From that One Supreme Being, the source of all, arise Nature herself, as well as Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and all the other divine manifestations. The wise yogis, filled with devotion, meditate upon the lotus feet of that One, seeking refuge and wisdom there. It is from awe of Him that the wind moves and the sun shines in the heavens. Even Śaṅkara, the great destroyer of worlds, acts only by His command. By His will, all the planets revolve in their appointed paths through the zodiac. The trees blossom and bear fruit by His order, and streams flow while the very earth, the support of all beings, exists by His decree. Yet, through the ceaseless power of His māyā, the world is suddenly cast into delusion. Neither the Vedas nor those who possess deep understanding of reality can reach His end or comprehend His full nature. Even Brahmā and Viṣṇu, the greatest among the gods, serve His holy name. He is the Lord of all, the time beyond time, the death of death, the supreme beyond the supreme. Endless in compassion, He is the granter of all desires, the true Lord of all wishes. Having spoken these profound truths, the Personification of Time became silent, O Shaunaka. Then, a Brahmin addressed the assembly, saying, “What doubts remain in your heart? Ask freely, O auspicious maiden.” Hearing these words, Malavati, the virtuous one, was filled with joy and spoke: “The Vedas explain all the various causes. From which disease—hard to restrain and bringing misfortune—does not arise? Whatever is asked or inquired, whether known or unknown, is addressed in them.” Upon hearing Malavati’s words, Janardana, who had taken the form of a Brahmin, replied: “The seed of the Veda and its branches is the Lord Himself, Śrī Krishna. It is He who created the four Vedas, the very abode of auspiciousness. Prajapati beheld the Vedas—Rig, Yajur, Sama, and Atharva—and then, the Lord fashioned a fifth Veda, which He entrusted to Bhaskara, the Sun. Bhaskara, in turn, gave to his disciples the Ayurveda, his own compilation. The names of those learned ones and the treatises they composed are well known: Dhanvantari, servant of the heavens; the King of Kashi; the sons of the Ashvini twins; Jabala, Jajali, Paila, Karatha, and the sage Agastya. Among their works, the treatise called ‘The True Science of Therapy’ is especially delightful. Divodasa composed ‘The Mirror of Therapy.’ The Ashvini twins gave us ‘The Essence of Therapy,’ which removes fatigue. Sahadeva wrote ‘The Crusher of the Ocean of Diseases,’ and the venerable sage Cyavana composed ‘The Bestower of Life.’ The son of Chandra wrote ‘The Essence of All,’ while Jabala composed ‘The Essence of Treatises.’ Paila created ‘Diagnosis,’ and Karatha, the supreme treatise ‘The Support of All.’ These sixteen treatises form the very seeds of the science of therapy. By churning the ocean of Ayurveda with the mantra of knowledge, the divine Bhaskara Samhita was composed, gathering all these teachings in order. True understanding of disease and mastery over pain belong to the one who knows Ayurveda and applies its therapies with precision. And know this: at the root of all diseases lies fever, that dreadful and hard-to-restrain affliction.