Vaidya

This article is about Sanskrit term and surname Vaidya. For caste in West Bengal, see Baidya. For similar ayurvedic title in Eastern India, see Kabiraj.

Vaidya (Sanskrit: वैद्य), or vaid is a Sanskrit word meaning "doctor, physician".[1] Vaidyan or Vaidyar is a similar term used in the southern region of India to denote a physician, particularly in Kerala.Today it is used to refer to traditional practitionerers of Ayurveda", an indigenous Indian system of alternative medicine.[2] Senior practitioners or teachers were called Vaidyarāja ("physician-king") as a mark of respect. Some practitioners who had complete knowledge of the texts and were excellent at their practices were known as Pranaacharya. Some royal families in India had a personal vaidya in attendance and these people were referred to as Rāja Vaidya ("the king's physician").[3][4]

In Maharashtra, like many other last names, the last name "Vaidya" is linked to the profession that the family followed.[5]

  1. ^ "Monier-Williams Sanskrit-English Dictionary, Online Edition".
  2. ^ Ember, Carol R. (31 December 2003). Encyclopedia of medical anthropology: health and illness in the ... Vol. 2. Springer. ISBN 9780306477546.
  3. ^ Hutchison, Rose (1996). Gazetteer of the Chamba State. Indus. ISBN 9788173870415.
  4. ^ Agrawal, S. P. (1993). Development/digression diary of India: 3D companion volume to Information ... Concept Publishing Company. ISBN 9788170223054.
  5. ^ R. G. Harshé (1974). Observations on the Life and Works of Bhavabhūti. p. 2. It is so in Maharashtra at least . Thus, the surnames Deshmukh, Desai, etc., indicate the title that the family possessed; Joshi, Vaidya, Purohit are derived from the professions.