Ayurveda (Sanskrit Āyurveda आयुर्वेद, “life-knowledge”; or Ayurvedic medicine is a system of Hindu traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and a form of alternative medicine. The oldest known Ayurvedic texts are the Suśrutha Saṃhitā and the Charaka Saṃhitā. These Classical Sanskrit texts are among the foundational and formally compiled works of Ayurveda.
By the medieval period, Ayurvedic practitioners developed a number of medicinal preparations and surgical procedures for the treatment of various ailments.[3] Practices that are derived from Ayurvedic medicine are regarded as part of complementary and alternative medicine, and along with Siddha Medicine and Traditional Chinese medicine, forms the basis for systems medicine.
Ayurveda is at present well integrated into the Indian National health care system, with state hospitals for Ayurveda established across the country. In the United States, the practice of Ayurveda is licensed in complimentary heath care. There is no scientific evidence for the effectiveness of Ayurvedic medicine for the treatment of any disease.[8] Concerns have been raised about Ayurvedic products; U.S. studies showed that up to 20% of Ayurvedic U.S. and Indian-manufactured patent medicines sold through internet contained toxic levels of heavy metals such as lead, mercury and arsenic.[9][10]
In classical Sanskrit literature, Ayurveda was called “the science of eight components” Sanskrit aṣṭāṅga अष्टांग), a classification that became canonical for Ayurveda:
• (General medicine) – Kāya-chikitsā: “cure of diseases affecting the body”
• (Pediatrics) – Kaumāra-bhṛtya: “treatment of children”
• (Surgery) – Śhalya-chikitsā: “removal of any substance which has entered the body (as extraction of darts, of splinters, etc.)”
• (Ophthalmology / ENT/Dentistry) – Śālākya-tantra: “cure of diseases of the teeth, eye, nose or ear etc. by sharp instruments”[dubious – discuss]
• (Demonology / exorcism / psychiatry) – Bhoot (ghost)-vidyā: “treatment of mental diseases”
• (Toxicology) – Agada-tantra:Gada means Poison. “doctrine of antidotes”
• (Anti Agings) – Rasayana-tantra: “doctrine of Rasayana”
• (Aphrodisiacs) – Vājīkaraṇa tantra
Let us first of all lay down some basic definitions so that we can take the argument further. By “tradition” we mean an inherited, established, or customary pattern of thought, action, or behavior (as a religious practice or a social custom). Often it implies a belief or story or a body of beliefs or stories relating to the past that are commonly accepted as historical though not verifiable. It usually involves the handing down of information, beliefs, and customs by word of mouth or by example from one generation to another without written instruction and a type of cultural continuity in social )attitudes, customs, and institutions characteristic manner, method, or style in the best liberal tradition.
By modern we then mean Modernity typically refers to a post-traditional, post-medieval historical period, one marked by the move from feudalism (oragrarianism) toward capitalism, industrialization, secularization, rationalization, the nation-state and its constituent institutions and forms of surveillance (Barker 2005, 444).
Charles Baudelaire is credited with coining the term “modernity” (modernité) to designate the fleeting, ephemeral experience of life in an urban metropolis, and the responsibility art has to capture that experience. Conceptually, modernity relates to the modern era and to modernism, but forms a distinct concept. Whereas the Enlightenment (c. 1650–1800) invokes a specific movement in Western philosophy, modernity tends to refer only to the social relations associated with the rise of capitalism. Modernity may also refer to tendencies in intellectual culture, particularly the movements intertwined with secularisation and post-industrial life, such as Marxism, existentialism, and the formal establishment of social science. In context, modernity has been associated with cultural and intellectual movements of 1436–1789 and extending to the 1970s or later (Toulmin 1992, 3–5).
Politically, modernity’s earliest phase starts with Niccolò Machiavelli’s works which openly rejected the medieval and Aristotelian style of analyzing politics by comparison with ideas about how things should be, in favour of realistic analysis of how things really are. He also proposed that an aim of politics is to control one’s own chance or fortune, and that relying upon providence actually leads to evil. Machiavelli argued, for example, that violent divisions within political communities are unavoidable, but can also be a source of strength which law-makers and leaders should account for and even encourage in some ways (Strauss 1987).
