धन्वन्तरिश्च भगवान्स्वयमेव कीर्तिर्
नाम्ना नृणां पुरुरुजां रुज आशु हन्ति ।
यज्ञे च भागममृतायुरवावरुन्ध
आयुष्यवेदमनुशास्त्यवतीर्य लोके ॥२१॥

dhanvantariś ca bhagavān svayam eva kīrtir
nāmnā nṛṇāṁ puru-rujāṁ ruja āśu hanti
yajñe ca bhāgam amṛtāyur-avāvarundha
āyuṣya-vedam anuśāsty avatīrya loke

dhanvantariḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdhanvantariḥ

Dhanvantari; the incarnation Dhanvantari, the physician; the incarnation of God named Dhanvantari.—the incarnation of God named Dhanvantari; caplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigca

ca; all these; also; also other bodily forms; also that I have not been able to ask; and (the five gross material elements and the ten acting and knowledge-gathering senses); and; and also; and Devahūti; and for all; and the paraphernalia; as also; as much as; as well; as well as; but; certainly; either; however; indeed; only; or; over and above; respectively; the word ca; this word ca; thus; totally; unlimitedly; verily.—and; bhagavānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhagavan

my dear Lord; my lord; O exalted sage; O godly personality; O great brāhmaṇa; O great sage (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); O great sage; O great saint; O great soul; O Lord; O Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead; O most powerful; O most powerful devotee; O most powerful sage; O my Lord; O my lord, O great one; O Personality of Godhead; O possessor of all opulences; O powerful one; O Supreme; O Supreme Lord; O Supreme Lord, O Personality of Godhead; O Supreme Personality of Godhead; O supremely powerful one; O worshipful sage; O Your Lordship; the Personality of Godhead.—the Personality of Godhead; svayamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsvayam

automatically; by himself; by itself; by Yourself; he himself; he, the living entity himself; himself; his own life; his own self; in its own way; in person; independently (without asking permission from Indra); independently; is Himself; itself; of his own accord; personal; personality (as Viṣṇu); personality; personally; personally deliberating; personally Himself; personally Lord Kṛṣṇa; personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead; personified; self; self-sufficient; themselves; yourself. evaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigeva

alone; also; also the word eva; although; as; as it is; as it were; as much as; as they are; at all; at that time; certainly; certainly,; certainty; completely; definitely; even; ever; exactly; exactly like; factually; Himself; immediately; in fact; in this way; indeed; it is all like that; just; just so; like; like that; like this; of course; on the very; only; quite; simply; so; surely; the word eva; they are; thus; truly; undoubtedly; very; without doubt.—personally Himself; kīrtiḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkīrtiḥ

fame; fame personified; glories; His glories; reputation; the fame; the fame or the glorious activities; whose glorification.—fame personified; nāmnāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignāmnā

by a Gandharva named Citrāṅgada; by different names like brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra; by name; by name only; by the name; celebrated by the name; in the name of; of the name; only by such names.—by the name; nṛṇāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignrnam

by human beings; by the human being; by the human beings; for human beings; for human society; for the human race; in human society; men; of all human beings; of all living entities; of all men; of human beings; of human calculation; of human society; of humanity at large; of humankind; of men; of ordinary men; of persons; of the human being; of the human beings; of the people; of the people in general; persons; the bodies of human beings; to human society. puruplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpuru

completely; great; greatly; manifold; very much.-rujāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrujam

the pain.—of the diseased living entities; rujaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrujaḥ

anger; diseases.—diseases; āśuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigasu

for the protection of one's life; life air; life airs; life breath; of the life force; the life air; vital force; whose breath.—very soon; hantiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bighanti

annihilates; cures; destroys; kill; kills; used to kill; will vanquish.—cures; yajñeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyajñe

by the sacrifice; in sacrifice; in the sacrifice; sacrifice.—in the sacrifice; caplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigca

ca; all these; also; also other bodily forms; also that I have not been able to ask; and (the five gross material elements and the ten acting and knowledge-gathering senses); and; and also; and Devahūti; and for all; and the paraphernalia; as also; as much as; as well; as well as; but; certainly; either; however; indeed; only; or; over and above; respectively; the word ca; this word ca; thus; totally; unlimitedly; verily.—also; bhāgamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhagam

Bhaga; fortune; opulence; supreme power.—share; amṛtaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigamṛta

and the very sweet ocean; eternal; eternal life; food for human beings; immortality; nectar; nectar, eternal; nectarean; of nectar; of the nectar; sweet; which is like nectar; with nectar.—nectar; āyuḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigayuh

