One of the most famous incarnations of Lord Vishnu, Lord Dhanvantari is said to have emerged out of the milky ocean at the time when the demons and gods churned it to get the immortal nectar. Worshiped in the form of the god of medicine, Dhanvantari is given the supreme place in the Ayurvedic system of traditional Indian medicine.

In his incarnation as king of Kashi, Divodasa, he was approached by a group of sages (including Susruta, the great Indian surgeon) with the request to teach them the science of Ayurveda. Dhanvantari stated that Brahma composed the Ayurveda even before he created mankind, forming one of the upangas of the Atharvaveda in 100,000 verses arranged in 1,000 chapters, which was not easy for the restricted intelligence of men to learn within their short life spans. So Dhanvantari complied with the sages’ request, recast Brahma’s Ayurveda into 8 divisions (shalya, shalakya, kayachikitsa, bhutavidya, kaumarabhrtya, agadatantra, rasayanatantra, vajikaranatantra).

(www.ayurvedajournals.com)

“Dhanvantari, an incarnation of the God Vishnu, represents this truth in the tradition of Ayurveda. It is a reminder that however much we know or skillfull we become, everything still depends on the grace of spiritual nature. This knowledge is dedicated to the divine healer within you.”  - David Frawley