In sociology, a discipline that arose in direct response to the social problems of “modernity” (Harriss 2000, 325), the term most generally refers to the social conditions, processes, and discourses consequent to the Age of Enlightenment. In the most basic terms, Anthony Giddens describes modernity as .a shorthand term for modern society, or industrial civilization. Portrayed in more detail, it is associated with (1) a certain set of attitudes towards the world, the idea of the world as open to transformation, by human intervention; (2) a complex of economic institutions, especially industrial production and a market economy; (3) a certain range of political institutions, including the nation-state and mass democracy. Largely as a result of these characteristics, modernity is vastly more dynamic than any previous type of social order. It is a society—more technically, a complex of institutions—which, unlike any preceding culture, lives in the future, rather than the past (Giddens 1998, 94).
Philosophically the era of modernity is characterised socially by industrialisation and the division of labour and philosophically by “the loss of certainty, and the realization that certainty can never be established, once and for all” (Delanty 2007). With new social and philosophical conditions arose fundamental new challenges. Various 19th-century intellectuals, from Auguste Comte to Karl Marx to Sigmund Freud, attempted to offer scientific and/or political ideologies in the wake of secularisation. Modernity may be described as the “age of ideology.” (Calinescu 1987, 2006)
Modernity, or the Modern Age, is typically defined as a post-traditional, and post-medieval historical period (Heidegger 1938, 66–67). Central to modernity is emancipation from religion, specifically the hegemony of Christianity, and the consequent secularization. Modern thought repudiates the Judeo-Christian belief in the Biblical God as a mere relic of superstitious ages (Fackenheim 1957, 272-73; Husserl 1931 It all started with Descartes revolutionary methodic doubt, which transformed the concept of truth in the concept of certainty, whose only guarantor is no longer God or the Church, but Man’s subjective judgement (Alexander 1931, 484-5; Heidegger 1938).
Theologians have tried to cope with their worry that Western modernism has brought the world to no longer being well-disposed towards Christianity (Kilby 2004, 262; Davies 2004, 133; Cassirer 1944, 13–14). Modernity aimed towards “a progressive force promising to liberate humankind from ignorance and irrationality” (Rosenau 1992, 5).
Postmodernity (also spelled post-modernity or termed the postmodern condition) is generally used to describe the economic or cultural state or condition of society which is said to exist after modernity. Some schools of thought hold that modernity ended in the late 20th century—in the 1980s or early 1990s—and that it was replaced by postmodernity, while others would extend modernity to cover the developments denoted by postmodernity, while some believe that modernity ended after World War II. The idea of the post-modern condition is sometimes characterised as a culture stripped of its capacity to function in any linear or autonomous state as opposed to the progressive mindstate of Modernism.
Postmodernity can mean a personal response to a postmodern society, the conditions in a society which make it postmodern or thestate of being that is associated with a postmodern society. In most contexts it should be distinguished from postmodernism, the adoption of postmodern philosophies or traits in art, literature, culture and society.
The debate on postmodernity has two distinct elements that are often confused; (1) the nature of contemporary society and (2) the nature of the critique of contemporary society. The first of these elements is concerned with the nature of changes that took place during the late 20th century. There are three principal analyses. Theorists such as Callinicos(1991) and Calhoun (1995) offer a conservative position on the nature of contemporary society, downplaying the significance and extent of socio-economic changes and emphasising a continuity with the past. Second a range of theorists have tried to analyse the present as a development of the “modern” project into a second, distinct phase that is nevertheless still “modernity”: this has been termed the “second” or “risk” society by Ulrich Beck (1986), “late” or “high” modernity by Giddens (1990, 1991), “liquid” modernity byZygmunt Bauman (2000), and the “network” society by Castells (1996, 1997). Third are those who argue that contemporary society has moved into a literally post-modern phase distinct from modernity. The most prominent proponents of this position are Lyotard and Baudrillard.
