Sangom sir, I have quoted it off my mind. It was either in an issue of Iyyappa Bhajans or some language weekly depicting Dhanvantri's picture. You know better. Of course, I will share with members the correct version if any.
Dear Shri Iyya,
Another version, also not quite correct but a bit better, of the Dhanvantari gaayatree is as under:
ॐ
वासुदेवाय विद्महे वैद्यराजाय धीमहि ।
तन्नो धन्वन्तरि: प्रचोदयात् ।।
om̐
vāsudevāya vidmahe vaidyarājāya dhīmahi |
tanno dhanvantari: pracodayāt ||
In this also the second line viz., "tanno dhanvantari: pracodayāt" consists of ten aksharas (tan-no-dhan-van-ta-ri:- pra-co-da-yāt) which is two more than allowed. I suggest to learned readers to see if the following will be suitable. This is my composition, of course.
धन्वन्तरये विद्महे आदिवैद्याय धीमहि ।
तन्नो अब्जः प्रचोदयात् ॥
dhanvantaraye vidmahe ādivaidyāya dhīmahi |
tanno abjaḥ pracodayāt ||
To the best of my knowledge this is grammatically correct and gives the meaning:
"We desire to know Dhanvantari; we meditate upon that first physician; may Abja impel our intellect towards that."
Why "abja"?
In Harivamsa, Chapter-29, we find the following account of the origin of Dhanvantari:
vaishaMpAyana uvAcha dhanvantareH sambhavo.ayaM shrUyatAM bharatarShabha |
jAtaH sa hi samudrAttu mathyamAne purAmR^ite || 1-29-12
utpannaH kalashAtpUrvaM sarvatashcha shriyA vR^itaH |
abhyasansiddhikArye hi viShNuM dR^iShTvA hi tasthivAn || 1-29-13
abjastvamiti hovAcha tasmAdabjastu sa smR^itaH |
abjaH provAcha viShNuM vai tava putro.asmi vai prabho || 1-29-14
vidhatsva bhAgaM sthAnaM cha mama loke sureshvara |
evamuktaH sa dR^iShTvA vai tathyaM provAcha taM prabhuH || 1-29-15
kR^ito yaj~navibhAgo hi yaj~niyairhi suraiH purA |
deveShu vinuyuktaM hi viddhi hotraM maharShibhiH || 1-29-16
na shakyamupahomA vai tubhyaM kartuM kadAchana |
arvAgbhUto.asi devAnAM putra tvaM tu na hIshvaraH || 1-29-17
dvitIyAyAM tu saMbhUtyAM loke khyAtiM gamiShyasi |
aNimAdishcha te siddhirgarbhasthasya bhaviShyati || 1-29-18
tenaiva tvaM sharIreNa devatvaM prApsyase prabho |
charumantrairvratairjApyairyakShyanti tvAM dvijAtayaH || 1-29-19
aShTadhA tvaM punashchaivamAyurvedaM vidhAsyasi |
avashyabhAvI hyartho.ayaM prAgdR^iShTastvabjayoninA || 1-29-20
dvitIyaM dvAparaM prApya bhavitA tvaM na saMshayaH |
imaM tasmai varaM dattvA viShNurantardadhe punaH || 1-29-21
The approximate meaning is :—
"Vaisampayana said:
Dhanvantari originated like this, hear O great among Bharatas. When the ocean was churned in ancient times for amruta, before the amruta kalasa came up, the ancient times, the very auspicious Dhanvantari arose from the ocean (of milk) and stood with folded hands before Vishnu who named him "Abja". Hence from that day Dhanvantari is also known as "Abja". Abja requested for his share of the divine nectar. Vishnu replied, "the share of the amruta has already been decided among devas; since you were born after the devas, you are not an
Iswara. You will be born once again in the world. Then you will become very famous. From the womb itself you will then have the siddhis animaa, garimaa, etc. Hence you will become a deva even with the mortal body. There you will divide Ayurveda into eight parts. Your second birth will be in the dwaapara yuga". After giving these boons, Vishnu disappeared."
I feel, therefore, this will be acceptable.