The Greatest Treasure
As the churning of the cosmic ocean continued, treasures emerged one after another. The divine physician Dhanvantari rose at the end — a magnificent being, dressed in yellow silk, wearing golden earrings, bearing the sacred Veda of medicine in his hands, holding the white vessel of amrita.
He is described as the physician of the gods, an avatar of Vishnu himself, the lord of Ayurveda — the ancient Indian science of life and health.
The Father of Ayurveda
Dhanvantari is the progenitor of the entire tradition of Ayurvedic medicine. The Bhagavata identifies him as a direct manifestation of Vishnu's power of preservation — for Vishnu is the preserver, and preservation of life and health is Dhanvantari's domain.
He is worshipped on the day before Diwali — Dhanteras — as the god of health, wealth, and medicine. Hospitals in India traditionally display his image. Doctors pray to him before beginning practice.
He incarnated later as a human king — also named Dhanvantari — to teach the science of Ayurveda to human physicians. His lineage of students includes the great physician Sushruta, whose surgical techniques were so advanced that they anticipate modern surgery by two thousand years.
The Seizure
When Dhanvantari rose, the asuras seized the vessel of amrita before anyone could stop them. This precipitated Vishnu's assumption of the Mohini form — but that is a separate story. The emergence of Dhanvantari, holding the gift of healing, is remembered as one of the most auspicious events in the cosmic churning.