Another set of issues concerns the nature of critique, often replaying debates over (what can be crudely termed) universalism and relativism, where modernism is seen to represent the former and postmodernity the latter. Seyla Benhabib (1995) and Judith Butler (1995) pursue this debate can be found in relation to feminist politics, Benhabib arguing that postmodern critique comprises three main elements; an anti-foundationalist concept of the subject and identity, the death of history and of notions of teleology and progress, and the death of metaphysics defined as the search for objective truth. Benhabib argues forcefully against these critical positions, holding that they undermine the bases upon which feminist politics can be founded, removing the possibility of agency, the sense of self-hood and the appropriation of women’s history in the name of an emancipated future. The denial of normative ideals removes the possibility for utopia, central for ethical thinking and democratic action
The authors raise the question “can and should traditional health concerns be used to address post modern health issues?”
It is very difficult to say when life started on earth and when it would come to an end. But it is quite obvious that from the very beginning of life on earth, every living organism either unicellular or multi-cellular required to maintain the homeostasis for carrying out the life. In the process of evolution and development of life the most intelligent, efficient, and conscious species emerged was human being. As the human being was having most developed brain as compared to the other species of the earth, research and developments in various fields of knowledge was credited and endorsed by him with the advancement of time. Ayurveda was one of those extended knowledge and a precious jewel among the treasures of the rich Indian culture, heritage and literature. It was in a golden and prestigious position while other sciences like astrology, philosophy were in infant stage.
The word ‘Ayurveda’ literally means “the knowledge of ayu”. The word ‘ayu’ here means the life. The ayu is composed of sharira (body), indriya (sense organs), satva (mind) and atma (soul). Ayurveda is not merely a medical science; rather it is the art and science of life. Ayurveda is eternal which means that its origin and end are unknown. If the history of ancient India is explored, we happen to find that Indians had developed a technique of leading a healthy physical, mental, social and spiritual life while other civilizations were not even in existence. Ayurveda is a rare and real conglomeration of sociology, ecology, psychology, botany, medical science, veterinary science any various other streams. It is paradoxical that in present era, the Ayurveda is recognised only as a part of medical science and this encyclopaedia is compared with the modern medical science whose basic principles are entirely different from it.
In the present era of science and technology, if someone talks about health, it means the doctor’s fee, costly hospital bills, high generation expensive antibiotics and investment of time. All these troubles are encountered by the actual sufferer i.e. the patient, but these all are the problems of the attendant or family members of him too. Therefore, it is vivid that in the present scenario, we are not thinking about health; rather we are worried about the diseases. The sole reason behind this mindset is that we fall short to lay down priorities in our life. Since childhood we are taught to conquer good rank in class, followed by aspiration for a good job to earn money and multiplication of that sum in rest of the life. This rat race creates a highly stressful phenomenon and leaves a big impact on our body and mind leading to dire consequences. Nature always gives us an alarm about the breakdown of our body and mind but we disregard it as we know that we are living in a well equipped world of medical science. In this way, during this voyage of life our mental and physical concerns are paid no attention until we fall prey to the predators of health.
Now the question arises if there is any role of Ayurveda in present scenario when we are surrounded by highly developed diagnostic and therapeutic measures or not. Most of the developed countries are spending a fair amount of their total budget on their National health services. The policy makers are laying emphasis on the prevention of diseases or complete health. And in this regard the concepts and principles of Ayurveda must be put forward and presented before the entire world. Ayurveda primarily aims at maintenance of health of healthy and secondarily at the cure of diseases. It narrates the lifestyle in terms of healthy food, healthy surroundings, proper behavioural regimen, and code of conduct for an individual and a society.
Before discussing the importance of Ayurveda it is essential to know about healthy personal and social life for which one should know his priorities in life, his mental and physical limits and his concern with environment and society.