Ayu.—duration of life; avaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigava

from.—from; avarundheplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigavarundhe

gain; obtains; one attains.—obtains; āyuṣyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigāyuṣya

of duration of life.—of duration of life; vedamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvedam

knowledge; the Vedas; the four Vedas; the personified Veda; the respective Vedas; the transcendental knowledge known as Veda; the Vedic literature; they are all Vedic knowledge.—knowledge; anuśāstiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganuśāsti

directs.—directs; avatīryaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigavatīrya

adventing; after descending; appearing as an incarnation; by descending in; descended; descending Himself; getting down (from the back of Garuḍa); incarnating.—incarnating; lokeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigloke

all people; all the people; among people; among the general people; among the people; among the residents; duration of life; everyone; for the people; in all people; in all the planets; in human society; in the locations; in the material world; in the self; in the society; in the universe; in the world; in this life; in this material world; in this world; messengers; of the cosmic manifestation; people; people in general; persons; the general populace; the people; the people in general; the planets; the world; this world; throughout the whole world; to social behavior; to the people; to the people in general; to this world; unto the people; unto the people in general; when all the people; within the three worlds; within the world; within this universe; within this world; world.—in the universe.

The Lord in His incarnation of Dhanvantari very quickly cures the diseases of the ever-diseased living entities simply by his fame personified, and only because of him do the demigods achieve long lives. Thus the Personality of Godhead becomes ever glorified. He also exacted a share from the sacrifices, and it is he only who inaugurated the medical science or the knowledge of medicine in the universe.

As stated in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, everything emanates from the ultimate source of the Personality of Godhead; it is therefore understood in this verse that medical science or knowledge in medicine was also inaugurated by the Personality of Godhead in His incarnation Dhanvantari, and thus the knowledge is recorded in the Vedas. The Vedas are the source of all knowledge, and thus knowledge in medical science is also there for the perfect cure of the diseases of the living entity. The embodied living entity is diseased by the very construction of his body. The body is the symbol of diseases. The disease may differ from one variety to another, but disease must be there just as there is birth and death for everyone. So, by the grace of the Personality of Godhead, not only are diseases of the body and mind cured, but also the soul is relieved of the constant repetition of birth and death. The name of the Lord is also called bhavauṣadhi, or the source of curing the disease of material existence.

धन्वन्तरिश्च भगवान्स्वयमेव कीर्तिर्
नाम्ना नृणां पुरुरुजां रुज आशु हन्ति ।
यज्ञे च भागममृतायुरवावरुन्ध
आयुष्यवेदमनुशास्त्यवतीर्य लोके ॥२१॥

dhanvantariś ca bhagavān svayam eva kīrtir
nāmnā nṛṇāṁ puru-rujāṁ ruja āśu hanti
yajñe ca bhāgam amṛtāyur-avāvarundha
āyuṣya-vedam anuśāsty avatīrya loke

dhanvantariḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigdhanvantariḥ

Dhanvantari; the incarnation Dhanvantari, the physician; the incarnation of God named Dhanvantari.—the incarnation of God named Dhanvantari; caplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigca

ca; all these; also; also other bodily forms; also that I have not been able to ask; and (the five gross material elements and the ten acting and knowledge-gathering senses); and; and also; and Devahūti; and for all; and the paraphernalia; as also; as much as; as well; as well as; but; certainly; either; however; indeed; only; or; over and above; respectively; the word ca; this word ca; thus; totally; unlimitedly; verily.—and; bhagavānplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhagavan

my dear Lord; my lord; O exalted sage; O godly personality; O great brāhmaṇa; O great sage (Śukadeva Gosvāmī); O great sage; O great saint; O great soul; O Lord; O Lord, Supreme Personality of Godhead; O most powerful; O most powerful devotee; O most powerful sage; O my Lord; O my lord, O great one; O Personality of Godhead; O possessor of all opulences; O powerful one; O Supreme; O Supreme Lord; O Supreme Lord, O Personality of Godhead; O Supreme Personality of Godhead; O supremely powerful one; O worshipful sage; O Your Lordship; the Personality of Godhead.—the Personality of Godhead; svayamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigsvayam

automatically; by himself; by itself; by Yourself; he himself; he, the living entity himself; himself; his own life; his own self; in its own way; in person; independently (without asking permission from Indra); independently; is Himself; itself; of his own accord; personal; personality (as Viṣṇu); personality; personally; personally deliberating; personally Himself; personally Lord Kṛṣṇa; personally the Supreme Personality of Godhead; personified; self; self-sufficient; themselves; yourself. evaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigeva

