Dhanvantari

Dhanvantari (also Dhanwantari, Dhanvanthari) is an avatar of the Hindu God Vishnu. Dhanvantari appears in the Vedas as the physician of the gods, and is the god of Ayurvedic medicine. According to Hindu mythology, Dhanavantari was the physician of the Devas. The puranas state, Dhanavantari emerged from the ocean and appeared with a pot of nectar (Amrit) when the ocean was churned using the Mandara mountain.

Dhanvantari appears as Vishnu with four hands, only holding medical herbs in one hand and a pot containing rejuvenating nectar (amrita) in another. He appears holding the pot of nectar during the story of the Samudra or Sagar manthan, after which the Vishnu avatara, Mohini appears and takes this amrita back from the Asuras.

Dhanvantri Jayanthi : Birthday celebration

Birth day celebration of Lord Dhanavantari, the God of health, healing and cure, is celebrated with great enthuiasm and happy environment, by the practitioners of the Ayurveda every year, day before yesterday on DHAN TERAS, two days before DEEPAWALI, the Hindu festival of Lights. It is said that Lord Dhanawantary is the elder brother of Goddess LAXAMI, the goddess of wealth and in the Samudra Manthan, Lord Dhanvantari appeared with the keeping AMRIT POT, SHANKHA,CHAKRRA and JALAUKA eachone in his four hands.

Dhanvatari Mantra

The best chanting Mantra of Dhanvantari is:

NAMANI DHANAWANTARY MAADIDEWAM, SAURASURAIR VANDIT PAD PADMAM,

LOKE JARA RUGBHAY MRITYU NASAHAM, DATARMEESHAM VIVIDHAUSHADHINAM,

that means "O Lord Dhanvantary, I bestow before you, in which all gods are consisting. Your Lotus like feet is worshipped both by the Shaitan/ Asurman and good qualities man man. You have power to keep away the people of this world from Miseries, diseases, ailments, Oldness, fear of diseases. O God, give me many medicine and medicinal tactics to cure the sick huminity.

Some other mantras are :

Shankham chakramuparyadhashcha karyordivyaushidham dakshine,

Vamenanyakaren sambhratsudhakumbham jalaukavalim'

In North India side, no permanent temple is established for LORD DHANVANTARI. The reason is yet not known, but in VARANASEY SANSAKRIT VISHVAVIDYALAYA, VARANASI Uttar Pradesh State, one statue of Lord Dhanvantari is present in the Museum of the University. However in South India, in KERALA State and in TAMILNADU STATE,some temples of Lord Dhanvantari is present.

The Temples of Lord Dhanvantari in India

In Tamilnadu, in the courtyard of SHRI RANGAM SWAMI TEMPLE, here is one Dhanvantari Temple inside, where daily worshipping of the god is performed according to tradition. The Temple and the Pratima {statue]is very old. Before this Temple , there is an 'Ingraved Stone' stands, which is believed to be round about 12th Century. The writing of the ingraved stone containing the details that Garud Vahan Bhattarwho was a great AYURVEDIC PHYSICIAN, established this statue inside the temple. As a 'Prasad' or 'Teerth', a decoction of the herbs is given to the visitors. Peoples worship the lord for cure of their ailments. Similarly another Temple is in the KANCHIPURAM'S VARDARAJSWAMI TEMPLE. Inside this temple, a Dhanvantari Temple is present.

Some Statues of Lord Dhanawantary is in the Collection of THE ARCHEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF INDIA MUSEUM.

The biggest, beautiful and great Temple is in the KERALA STATE in Nelluvayi. Nelluvayi is situated in between Palakkad and Trishur and is away 15 Kilometers from Vadkanchery. The main Lord of this Temple is Dhanvantri. From very remote areas and remote places of the country, the sick and ailed peoples come here,stay for weeks and months, serve the Lord and when get cured, returns to their native places. In this temple, people chanting these two mantras:

ACHYUTANANTGOVIND VISHNO NARAYANAMRAT,

ROGAN ME NASHYASHESHANASHU DHANAVANTAREY HARE

and

VISHNOH KRISHNA JANARDNACHYUT HARE NARAYAN SHRIPATE , VAIKUNTHAMRATRAMKESHAVMUKUNDANAND DAMODRAH // SHAUREMADHAVPADMANABHA BHAGAVAN GOVIND DHANAVANTARE, ROGAN ME NITRAM NIVARYATU TE NAMAMRATAM SAMPRATAM

It is belived by the sick person that by visiting, seeing and worshiping Lord Dhanavantary inside the Temple, they will be certainly get cure /relived from their ailments and diseases. A large number of visiters every day visits to these temples.

In North India side, only the Ayurvedic Practitioners, worship Lord Dhanavantary Photo, keeping inside their clinic.

Ashta Vaidya of Kerala

In Kerala, an Indian State, the family of "Ashta Vaidya" is very famous and traditionally are providing Ayurvedic and Sisddha treatment to the sick. The forfathers of these Asta vaidyas are still today serving in the same manner as it was centuries ago. This family have a familiar tradition of worshipping Lord Dhanvantari since centuries in tha same way. Some family members have builten temples inside their home, while some have builten proper Temples and thus worshipping Lord Dhanwantari.Near Kotakkalat Pulamantol village, here is a family of ASHTA VAIDYA. This family have a temple of Lord Dhanvantari. Vaidya Madam is near to Vadkancheri. Hear the Ashta Vaidya Matra dattan have a statue of Dhanvantri, made of mixture of five metals. In trishura's Perungva, a big temple is here built by Ashta vaidya. The Ashta Vaidya families are in the folloeing places. 1- Aalyittur 2- Kuttancheri 3- Taikkad 4- Vayaskara 5- Vellod 6- Chirattaman. It seems that tradition of Lord Dhanwantri worshpping is regularly persisting in the families to families in Kerala.

Reference:

Kalyan Hindi monthly magazine,March 2001 issue, Geeta Press,Gorakhpur, UP

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Hindu gods | Ayurveda | Forms of Vishnu | Titles and names of Krishna