WHAT ACTUALLY IS HEALTH OR BEING HEALTHY?
From a layman’s view if someone is not suffering from a disease, he is called healthy. Health is not merely being free from diseases. Ayurveda describes health as a state of being physically, mentally, socially and spiritually fit or in a balanced state. A person is called swastha or healthy when his dosa, dhatu, agni and mala are in normalcy or in balanced state and he is in a state of mental, sensorial, spiritual calmness and happiness. This definition covers all the aspects of ayu discussed earlier. Sloka. The dosa are the physiological entities responsible for carrying out bodily functions. These are named as vata, pitta and kapha. The dhatus are the physical or materialistic constituents of body. The mala are the waste products .The agni is the digestive capacity of the body. The atma and mana are the psyche factors. So both physical and mental factors have been considered important for being completely healthy.
THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF AYURVEDA
There are so many concepts described in Charaka Samhita , Sushruta Samhita and other classical texts which are widely applicable in various fields but viewing these from a single window of medical field makes the importance of those principles diffuse. These are basically the laws of nature. For example the principle of ‘vriddhi samaane sarveshaam’ says that addition always increases. This principle is true for nutritional science; mathematical science too. The karyakaranvada siddhanta (cause and effect theory) is applicable in every science. Likewise there are other similar fundamentals which are valid in various streams other than Ayurveda.
PERSONAL HEALTH
A comprehensive regimen of life has been advocated in Ayurveda in view of preserving health. This regimen has been described in terms of dincharya, ratricharya and ritucharya.
1. DINCHARYA (DAY REGIMEN) – It includes getting up early in the morning, attending natural calls, cleaning and dressing up of the body properly ,an appropriate meal and doing occupational work. Light physical exercise has been considered important in routine.
2.RATRICHAYA (NIGHT REGIMEN)- Light dinner, cleaning body before going to bed, proper place and position of bed and bedding, calm surroundings, remembering God and pondering over our deeds of the whole day is must for proper sleep which is essential for a healthy body and mind. Sleep has extreme importance like diet. It is equivalent to diet for keeping the body in a balanced state.
The modern scientists have come to know that sun has great effect on all living beings. Presently they are trying to know more about biological clock or circadian rhythm. But if we study the Indian system thoroughly it is crystal clear that even in ancient times, in spite of no any techniques and instruments sages had described the effect of both sun and moon on human body and behaviour. They told that moon affects the psyche and sun affects the body more. They gave more importance to moon because soul and psyche are the major entities which control the body. To make this concept easy for common people they presented it in the form of dincharya (a cyclic pattern of behaviour or work for the day) and ratricharya (a cyclic pattern of behaviour or work for night). Such simple but effective principles were mentioned to maintain homeostasis in body in order to keep the person healthy.
The great invention of Sir Thomas Alva Addison gave us an amazing device i.e. a bulb which took over a part of function of sun i.e. light energy but we got dependant on the artificial light even for the work which could be accomplished in the day. It turned out to be a major amenity and need of the time too but we got disturbed the circadian rhythm of our body. Now a day all working persons, students are working late at night which makes the body over exhausted, leads to stress and hence results in physical and mental afflictions. The persons who work late in night should sleep in day to be healthy. They should have light diet, good amount of liquid diet for mental alertness.
