5-Vet Science in Ancient India
5-Vet Science in Ancient India
5-Vet Science in Ancient India
Dr Ashok S. Nene
Sage Gautama composed the Gautam Samhita which dealt with the
treatment and management of cow.
In the later Vedic (1000-600 B.C.), Buddhist (600B.C.) and Maghadha
(400 B.C.) period, horse riding became common. During the Gupta dynasty
(300-550 AD) in Samudragupta’s army horses became more important war
animals than elephants because of their speed and easy manoeuvarability.
Kautilya’s Arthasastra presents an excellent picture of hygienic and well
ventilated animal houses attached with these veterinary hospitals. Further,
Alexander the Great, when invaded India, acquired some of the important
indigenous skills utilized by Indians to cure the diseases particularly snake
bite. Charaka, a renowned physician who composed Charaka Samhita, had
also devoted chapter II to veterinary science. Perhaps the practice of animal
and human treatment acquired status of separate profession during later
Vedic and epic period with the emergence of prominent veterinary experts
including Salihotra, Palkapya, Rajpaputra and Nakula.
References
1. Nakula, Shalihotra, Khemaraja Shree Krishna Dash (1929)
Venkateshwara Press, Mumbai.
2. Nakula, Aswachikitsitam, Shree Jivananda Vidyasagar Bhattacharya
(1893) Siddheswara Yantra, Kolkata.
3. Nakula, Aswasastram, S. Gopalan (1952) Tanjore Maharaja Serfoji‘s
Saraswati Mahal Library, Tanjore.
4. Palakapya M, Gajashastra, Subrahmanya Shastri MKS, Gopalan S
(1958) from the Tanjore Maharaja Serfoji‘s Saraswati Mahal
Library, Tanjore.
Shalihotra's principal work was a large treatise on the care and management
of horses, the Shalihotra Samhita (encyclopedia of the physician Shalihotra)
having some 12,000 shlokas in Sanskrit. It has been translated into Persian,
Arabic, Tibetan and English languages. This work described equine and
elephant anatomy, physiology, surgery and diseases with their curative and
preventive measures. It elaborated on the body structures of different races
of horses, and identified the structural details by which one can determine
the age of a horse. Two other works, namely Asva-prashnsa and Asva-
lakshana sastram are also attributed to Shalihotra. Nakul, author of the
Ashva-chikitsa, was considered an equine expert, while Sahdev was a
specialist in cattle management.
World's first vet was Indian. His name was Shalihotra and he was born on
Saturday, April 25, 2352BC (Vedic Age). The last Saturday of April is every
year celebrated as World Veterinary Day!
Surgical treatment of animal disease was very much developed during Vedic
period. Skilful surgeons treated animals with precision and great perfection.
Various techniques of surgical operations along with instruments have been
dealt in detail in Shalihotra‘s and Palakapya‘s works.
Looks straight.
Reads mind of the horse.
With non-shaking chest.
One whose legs move.
Knows when and where to hit the horse. All others are a burden
to the horse. SV 1.1
Veterinary Science in ancient India
चरकिशरमऩाद: िर्णभध्मैिदृष्टि:।
Horse trainer: For a horse trainer, Shalihotra specifies that the trainer
should hit;
ष्टत्रिोन्नि संहिभासनं च ॥
Barks (Jute)
Fruits (Cotton)
Cocoons (Silk)
Animal hairs (Wool) (Romaj or Lomaj)
Woolen cloth should be made of fine soft hairs. Animal skins are also used
for cloths. A cloth should preferably contain only one type of fiber. Cloth of
two types of fiber is considered inferior. A cloth with more than two types of
fibers is not suitable. SV 1.5
Hunting with dogs: Kings and noble men should keep dogs for hunting,
chasing or for games. Qualities of good breeds of dogs are many and those
are detailed in Yuktikalpataru. SV 1.6
Elephant:120 years
Horses:32 years
Cows:24 years
Asses and camels:25 years
Dogs:16 years
Jackals:25 years
Bees:14 days
Animal feed: The breeds were fed on barley and corn, and in the
Agnipurana,
शिूनभुर्द
ण कद मस्मास्िु ऩीिं दहति ऩाििं ।
SV1.7-Utility of a cow
दफ
ु र
ण ा व्मातध :बीिा ऩुस्ज्मिामास्व्दवत्प्संबू :।
1.3c- Time for milking: Wise men milk cows in the morning only. One
should not milk the tired cows returning home in the evening. SV1.9.
