From Myth to Medicine: Sāralā Dās's Integration of Āyurveda in Māhābhārat

Abstract

After countless years of Vyasa’s Mahabharat, Sarala Das’s Mahabharat in Odia language composed in 15th century, by the direct grace of Goddess Sarala (Devi Saraswati) is an immortal contribution to the myth narratives in Indian Literature. Contemporary research in Sarala Literature reveals a lot of secrecies to cure physical ailments – both psychic and physical, through common beliefs like quack treatment or the so-called ‘Jadibuti Chikitsha’ in colloquial language. Till the beginning of 15th century Sarala Das both a poet and social reformer, a seasoned Ayurvedic Physician, acclaimed as ‘Adikabi’ (First Poet) of Odia language and literature provides ample cues in his literature to cure various physical and mental disorder by a common method of astronomy and astrological calculation or natural curative agents such as herbs, shrubs or plants to mitigate the pain. It is an important organ of folk culture before the stepping up of advanced medical science to human society. The present study, therefore, goes to focus upon Sarala Mahabharat where without any scientific basis or perhaps, Sarala Das, deliberately keeping the scientific reasons secret thereof, has revealed the miracles of common cure. The then society, strongly anchored upon unreason blind beliefs such as / quackery, necromancy, mantra, tantra, herbal treatment, astrology and astronomy etc. is resolved to find out the probable instant therapies or therapeutic reliefs for the mankind through Sarala’s Ayurveda as revealed in his Mahabharat. Quack treatment since Charak and Shusruta, without the scientific angle, is a riddle for modern man. Curious enthusiasts and researchers have of late churned out the basic of Ayurvedic Treatment or Jadibuti as explained in Sarala Mahabharat for the benefit of human beings among the complicacies of modern medical science and the emergence of strange diseases along with.