3. RITUCHARYA (SEASONAL REGIME) – The regime of life in different seasons has been detailed in Ayurveda. The person doesn’t suffer from diseases caused by seasonal variations if he follows prescribed regime of diet and conduct. Kala or time has been considered as God in ancient texts. The climate brings about corresponding biological changes in the body of an individual. The whole year is divided into two parts; adana kala and visarga kal which have been further divided into six seasons i.e. Sisira, Vasanta, Grisma(adana ), Varsa, Sarada and Hemant(visarga) depending upon the relative distance of the sun and moon from a specific part of earth . When the sun is nearer it is called adana or uttrayana and when it is distant it is called visarga or dakshinayana. In adana kal the nature or sun absorbs energy and vigour from the living beings and in visarga kal moon showers energy and vigour to them. In Sisira and Hemanta (the months of Dec, Jan and Feb), there is usually accumulation of kapha because of intake of heavy diet in winters. In Vasanta (March and first half of April) the kapha gets aggravated because of the sunrays and hence, may cause various related disorders. So, it should be expulsed from the body through vamana or emesis. In Grisma (last half of April, May and Jun) vata starts accumulating and kapha automatically gets pacified. In Varsa (July,August) vata gets aggravated and pitta gets started accumulating. In Varsa vata should be removed through vasti in which drug in the form of certain decoction or medicated oils is administered through the anal route. In Sarada (Sept,Oct,Nov) pitta gets aggravated and vata pacified. The pitta should be removed through purgation at this time. In this way dosas follow a rhythmic pattern of accumulation, aggravation and pacification. Aggravated dosa are usually responsible for causing diseases. If these dosas are removed from the body at their time of aggravation they do not cause diseases. It helps in maintenance of health. There is no such concept in modern medical science. The people who go through these therapies at specific intervals get really benefitted. In addition to purification of the body proper diet is prescribed for specific seasons to maintain balance. During change of season one should gradually give up the regimen of previous one and takeover the regimen of next season.
Saeason(ritu) Dietary and Behaviorial regimen(do’s) What should be avoided(dont’s).
Hemant and sisir(winters) Milk products,jaggery ,fats,meats, new rice and grains,hot water,alcohal,oil applicationin body exercise,living in hot atmosphere. Light diet (low calorie diet),sattu(powdered roasted cereals) ,direct exposure to cold.
Vasant(spring) Emesis,medicated smoking,(dhumpana),udvartana,,barley,wheat, Heavy,sour, sweet food,day sleeping.
Grisma(summer) Sweet,liquid diet,sattu,rice mixed with ghrita, shali rice,living in cold atmosphere. Sour,salty,spicy food,exercise and sexual intercourse.
Varsa(rainy) Sour,salty food, oil or fats,barley,wheat,old rice,honey,light clothes. Day sleeping, water of natural sources,execise,exposure to sun and sexual intercourse
Sarad(autumn) Sweet,light,bitter ,cold and pittashamak diet,barley,wheat,medicated ghrita. Oil ,fats,curd,sleeping in day time.
Sometimes month detail may be a bit altered depending upon the existing or present tenure of a season. Sometimes elongation of some season may be there. Given here is a rough idea of months in a season.
DIETARY REGIMEN- A major portion of the Ayurveda is related with various diets and rules of dietetics. Different diets have been suggested for healthy individuals according to their age, sex and mental and physical temperament. Different diets are recommended as primary medicines in diseased conditions. The role of diet in health is not worth discussion here as it is known to every conscious person. The concept of wholesome and unwholesome food is unique given by ancient seers. The examples of wholesome food are milk, pure water, ghrita, honey, moong pulse, barley, wheat, different types of rice, pomegranate, dry grapes and amla etc. Let us take the example of barley. It was not considered a quality food by western people earlier but now it holds a position among one of the best cereals. Studies reveal that it helps in controlling blood sugar, blood pressure and reducing weight. All these are burning problems of our society. So if we include barley in our diet it can prevent us from deadly diseases. Likewise, the use of many whole grains,pulses,vegetables,fruits has been advised in different ailments as pathya diet in ancient texts. In modern time, the nutritional science has touched the zenith. We should pursue both the ancient and modern knowledge regarding diet.
An exclusive concept regarding rules of dietetics in Ayurveda is worth mentioning here.
The concept of Ayurveda has its genesis in the Indian sub-continent and is considered as an alternative form of medicine in the other parts of the world. Ayurveda is successfully practiced in India and is used to treat majority of diseases. Ayurvedic medicines are made up of natural ingredients and are free from any kind of side-effects. The medicines provide the human body all the things it wants and completely eradicates the use of inimical supplements and food stuffs that act as a hindrance in the treatment.