1.3d- Essential fodder: Proper food is essential for animals. Their health
depends on their food. It is therefore necessary to take the animals out to a
green land away from home so these animals eat properly. SV1.10.
SV1.10-Essential fodder
1.2f- Scrubbing: The animals get a pleasure when their bodies are
occasionally scrubbed some tools. If such arrangement is not made the
animals get injured by rubbing against a wall or trees. SV1.11.
SV1.11- Scrubbing
(Zoology in India)
Translated by M.Suderacharya
The names of birds are – Geese, Sarasa, Eagle & Hawks, Cranes, Crows,
Owls, Parrots, Peacocks, Pigeons, cocks, Chataka, Heron, Wagtails, Plava.
The text mentions life of 21 animals and birds. Elephant has a life of 100
years while rat has a life of one and half year.
All kinds of birds are said to be ornaments of tress. The organs of male and
female birds of any kind from Swan to Harita, could not be easily seen by
naked eyes. The male and female birds could not be easily identified. The
menstrual course could not be seen by human beings. But everything could
be seen and identified of all animals previously mentioned. Unless people
move very closely and minutely with all animals and birds, they cannot
Introduction: In our country more than 35000 persons die due to snake
bites. In Vedic period one Vidya (Technique) called ― Sarp Dev Jan Vidya‖
was in practice. Ref.Chhandogya Upanishad 7/1/12. The meaning of the
Sanskrit word ―Sarp -Snake‖ is a creature which crawls on ground.
Similarly meaning of another Sanskrit word ―Naag -Cobra‖ is a creature
which is unsteady. Vedic literature mentions three types of snakes namely,
Atharva Veda mentions many names for snakes and pythons out of which
–Adhashva and Ajagar (which swallows a goat) are well known. Cobra
amongst all varieties of snakes is highly poisonous.
Veterinary Science in ancient India
―Astik Parva‖ of 35th chapter of Mahabharat contains many names of snakes.
It is believed that snakes have very long life, because it drops its skin every
month. Like PraNayam Kriya snakes take a deep breth and exhales with
anaudible sound . Snakes do not build any habitat but occupies ant-hills or
rat holes. Snakes donot bite without ant reasonbut bite in self defence .
Yajur Veda (6.12) on the other hand asks people not to imitate qualities
of python (cruelty, laziness , aggressiveness) .
भाऽकहबूभ
ण ाण ऩृदािु: ॥ मजुवद
े ६।१२
Scrapping the wound area with a sharp knife and application of gun
powder.
Use of hot water, sand or common salt. Burning the wound area with
red hot coal.
Use of decoction of tamarind in sesame oil and blue vitrol as a drink
for the patient.
Decoction of foul smelling fish in water as a drink for the patient.
Preparation of paste of cactus roots in water as oral medicine.
The patient is asked to eat red chilies. In the beginning patient doen
not recognize the taste but as the effect of poison decreases the
person recognizes the taste . Then patient is serve with ghee to
neutralize the chilies.
Matras : Some people treat the patients by reciting Mantras, but it is a just
a psychological method to remove the fear of death from the mind of a
patient.
Nowadays use of Turpentine oil. Carbolic acid phenol etc is used as snakes
dislike smells of such materials.
Conclusion: In the end it can be concluded that snakes which enter into
residential area should be killed or caught alive. But snake in farms or
forest should not be killed and allowed to escape.
Matanga Lila
Matanga Lila is a treatise in Sanskrit dealing with the life and behavior of
elephants. The title has been translated as Elephant-sport. It is a treatise in
263 stanzas divided into twelve chapters of varying length. In the treatise,
the author's name has been mentioned as Nilakantha, but nothing more is
known about the author. From the popularity of the text in the region now
comprising the modern state of Kerala in India, it is thought that the author
might have lived there. Also, nothing definite is known about the date of the
work.
