Bheshaja Vyakti: Meaning, Relevance in medical system

Article by Dr Raghuram Y.S. MD (Ay) & Dr Manasa S, B.A.M.S

Bheshaja – medicine

Vyakti – person

Bheshaja Vyakti are categories of people who are mentioned in Sushruta Samhita, who actually do not directly belong to the medical system but have lent a very useful hand in evolution of Ayurveda system of medicine as a science, over generations. As far as Ayurveda is concerned, their contribution is immense.

They can be considered as ‘para-physicians of Ayurveda system of medicine’.

Let us see who these people are while exploring the reference from Sushruta Samhita.

Ref – Sushruta Sutra Sthana, Chapter 37, verse 10 (Su.Su.37/10)

Bheshaja Vyakti: Five important Ayurveda Para-physicians

गिपकास्तापसा  व्याधा ये चान्ये वनचारिणः ।
मूलाहाराश्च ये तेभ्यो भेषजव्यक्तिरिष्यते ॥१०॥

Bheshaja Vyaktis are people who have good knowledge of medicinal herbs and plants and are similar to physicians in this way. They are called as Bheshaja Vyakti and help to build the medical system with their immense contribution.

 Below mentioned is the list of people who are called as Bheshaja Vyakti.

1. Gopala – are cowherds, people who tend cattle. In olden days (even today in villages), the cowherds used to take cattle to the forests for grazing them. They should know which plants are good for cattle and which are not. They also had knowledge of plants, roots and herbs which has descended through their familial profession.

2. Tapasa – are ascetics. They had rejected all riches and comforts of life and were living in the forests, in their hermitage. They too had precise knowledge of herbs. Many ascetics knew how to use them in the form of medicines and prepare simple remedies out of herbs and roots available in their vicinity and also taught people around them. They too passed on this knowledge to their gen-next. They were in true sense, the ‘mini doctors.

3. Vyadha – are hunters. Hunters too are wanderers. Hunting was a profession and a royal hobby of the ancient times. Since the hunters roamed a lot in the forests in search of their hunt and food for their family, they also learnt about the flora to which they are exposed to. There were chances and risks that they get injured or attacked by animals quite often and then needed to know the plants which would come in as quick first-aid for them. These people also had a precise knowledge of the meat and animal products. Lot of animal products were also used for preparation of medicines and therapies and these people were the source of that knowledge. They also probably catered them to the physicians.

4. Vanacharina – are people who live and roam around in forests, as in tribal people. There is plenty of knowledge of tribal folklore medicines contributing towards evolution of medical science, mainly Ayurveda, from time immemorial. Certain tribes have knowledge of certain sets of herbs and roots grown in their geography.

This also includes people who wander in the forests or make a living there, living by eating the roots, plants, fruits etc. available wherever they live or migrate. These people had immense knowledge of the herbs and roots including what is good and what not. Some people also roam in forests to collect roots and herbs.

Hypothetical understanding of ‘Bheshaja Vyakti’ and the probable theory of their evolution in the history of evolution of Ayurveda medicine

They deal with the medicinal herbs and hence they have ‘bheshaja’ in their title / name. They are not doctors, so they are not called Vaidya but in fact called as ‘vyakti’ i.e. a person. These people act as a bridge between the natural resources of medicinal plants, forest areas and the physician who is in need of those herbs to manufacture medicines. This used to come in handy since the physicians could not wander in the forests to collect the medicinal herbs. So, probably there was an arrangement that some people who are connected to the forests, who had precise knowledge of medicinal plants, coming from many generations and who were wanderers were hired by the physicians. These people became helpers and used to regularly collect and deliver the medicinal herbs to the physicians, probably with a small favor from the physician in the form of money, food grains or free consultation and treatment for their families. So, in spite of these people not being doctors, they became important members of the medical system and hence called as bheshaja vyakti. Probably, in later times, this practice of collecting and conveying the herbs to the physicians became a family affair and probably a job / profession or side-job for these forest dwellers. And those people passed this knowledge to their next generation and the next generation of dwellers would serve the next generation of physicians in the same way.

Some among them, like Tapasa – the ascetics, not only knew about the herbs and roots but also learnt using them as medicines and also serving people with simple remedies prepared from them. They were ‘para-physicians’ by all sense and they served people in the vicinity in the absence of doctors around or when the people in that time could not travel to cities to meet the doctor. They were people available for ‘firsthand or first-aid help’ and hence Bheshaja Vyaktis.