Apart from Ayurvedic medicines, Ayurveda also involves numerous therapeutic techniques which involve physical pharmacy techniques and even prayers. However, their main essence lies in their safety.
Relevance of Ayurveda in the modern society
The relevance of Ayurveda and its therapeutic techniques in the contemporary society differ geographically across the world. That is, it has gained more popularity in Asia but is not widely used in the western world thereby creating a discrepancy in its use. However, Ayurveda has gained a place as a Complementary and Alternative medicine (CAM) in the western world especially in the United States. As majority of US consumers give more importance to quick healing techniques and prefer the use of technology, Ayurvedic medicines have gained little importance in the contemporary society. This is also evident with the research practices carried over in the United States. As compared to over more than 100 colleges in India, there are only 20 colleges in the US involved in the research practices and their research is also limited to few Ayurvedic practices such as the dietary changes, herbal treatments and massage techniques. Ayurveda in itself is a very large domain and its relevance in the society is almost trivial.
Many medical scientists and physicians criticize the clinical relevance of Ayurvedic treatments and assert that clinical studies in Ayurveda are limited and their effectiveness is debatable. They mainly refer to the emphasis of Ayurveda on providing different kinds of treatments for different people having the same disease.
Everything said and done, as research is a never-ending process and drug discovery losing its sheen day by day, it is important for the western world to come up with new plant-based drugs through effective Research and Development (R&D). Traditional therapeutic practice such as the Ayurveda can work wonders in this arena and can help in the development of medicines free from side-effects and risks
Unlike the various systems of medicine, like allopathy or homeopathy, Ayurveda is not a system of medicine but a science of life and longevity (Ayurveda= ayus: age, life, longevity, and veda: knowledge). The concept of Ayurveda is based on a combined study of body (sharira), sense organs (indriyas), mind (manas) and soul (atman). Equilibrium of these is related to health and their dysfunction is equated with death. Homeo-stasis of the internal milcu (dhatusamaya), or equilibrium of the various dhatus, is considered essential for absence of disease. The modern definition of health according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is ‘the state of complete physical, mental and social wellbeing and not necessarily the absence of disease and infirmity’.
Ayurveda defines health as:
Abnormality (disorder) is disequilibrium of the dhatus and their equilibrium is normalcy (health) . Health is known as happiness while disorder is unhappiness (4)
Knowledge of Ayurveda is eternal, starting with creation; we do not know when it was not there. The origin of disease and disability must have been about the same time as the origin of life itself. The fight between the disease-creating elements and the disease-curing or disease-preventing systems must have been going on since Lord Brahma’s day, as Brahma is considered to be the creator of the universe. The exact origin of Ayurveda cannot be dated precisely, but the original text is believed to have been written in ten million verses in one thousand chapters. The knowledge of Ayurveda then gradually descended through several sages, including Bharadwaja, Aitreya, Agnivastha, and finally Charaka and his students who compiled the text known as Charaka Samhita, which dates between 600 and 1000 B.C.
Charaka’s description of Ayurveda is very systematic and in many ways it surpasses the modern system of medicine, because Ayurveda has a health-oriented approach, while modern medicine has largely had a disease-oriented approach. Modern medicine is only now stressing to some extent the role of mind in health and disease while in Ayurveda the basic approach incorporates body (sharira), mind (manas) and soul (atman).
Although the Rigveda and Atharvaveda are regarded as great treatises, Ayurveda is considered to be higher as it deals with life, health and longevity, and it is through the healthy body only that one can achieve all righteous tasks in life:
The approach in Ayurveda is wide and wholesome (holistic), while in modern medicine it is largely limited and materialistic (quick relief from disease and not much emphasis on promotive or positive health of mind and body). The mistake often made is when we equate Ayurveda with ayurvedic medicines. Although Ayurveda lays emphasis on both the preventive and curative aspects, its stronghold has been the former, its is clearly enunciated by Charaka. Therapeutics of two types have been described in the ancient Indian literature:
Therapeutics are of two hypes: (1) that which promotes strength. in the healthy (prevention of disease), and (2) that which alleviates disorders.
