Page:Sushruta Samhita Vol 1.djvu/19

Rh recension of recensions, made by Nágárjuna (1). All opinions concur in identifying him with the celebrated founder of the Mádhyamika school of Buddhistic philosophy—a fact which materially assists us in fixing the age of the present Samhitá. A few quotations from the Vriddha (old) Sushruta are all that are preserved of the original Samhitá. But their genuineness is of a problematic character, and we are not sure whether they are the productions of lesser lights, or of ancient though less renowned commentators, attributed to the master to invest them with a greater sanctity and authority—a practice which was quite common amongst the bibliographers of Ancient India.

Date of Nágárjuna:—At all events Nagarjuna who redacted the Sushruta Samhita lived about the latter part of the fourth century before the Christian era;(2) and the

(1) Dallanas Commentary, Sulrasth^nam, Ch. I. i. Dallana mentions the names of Jejjada, Gayadasa etc., as the redactors of the original Samhita, and rejects as spurious or of questionable authority the texts which cannot be found in their editions of the work. Must probably the authoritative verses are quotations from the Vriddha Sushruta. Recension or Pratisamsk^ra consists in curtaiUng statements that have been made inordinately elaborate, and in dilating upon truths lliat have been very succinctly dealt with in the original book. A Redactor or Pralisamaskarta makes an old book new again.

A Samhita, on the other hand, deals with aphorisms coniained in the Vedas. ^ I

(2) Rijatarangini I. Taranga. Vs. 172-173.