History notes : Gupta Empire ( Part II )

Nine Gems or Navaratnas

• At the time of Vikramadityas reign, the glory of Gupta Empire reached its peak.
• A circle of famous nine persons known as Nine Gems or Navaratnas were present in the court of Vikramaditya.

The group comprised of

• Kalidasa
• Vetala Bhatta
• Varahamihira
• Vararuchi
• Amarasimha
• Dhanvantari
• kshapanak
• Shanku
• Ghatakarpura

Kalidasa

• Kalidasa was a famous Sanskrit writer and poet in the court of Chandragupta II (Vikramaditya).
• Kalidasa was the author of three famous plays.
• Abhijnanasakuntalam : tells the story of King Dushyanta and Shakuntala
• Malavikagnimitram tells the story love of King Agnimitra with Malavika
• Vikramorvasiyam tells the love story of King Pururavas and celestial fairy Urvashi
• Kalidasa was also the author of two famous Sanskrit epic poems:
• Raghuvamsa ("Raghu Dynasty ") and
• Kumarasambhava.

Vetala Bhatta

• Vetala Bhatta was a Brahmin in the court of Vikramaditya.
• He is known for his contribution of "Nitipradipa ".

Varahamihira

• Varahamihira was an Indian astronomer, astrologer and mathematician of Gupta era.
• He is famously known for his great work Pancha Siddhantika,a book on mathematical astronomy.
• His other important contribution to the Indian Sanskrit literature is the Brihat-Samhita, an encyclopedia of astrology and other subjects of human interest.

Vararuci

• Vararuci was one of the nine Gems in the court of Chandragupta II of Gupta era.

Amarasimha

• Amarasimha was one of the nine Gems in the court of Vikramaditya of Gupta era.
• He is notably known for his famous Sanskrit thesaurus Amarakosha.
• It is also known as Namalinganushasana.

Dhanvantari

• Dhanvantari is regarded as one of the worlds first surgeons and medical practitioner from Gupta era.
• He is considered as the origin exponent of Ayurveda.
• He is also worshipped as the God of Medicine.
• Sushruta, the author of famous Sushruta Samhita was the student of Dhanvantari.
• He is also credited for the discovery of the antiseptic properties of turmeric and the preservative properties of salt.
• Dhanvantri is considered to be the pioneer of modern plastic surgery.