Charaka Samhita 3:4
One of the lengthiest chapters in Charaka Samhita is on longevity and the role of promotive health care:
From promotive treatment, one attains longevity, memory, intelligence, freedom from disorders, youthful age, excellence of lustre, complexion and voice, optimum strength of physique and sense organs, successful words, respectability and brilliance. Rasayana (promotive treatment) means the way to attain an excellent life.
Charaka Samhita 4: 7.8
Ayurveda is not just another system of medicine, but a science of total health care based on the strong pillars of positive health incorporating the role of the following four aspects: (i) character – achaar, (ii) thought or mind – vichaar, (iii) interpersonal relations – vyavahaar. and (iv) diet – altar.
Mind self and body these three make a tripod on which the living world stands The (living body) is purusha (person) sentient and location of this Veda (4yurveda). For him alone, this Veda is brought to light.
Charaka Samhita 6: 46-47
Charaka Samhita is the most complete text on health care and longevity, i.e. the Ayurveda contemporary surgical text has been dealt with separately in the Sushruta Samhita. A Charaka Club was established in New York in 1898, to honour the great Indian physician. Persian and Arabic translators of the Charaka Samhita had appeared in the 10th century A.D., and a first English translation appeared in the 19th century. Compared to the biblical human lifespan of 70 years (three score and ten), Ayurveda’s figure for the human lifespan was given as 100 years, which was divided into four ashrams or phases of life: (i) brahmacharya: up to 25 years, (ii) grihastha: 25-50 years, (iii) vanaprastha: 50-75 years, and (iv) sannyasa: 75-100 years.
Charaka Samhita Contributions
The ten commandments propounded by Charaka for the study and advancement of medicine are as follows:
1. Advancement of basic concepts of life: physiological and pathological phenomena; dhatusamay – equilibrium of dhatus, homeostasis.
2. Rational attitude: treatment with knowledge and practical skills, not with blind belief. rukti (rational) approach was recommended instead of daivya (supernatural) therapy. The wise man, desiring health and long life, should not take any medicine prescribed by irrational physicians.
3. Organisation of symposium: presentation of works/papers on therapy. Lord Aitreya has been mentioned as presiding over one such meeting.
4. Psychosomatic approach: deha manasa (psycho-somatic) concepts of disease treatment of the purusha (person) were stressed instead of organic systems.
5 Individual constitution prakriti (individual psyche/nature) was considered important in the prescript ion of medicines; basis of anaphylaxis allergy idiosyncrasy.
6. Expansion of discipline: (i) nidana – etiology, (ii) samprapti – pathologenesis, (iii) purvarupa – prodroma, (iv) rupa – signs and symptoms, and (v) upasaya – therapeutics.
7. Scientific method of diagnosis: first study the patient, then study the suitable drug, and watch for interactions, results and side effects.
8. Importance of nature: drugs and dietetic measures used to aid nature to fight/prevent disease:
swanbhavoparama – recession of disease by nature.
9. Emphasis on promotive and preventive aspects: Charaka Samhita starts its first chapter on the longevity of life in which the practice of rasayana (promotive health care) , aachar (conduct) and lifestyle are given importance.
10. Scientific study of drugs: analytical study of medicinal plants in the vedic period. The Rigveda and Atharvaveda mention aushadhi sukta drugs which are divided into 50 groups, according to their pharmacological action, based on: rasa, guna, virya, vipatka and prabhava (effects).
