Charaka and Sushruta Legacy:
The Vice-President commissioned the statues of Charaka and Sushruta at Raj Bhavan, Goa and recalled their contributions.
- Charaka (around 2nd century BCE and the 2nd century CE), known as the father of medicine, served as the royal physician of Kanishka (Kushan Kingdom).
- He authored the Charaka Samhita, a foundational text of Ayurveda.
- The Agnivesha Samhita, written by Agnivesa in the 7th century BCE under the guidance of Atreya, was revised and renamed the Charaka Samhita by Charaka, and divided it into eight sections known as Ashtanga Sthanas.
- Dhabala (scholar of Ayurveda) later added 17 chapters to the Charaka Samhita.
- Sushruta (7th–6th century BCE), an ancient Indian physician, is called the “Father of Surgery” and “Father of Plastic Surgery.”
- Sushruta was a disciple of Dhanvantari, one of the Navratnas of King Vikramaditya (Chandragupta II).
- He authored the Sushruta Samhita, one of the earliest texts on plastic surgery.
- The Sushruta Samhita is a part of Ayurveda’s Great Trilogy alongside Charaka Samhita and Astanga Hridaya.
- He performed and documented over 300 surgical procedures, including plastic surgery (e.g., rhinoplasty i.e., rebuilding of the nose), gutter removal, fracture management, and even caesarean delivery.
- He treated numerous cases of Oshtha Sandhan (lobuloplasty) and Karna Sandhan (otoplasty) as well.
