '. The last portion
of the remark, viz. that the name of the mythical Rōmapāda, King of Angās,
is not otherwise known, is one which is not borne out by facts. The name of
Rōmāpada, King of Angās, occurs in the Bālakānda of the great epic Rāmā
yana, where it is-stated that King Dasaratha had invited to Ayōdhya, the sage
Rishya Sringa, the son-in-law of Rōmapāda, King of Angās. It is therefore
clear that Rōmapāda was a contemporary of King Dasaratha, and that
Pālakāpya's book on elephantology must be even older than the Rāmāyana,
as it is clear from the context in the Rāmāyana that King Dasaratha sent a
deputation to Rōmapāda, King of Angās, before the birth of Lord Rāma.
This points to the fact that the age of Pālakāpya and his work is the early
epic period. Again in the ninth skanda of Bhāgavatha, we find a reference to