Charaka’s quadruple
Fully realising the importance and contribution of the physician, the attendant (nurse), the patient and the drug, in the treatment of the sick, Charaka defined all the four as follows:
Physician, drug, attendant and patient, this is the quadruple which, if endowed with proper qualities, leads to time alleviation of disorders (3)
Physician:
Excellence in theoretical knowledge, experience, dexterity and cleanliness – this qualities of a physician. (6)
Attendant (nurse):
Knowledge of attendance, dexterity, loyalty and cleanliness:
these are the four qualities of an attendant. (8)
Patient:
Memory, obedience. fearlessness and providing all information about time disorder – these are the qualities of a patient (9)
Drug:
Abundance, effectively, various pharmaceutical forms and normal composition – these are the four qualities of drugs. (7)
Employment of all the excellent four – physician, attendant, patient and drug. in case of disorder of the dhatus, with the object of (re-establishing) their equilibrium, is said to be therapeutics. (5)
Preventive approach to positive health
This is only a glimpse of what Ayurveda offers, and if this is what Ayurveda is, then it certainly is much more than just a system of medicine. Dr. Dean Ornish, a well-known American cardiologist, has recently propounded that it is possible to reverse atherosclerosis (narrowing of the blood vessels) by the following regime: (a) Balanced diet, consisting mainly of vegetables and fruits; (b) Regular physical exercise, and (c) Practice of mental relaxation through Yoga and meditation.
This approach may be new for the Americans, but it is certainly not new for India, where Ayurveda has described three types o diet: sattwic, rajasic and tamasic. The sattwic diet, containing fresh fruits, vegetables, honey, curd etc., is considered to be superior. The rajasic diet was prescribed for those engaged in heavy physical work, and it contains high protein foods such as various types of meats, beans etc. The tamasic diet which contains highly spiced and refined foods was considered to be harmful to the health. Regular, moderate physical exercise and practice of Yoga are of course mentioned repeatedly in Ayurveda as the essential components of the preventative approach to positive health.
The major thrust in Ayurveda is on prevention of disease through diet, physical exercise and Yoga which includes several ways of mental relaxation. Drugs prepared from herbs, plants and animal products, including the milk of various animals, ghee and honey, have been used in Ayurveda for the treatment of different diseases. In the chapter on heart disease, the Charaka Samhita mentions at several places the reasons for cardiac problems and the means of prevention.
Cardiac disease of the kapha is born from the intake of fatty meals, overeating, and also from excessive indulgence in sleep, sedentary habits and carelessness.
Even wholesome food taken in proper quantity does not get digested due to anxiety, grief, fear, anger, uncomfortable bed and vigil. Charaka Samhita 311 :9
The person desiring to protect himself from adverse ejects upon the heart) coronary blood vessels and the contents thereof should particularly avoid all the causes of mental affliction.
Charaka Samhita 30:53
In the present times, most deaths and disabilities occur from diseases of the cardiovascular system, cancer, psychosomatic problems, degenerative disorders like diabetes, gout and the modern scourge of AIDS. There is no permanent cure for any of these diseases, and their palliative treatment is becoming very expensive, which many families and even some states cannot afford. Modern medicine has provided excellent tertiary care treatment in the form of very effective drugs, angioplasty procedures, radiotherapy and sophisticated advanced surgical techniques to tackle some of these diseases where treatment could be beneficial for variable lengths of time. There is, therefore, an urgent need on a global level, and more so in the poor nations, to evolve preventive strategies on a war footing, to contain the emergence of epidemics of coronary disease, cancer and AIDS. Concepts and ways and means, as enunciated in Ayurveda, should be revived to supplement and augment the achievements of modern medicine.
As a city manager is cautious in the duties of the city and a charioteer in those of time chariot, a wise person should be cautious in the duties relating to his own body. An axle fitted in a vehicle which is endowed with all the essential qualities, carries on and perishes with time by depreciation of its normal limit.
Similarly, the lifespan of the body of a person comes to an end after the normal limit Such death is known as timely. Just as the same axle gets destroyed on the way, due to overload, uneven road, want of road, breaking of wheels, defects in the vehicle or driver, separation of the bolt, lack of lubrication, and throwing about, similarly, the lifespan of a person comes to an end in the middle due to over exertion, diet which is not in accordance with one’s nature, and irregular meals Samhita, sixth century B. C.
globalayurvedablog 