alone; also; also the word eva; although; as; as it is; as it were; as much as; as they are; at all; at that time; certainly; certainly,; certainty; completely; definitely; even; ever; exactly; exactly like; factually; Himself; immediately; in fact; in this way; indeed; it is all like that; just; just so; like; like that; like this; of course; on the very; only; quite; simply; so; surely; the word eva; they are; thus; truly; undoubtedly; very; without doubt.—personally Himself; kīrtiḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigkīrtiḥ

fame; fame personified; glories; His glories; reputation; the fame; the fame or the glorious activities; whose glorification.—fame personified; nāmnāplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignāmnā

by a Gandharva named Citrāṅgada; by different names like brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya and śūdra; by name; by name only; by the name; celebrated by the name; in the name of; of the name; only by such names.—by the name; nṛṇāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bignrnam

by human beings; by the human being; by the human beings; for human beings; for human society; for the human race; in human society; men; of all human beings; of all living entities; of all men; of human beings; of human calculation; of human society; of humanity at large; of humankind; of men; of ordinary men; of persons; of the human being; of the human beings; of the people; of the people in general; persons; the bodies of human beings; to human society. puruplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigpuru

completely; great; greatly; manifold; very much.-rujāmplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrujam

the pain.—of the diseased living entities; rujaḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigrujaḥ

anger; diseases.—diseases; āśuplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigasu

for the protection of one's life; life air; life airs; life breath; of the life force; the life air; vital force; whose breath.—very soon; hantiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bighanti

annihilates; cures; destroys; kill; kills; used to kill; will vanquish.—cures; yajñeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigyajñe

by the sacrifice; in sacrifice; in the sacrifice; sacrifice.—in the sacrifice; caplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigca

ca; all these; also; also other bodily forms; also that I have not been able to ask; and (the five gross material elements and the ten acting and knowledge-gathering senses); and; and also; and Devahūti; and for all; and the paraphernalia; as also; as much as; as well; as well as; but; certainly; either; however; indeed; only; or; over and above; respectively; the word ca; this word ca; thus; totally; unlimitedly; verily.—also; bhāgamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigbhagam

Bhaga; fortune; opulence; supreme power.—share; amṛtaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigamṛta

and the very sweet ocean; eternal; eternal life; food for human beings; immortality; nectar; nectar, eternal; nectarean; of nectar; of the nectar; sweet; which is like nectar; with nectar.—nectar; āyuḥplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigayuh

Ayu.—duration of life; avaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigava

from.—from; avarundheplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigavarundhe

gain; obtains; one attains.—obtains; āyuṣyaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigāyuṣya

of duration of life.—of duration of life; vedamplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigvedam

knowledge; the Vedas; the four Vedas; the personified Veda; the respective Vedas; the transcendental knowledge known as Veda; the Vedic literature; they are all Vedic knowledge.—knowledge; anuśāstiplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_biganuśāsti

directs.—directs; avatīryaplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigavatīrya

adventing; after descending; appearing as an incarnation; by descending in; descended; descending Himself; getting down (from the back of Garuḍa); incarnating.—incarnating; lokeplugin-autotooltip__small plugin-autotooltip_bigloke

all people; all the people; among people; among the general people; among the people; among the residents; duration of life; everyone; for the people; in all people; in all the planets; in human society; in the locations; in the material world; in the self; in the society; in the universe; in the world; in this life; in this material world; in this world; messengers; of the cosmic manifestation; people; people in general; persons; the general populace; the people; the people in general; the planets; the world; this world; throughout the whole world; to social behavior; to the people; to the people in general; to this world; unto the people; unto the people in general; when all the people; within the three worlds; within the world; within this universe; within this world; world.—in the universe.

The Lord in His incarnation of Dhanvantari very quickly cures the diseases of the ever-diseased living entities simply by his fame personified, and only because of him do the demigods achieve long lives. Thus the Personality of Godhead becomes ever glorified. He also exacted a share from the sacrifices, and it is he only who inaugurated the medical science or the knowledge of medicine in the universe.

As stated in the beginning of the Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam, everything emanates from the ultimate source of the Personality of Godhead; it is therefore understood in this verse that medical science or knowledge in medicine was also inaugurated by the Personality of Godhead in His incarnation Dhanvantari, and thus the knowledge is recorded in the Vedas. The Vedas are the source of all knowledge, and thus knowledge in medical science is also there for the perfect cure of the diseases of the living entity. The embodied living entity is diseased by the very construction of his body. The body is the symbol of diseases. The disease may differ from one variety to another, but disease must be there just as there is birth and death for everyone. So, by the grace of the Personality of Godhead, not only are diseases of the body and mind cured, but also the soul is relieved of the constant repetition of birth and death. The name of the Lord is also called bhavauṣadhi, or the source of curing the disease of material existence.