Dated 6th to 5th century BCE. < div > Location: Magadha, India, present-day South Bihar. < / div > < div > Gautama Buddha was preaching in this country. King Bimbisara was then on the throne of Magadha. One day, King Bimbisara's son Abhay was walking in a forest near Rajagriha (now Rajgir). Suddenly, he saw a group of crows at one place, crying out in his voice. As he came to his feet, he saw a newborn baby! Abhay brought the baby home and raised him in sonly affection. He was named "Jeevaka." As a child, friends used to ask Jeevaka about his mother and he used to taunt him. < / div > A sad Jeevaka once asked Prince Abhay about his mother.

Abhay told the truth, he found Jeevak in the forest. He did not know the identity of his parents. < div > Jeevak understood that Prince Abhay was his foster father and therefore had no right to his property. < / div > < div > Jeevak then decided to study Ayurveda for his living and went to Takshashila in Gandhara. The Rawalpindi-Peshawar region of present-day Pakistan was then Gandhara. < / div > < div > Takshashila was a long way from Rajgrih. Yet one day Jeevak reached Takshashila. Then he appeared to an Ayurveda teacher and told him about his passion. < div > Some said that the Ayurveda teacher's name was Atreyi. But for education, the Guru had to give the students a Gurudakshina. < / div > The Guru asked how much Dakshina Jeevak had brought.

Jivak said that he had run away without telling anyone. He was completely innocent. He also said that he was promising to be the Guru's slave after completing his education. Gurudev agreed to teach Jivak Ayurveda. Then Jivak began to learn everything by heart. The education that other students take fourteen years to complete, Jivak mastered it in only seven years. Then one day Jivak asked his Guru how long he would have to study like this. The Guru gave him four days to check all the plants he could find in the two-day area of this city. Then I will tell you.

Jivak looked around for plants without medicinal properties. This time he told the Guru with great hesitation. But when he heard this, the Guru was impressed. Jivak's education was complete. Then Jivak returned to his homeland. On the way, Jivak reached Saketnagar near Ayodhya. A woman from a noble family had been suffering from headache for seven years. Many doctors had failed. Jivak made a medicine by mixing hot butter in her nose. This medicine was cured by the patient. He gave Jivak a lot of money as a reward. Jivak gave that money to his foster son Prince Abhay. Abhay was satisfied and allowed Jivak to stay in his house and enjoy all his wealth.

Magadhraja Bimbisara was afflicted by Bhagandar. He was cured by Jivaka with a kind of ointment. Then Bimbisara was pleased and appointed Jivaka as his royal physician and gave him many villages as jagirs for his life. This time Jivaka healed his headache by an operation on the head of a nobleman of the royal house. Earlier, two physicians had failed. The fame of Jivaka, the royal physician, had spread all over. A rich son of Varanasi had a knot in his intestine. The boy was unable to eat any solid food. He survived by drinking liquid. With the permission of King Bimbisara, the rich man took Jivaka to his house. In this case too, Jivaka returned the intestine to its original place by an operation on the patient's slum. Everyone was shocked by Jivaka's treatment.

Magadhraja Bimbisara's friend was Avantiraj Chandapradyot Mahasen. He had severe jaundice. He was also intolerant of the smell of oil and ghee. At his friend's request, Jeevak was sent to Avantiraj. Jeevak went there and first asked for an elephant and its mahout to find medicine. Then one day, Jeevak fed Avantiraj a medicine laced with ghee and ran away on the elephant's back. Avantiraj was angry and ordered Jeevak to be caught. However, Jeevak was not caught. Meanwhile, Avantiraj recovered in a few days. Realizing his mistake, he rewarded Jeevak.

Gautama Buddha once had severe constipation. Jivaka suggested that he smell the three lotuses. Buddha was cured of the disease. Later, Buddha had a poisonous wound on his leg and Jivaka healed it. < div > At that time, many people were afflicted with deadly diseases like leprosy, leprosy, tuberculosis, etc. During this time, Jivaka cured many patients. All the above diseases and patients were treated by Indian Ayurveda. Unfortunately, that Ayurveda is now lost. And there is no Ayurvedic doctor like Jivaka. < / div >

References: < div > 1) Dictionary of Pali Proper Names by G. P. Malalasekera, London, 1960, < ID2 >, < ID1 > (Jivaka-Komarabhacha). < / div > < div > 2) Translation: Ishan Chandra Ghosh, 1st vol., Calcutta, 1323 CE, pp. < ID3 >. < / div >.