Initially I was interested in studying
and knowing the iconography of the Deities. I was pulled towards the Vaishnava
Iconography and started to read Vishnu Kosha by S.K Ramachandra Rao, Vaishnava
Iconography in the Tamil country by R.Champakalakshmi, The Iconography of Vaishnava
images in Orrisa by Thomas E Donaldson, Vaisnava Art and Iconography of Kashmir
by Bansi Lal Malla and a few more book on ancient sculptures depicting Maha
Vishnu. It was interesting to find that the sculptures of Vishnu from the Gupta
period (320 AD) had His attribute Sudarshana Chakra personified as a short and stout
person with a pot belly.
While knowing about the different
incarnations of Maha Vishnu and its iconography I was wondering why we normally
mention the Dasavataras alone where only the 10 incarnation of Maha Vishnu mentioned.
In fact at the time of Kurmavatara (Tortoise incarnation) Maha Vishnu came as
Mohini (damsel who distributed the Ambrosia) and also the one who brought the pot
of Ambrosia Dhanvantari (the celestial physician).
Though the tortoise
incarnation became famous these two Mohini and Dhanvantari has not been talked
about.
The iconography of Dhanvantari is
very interesting. He has four arms and in His upper right and left He holds the
Sankha (Conch) and Chakra (Disc) respectively. In His lower left hand He has Amrutha
Kalasha (pot of Ambrosia) and in His lower right He holds a Jaluka (Leech).
Leeches are creepy worms found in
marshy places. They are generally blood suckers but why would Dhanvantari hold
it in His hand is the question?
Leeches came with Dhanvantari at the time of
Samudra Manthana (churning of the ocean). Ayurveda considers leeches to be the best to get
the clotted blood out of the body. Leech therapy was used in ancient India when
the soldiers in the war had the blood clot and in the reattachment of the
severed limbs in the battle where the leeches were used periodically to suck
the stagnant blood from the veins till it recovered. Amazing part is that the
leech bite is not experienced as its saliva has aesthetic qualities; also it
has enzymes and serums which stop blood from coagulating.
Recently the medical world is
using leeches to treat varicose veins too. Leeches are given a wash in the
water mixed with turmeric to make it sterilised and then they are left on the swollen
veins to suck the stagnant deoxygenated blood in the veins.
Ayurvedic
practitioners say that using leeches on the diabetic patients can save them
from the complications due to delay in healing of surgical wounds. It is said
that the saliva from the leech is also used in cancer treatment and for cosmetic
treatment too. One leech can suck blood up to ten times its weight. One section
of sucking can make it sustain for several months. The leech grip is tight and
it falls off on its own once it has had its stomach full of blood. There is no
pain and the bites heal quickly too.
There are not many temples dedicated
to Dhanvantari in North India but in South there are a few. Among the states in
South India Kerala has many Dhanvantari temples. Off which the one in Nelluvaya,
Thottuva, Koozhakottu, Anakkal, Maruthor Vattam, Prayikkara are most visited. This
show how Dhanvantari and leeches are closely associated, we find more leeches
in Kerala. There is a Dhanvantari temple inside the famous
Srirangam temple as well as Kanchi Varadaraja Temple.
No comments:
Post a Comment