Agnivesha () is a legendary

rishi In Indian religions, a ''rishi'' ( ) is an accomplished and enlightened person. They find mention in various Vedic texts. Rishis are believed to have composed hymns of the Vedas. The Post-Vedic tradition of Hinduism regards the rishis as "gre ...

(sage) in

Hinduism Hinduism () is an Hypernymy and hyponymy, umbrella term for a range of Indian religions, Indian List of religions and spiritual traditions#Indian religions, religious and spiritual traditions (Sampradaya, ''sampradaya''s) that are unified ...

, reputedly one of the earliest authors on

Ayurveda Ayurveda (; ) is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is heavily practised throughout India and Nepal, where as much as 80% of the population report using ayurveda. The theory and practice of ayur ...

(Indian alternative medicine). He is described to have codified the knowledge of his preceptor,

Atreya Atreya or Atreyas (आत्रेय) Rishi, or Atreya Punarvasu, was a descendant of Atri, one of the great Hindu sages (rishis) whose accomplishments are detailed in the Puranas. Sage Atreya was a renowned scholar of Ayurveda, and a school of ...

, and arranged it in the form of a treatise, named the ''

Charaka Samhita The ''Charaka Samhita'' () is a Sanskrit text on Ayurveda (Indian traditional medicine). Along with the '' Sushruta Samhita'', it is one of the two foundational texts of this field that have survived from ancient India. It is one of the three w ...

''.

Legend

Agnivesha is described to be the chief pupil of Punarvasu

. The ''Agnivesha Samhita'', dated back to 1500 BCE, is based on Atreya's teachings, and is a lost text on

. The Agniveśatantra, consisting of 12,000 verses, is stated to be the foundational text of the Agnivesha school, one of the six schools of early Ayurveda (others being

Parashara Parashara (Sanskrit: पराशर; IAST: ) was a maharishi and the author of many ancient Hindu texts. He is accredited as the author of the first Purana, the Vishnu Purana, before his son Vyasa wrote it in its present form. He was the g ...

, Harita, Bhela, Jatukarna, and Ksharpani). The text is mentioned in the ''

'': "the tantra (Agnivesha) as written by Agnivesha is compiled, edited and modified by

Charaka Charaka was one of the principal contributors to Ayurveda, a system of medicine and lifestyle developed in ancient India. He is known as a physician who edited the medical treatise entitled ''Charaka Samhita'', one of the foundational texts of ...

" ()Ram Karan Sharma and Vaidya Bhagran Dash, ''Agnivesa's Caraka Samhita,'' Varanasi, Chowkhamba Sanskrit Studies XCIV (2006). Vol. I: ; Vol. II: ; Vol. III: ; Vol. IV: ; Vol. V: ; Vol. VI: , Vol. VII:

References

Rishis Ayurveda Ayurvedacharyas {{Hindu-myth-stub