Matanga Lila is a text about the Indian elephant science, which is a technical
science dealing with the taming and training of elephants, and also the
anatomy and zoological features of elephants.[2] Franklin Edgerton, who
Outline of contents
The book is divided into 12 chapters. The first chapter describes the mythic
origin of elephants. It also contains a description of the various `castes' of
elephants. Chapter 2 describes favorable marks of elephants. This chapter
also describes the different sounds produced by elephants. Chapter 3
describes the unfavorable marks. They include the number of nails, presence
of external testes, undesirable marks on the trunk, on the penis, on the tail
and on other parts of the body. Chapter 4 deals with longevity of elephants
and Chapter 5 describes the various stages in the life of an elephant and
also gives names to various body parts of elephants. Chapter 6 deals with
measurements of elephants. Chapter 7 consisting of only three stanzas,
deals with prices of elephants. Chapter 8 is on marks of character. This
chapter also contains a classification of elephants based on their varying
sensitivity to stimuli. Chapter 9 deals with the state of mast and Chapter 10
with catching of elephants. Chapter 11, the longest in the whole work is
titled "On keeping of elephants and their daily and seasonal regimen". The
12th and last chapter deals with the character and activities of elephant
managers. Various commands including visual signs, oral, percussion, and
prodding are given. There is a section describing how and when these
commands are to be used so that the elephant will obey the mahout.
Shalihotra and the sage Agnivesa may have been pupils of the same
teacher; according to tradition, Bharadwaja's Ayurveda, the science of life,
was first presented in text form by Agnivesa, in his book the Agnivesh tantra
and later by Charaka (Charaka Samhita, encyclopedia of the physician
Charaka). Others assert the great surgeon Acharya Sushruta (c. 600
B.C.E.?), author of Sushruta Samhita (encyclopedia of the physician
Sushruta), may have been Shalihotra's pupil.[2]
Horses and elephants were vital assets in the never-ending warfare of the
ancient world. Physicians treating human beings were also trained in the
care of animals. Ancient Indian medical treatises such as those of Charaka,
Sushruta and Harita contain chapters or references about the care of
diseased, as well as healthy, animals.
Shalihotra's principal work was a large treatise on the care and management
of horses, the Shalihotra Samhita (encyclopedia of the physician Shalihotra)
having some 12,000 shlokas in Sanskrit. It has been translated into Persian,
Arabic, Tibetan and English languages. This work described equine and
elephant anatomy, physiology, surgery and diseases with their curative and
preventive measures. It elaborated on the body structures of different races
of horses, and identified the structural details by which one can determine
the age of a horse. Two other works, namely Asva-prashnsa and Asva-
lakshana sastram are also attributed to Shalihotra.
According to this book a horse has 1200 veins and their knowledge is
useful it treatment of horses. Average life of a horse is 32 years.
Reference
***.***
Or
AshvaChikitsam by Shounakulachatam
This text has 67 chapers dealing with the diseases of different parts of
horses,
***.***
In praise of Horses.
In praise of Raivata.
Horses loose their wings.
Anatomy of Horses.
Characteristics of Horses.
General Characteristics.
Age of Horses.
Avartas.
Horses of multiple colors.
Pundras.
Pushpas or flowers.
Neighing of Horses.
Smell of Horses.
Shade of Horses.
Trot of Horses.
Character of Horses.
Defects to be avoided.
Color of Jaw.
Blood stock of Horses.
Age of Horses.
A-Coins
B-Birds
C-Stamps
Animals
Name and Designation: Dr. A.S. Nene Retired Professor and Dean,
VNIT Nagpur.
Date of Birth: 10th July 1942
Name of the Institution: V.N.I.T. Nagpur (1972-2002)
Department: Civil Engineering
Field of Specialization: Geotechnical Engineering
Academic Qualifications : B.E., M.E. Ph.D. ,MIGS,MSET
Industrial Experience: Supervised more than 150 Consultancy projects
Award: Khosla Memorial Award (1987) by Roorkee Universit
Nomination: Nominated by Indian Geotechnical Society to Tech.
Committee TC-19 of International Society of Soil Mechanics &
Foundation Engineering ISSMFE on "Preservation of Historical Sites"
Developed six CAL-CAD, Self learning Software packages for
undergraduate students of Civil Engineering.
Patent on ―Use of Geo-foam geo-synthetics for expansive soils‖
Research Guidance: