Efficient operation Dhanvantari - The Physician of Gods

The four headed god is standing tall and the Lord is wearing fine drapery and his body is given a refine and detail touch. Here the Lord is depicted with four hands- the upper pair of hands carrying sankha and chakra, and the lower pair, a (golden) leech (jalookaa-medical term Hirudo Medicinalis) and kamandalu (pitcher). Worshipped as the Hindu God of Medicine, the Master of Universal Knowledge, Physician of Gods and the Guardian Deity of Hospitals, Dhanvantari is regarded as the original exponent of Indian medical tradition called AYURVEDA, the ‘eternal science of life.’ This tradition is now accepted as the oldest, most original and unbroken medical system of the world. There are many myths and legends about Dhanvantari. Sometimes he is shown with the text of the Ayurveda and sometime with a tulasi-seed garland around his neck and a plant-wreath halo. His complexion is blue, making him another incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The leech was part of the doctor’s kit in olden days since it was used to suck out impure blood from the patient‘s body.