Dalhana and His Comments on Drugs

Dalhana is immortal by his single monumental work, the commentary on the Susruta Samhita known as Nibandha Samgraha. Nibandha Samgraha compiles views of a large number of authors and commentators and critically analyses them to arrive at a logical conclusion hence the title is quite meaningful. Dalhana was a versatile scholar and as such has contributed in discussing various allied topics which leads to clear understanding of the basic concepts. His outstanding contribution is picturesque interpretation of drugs mentioned in the Susruta Samhita. The commentator belongs to the early medieval period and as such gives valuable information on the cultural condition of his times. The present work is the first of its kind which inaugurates the critical study of the commentaries on the ancient texts of Indian medicine which, apart from being a faithful guide to understand the ancient compendium, presents a rich panorama of cultural data which may be helpful in proper historical understanding.