Who is hailed as the “God of Medicine” by the practitioners of Ayurveda?
(A) Susruta
(B) Chyavana
(C) Dhanwantari
(D) Charaka
Answer: (C) Dhanvantri is an Avatar of Vishnu from the Hindu tradition. He appears in the Vedas and Puranas as the physician of the gods (devas), and the God of Ayurvedic medicine. It is common practice in Hindu ism for worshipers to pray to Dhanvantri seeking his blessings for sound health for themselves and/or others. Dhanvantri is depicted as Vishnu with four hands, holding medical herbs in one hand and a pot containing rejuvenating nectar called amrita in another. The Puranas state that Dhanvantri emerged from the ‘Ocean of Milk’ and appeared with the pot of nectar during the story of the Samudra or Sagar man than whilst the ocean was being churned by the devas and asuras, using the Mandara mountain and the serpent Vasuki.
