Vaidya
Vaidya (Sanskrit: वैद्य) is a Sanskrit word meaning "physician".[1] It is also used unchanged in modern Indo-Aryan languages such as Hindi.[2] It was and is used generally in India to refer to a person who practises ayurveda, an indigenous Indian system of medicine.[3] Senior practitioners or teachers were called Vaidyarāja "physician-king" as a mark of respect.Some practioners who had complete knowledge of the texts and were excellent at their practices were known as " Pranaacharya". Some royal families in India had a personal vaidya in attendance and these people were referred to as Rāja Vaidya "the king's physician"[4][5]
In the classical text, Charakh Sahinta ( Chapter 29 of Sutrasthan) the term Vaidya is classified into 2 types:
1. Pranabhisar Vaidya- the ones who protect the lives by curing diseases and exhibits complete knowledge theoretically ae well as practically. 2. Rogabhisar Vaidya-the ones who doesn't have complete knowledge and due to lack of knowledge danger the lives of patient.
See also
- Kabiraj
- Baidya, a Bengali caste, also spelled Vaidya or Vaidhya
- Vaidyar, a professional surname in Kerala
References
- ^ "Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Online Edition".
- ^ "DSAL Hindi Dictionary".
- ^ Ember, Carol R. Encyclopedia of medical anthropology: health and illness in the ... Vol. 2.
- ^ Hutchison, Rose. Gazetteer of the Chamba State.
- ^ Agrawal, S. P. Development/digression diary of India: 3D companion volume to Information ...