Tale of a Medicine King: Jīvaka

The tale of Jīvaka is a fascinating amalgamation of Medicine, Science and spirituality. While Susruta is popular for his description of rhinoplasty, Jīvaka's account presents the historical root for today's advanced ultrasound probe in the medical realm.

Jīvaka tending to Buddha; Source: Wikipedia

In the 5th century BCE, within the ancient kingdom of Magadha, a remarkable tale  unfolds with the birth of Jīvaka Kaumārabhṛtya. Although the exact details of his birth are unknown, he was likely born to a courtesan which explains how he was taken by the court people of Bimbisara to be brought up. Being raised and educated in the royal palace proved to be instrumental in unlocking Jivaka’s potential and exceptional acumen. He went to Taxila to study medicine and was later appointed as Bimbisara’s personal physician, and this was only the beginning of Jīvaka’s story of becoming the medicine king.

While the names of Susruta or Charak resonate strongly within ancient medicine, it is unfortunate that the name of Jīvaka is relatively unknown. However, it is important to shed light on his captivating journey where the realms of medicine and religion converged, creating a fascinating crossover between science and spirituality.

Jīvaka is known as a model healer not just in India, but throughout Asia and is especially renowned in Thailand. Tales of his medical practices and healings have been extensively mentioned in Buddhist texts from where Jīvaka has been depicted as performing complicated surgeries, some of them implying even brain surgeries.

Traditional medicine in India has evidence of many complicated surgeries and medical procedures like rhinoplasty as described by Sushruta, and Jīvaka‘s tales add onto them. A legendary and semi-mythological account of Jīvaka shows his discovery of medical imaging. Hence it can be said that the historical roots of medical imaging lie in the story of Jīvaka. The story goes like this — One day Jīvaka saw a young boy carrying a bundle of wood sticks on his back. Jīvaka surprisingly was able to see the boy’s internal organs and he recalled the tale of the King-doctor's tree, a mythical plant said to possess the power of making the inner workings of the body visible. In order to experiment, he took all the wood sticks from the boy and as he did so the boy’s body returned back to normal. Although the tale is mythical, this may be the origin of the ultrasound probe as dreamed by many doctors of that era.

This is only one among many tales in the healing records of Jīvaka. His reputation kept on increasing and he was a respected figure in Bimbisara’s court as well. Jīvaka’s endeavours as a doctor took a turn when he encountered Buddha. He became a disciple of Buddha and started following his teachings and even established the Jivakarama Monastery which is one of the oldest Buddhist monasteries. Here,  Jīvaka became both a doctor as well as a promoter of Buddhism and hence played a very important role in legitimising Buddhism. He also carried out proselytising activities.

Furthermore, Jīvaka’s influence extended beyond medicine and religion and he helped people find spirituality and the right path. When Ajatshatru killed his father Bimbisara and became the king, he was introduced to Buddhism by Jīvaka, leading him to the right path.

Jīvaka’s story remains an eternal testament to the power of knowledge, compassion, and integration of medicine and spirituality.