Gerrit Jan Meulenbeld
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Gerrit Jan Meulenbeld (1928–) is a physician scholar famous for his researches in Indology, especially in the field of Ayurveda. 'The coming generations will fondly remember this great Dutch scholar for his encyclopedic work, History of Indian Medical Literature. Gerrit Jan Meulenbeld (Borne, 1928) studied medicine and Indology in Utrecht. In 1954 he founded on psychiatry. Completion sixties he came back into contact with Indology . Immediately after receiving his doctorate Meulenbeld began to write the historical overview of the Indian medical literature. Since 1978 he worked as a research fellow at the University of Ghent and psychiatrist at the Van Mesdagkliniek in Groningen. In 1986 accepted a full-time job at the Mesdagkliniek when the Indian Institute of Languages and Cultures of the University was threatened with closure. There he worked until his retirement in 1988.
The History of Indian Medical literature will be a bible for both the students of Ayurveda and those inclined in the study of Sanskrit, Indian philosophy, anthropology and history medical traditions. Dr Meulenbeld also translated the first ten chapters of Madhavanidana, Sanskrit treatise, with its Sanskrit commentaries: Madhukoshatika and Athankadarpana, in 1974 under the supervision of legendary Indologist, Dr. J.Gonda. The index of technical terms appended to Madhavanidana translation, is one of its uniqueness. The history of Indian Medicinal Literature covers a time frame of two millennia ; from the Vedic period to current era. The text covers the Sanskrit treatises and the Pali or Prakrit works by the Buddhist monks. It also covers some of the recent works in Hindi and also the Ayurvedic tradition of near by island nation, Sri Lanka. The first volume of the text covers the BIG TRIO or BHRIT TRAYI- the three principal authors /works (Vagbhata's two works are taken together as an unit) Carakasamhita, Susrutha samhita, Astangasamgraha and Astangahradya and the principal commentaries on these treatises. The second volume deals with the chronological order of the Ayurvedic texts and the third one is the index. The whole series is in five bounds.
The scholarship of Meulenbeld is extended to our cyber space in the form of Annotated bibliography of Indian Medicine with more than 10000 entries.www.indianmedicine.ub.rug.nl and through the electronic journal on Indian medicine'
Dr Meulenbeld extends his helping hand constanstly to thousands of Ayurveda lovers all over the world , through his untiring works through his website which opens up his scholarship to present generation of Ayurveda students
References
History of Indian Medical Literature .Dr. G.J.Meulenbeld. Gorningen Oriental Studies No.15 Vol.1-3. MadhavaNidana -English translation with principal commentaries chapters 1- 10; G.J.Meulenbeld promotor Dr Jan Gonda 1974, Review of History of Indian Medical Literature of Dr G.J.Meulenbeld By Dr Dominik Wujastyk
