AYURVEDA
Lord Dhanwanthari
The father of Ayurveda |
What is Ayurveda
Mythological origins
In India, knowledge is considered sacred since it is believed to have emanated from the gods. According to Hindu mythology, the harmony of the universe is maintained by the Trimurtis (triumvirate) - Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Preserver and Siva the Destroyer. At the time of creation, Ayurveda is believed to have originated as a ray of enlightenment in the cosmic consciousness of Brahma. This self-existent creator composed Ayurveda as a branch of Atharva Veda. Consisting of a hundred thousand verses in a thousand chapters, it was divided by him into eight sections or parts, according to Sushruta the ancient surgeon.
Ayurveda - the knowledge of life
Brahma is believed to have imparted the knowledge of Ayurveda to his disciple Daksha Prajapati, who passed it on to the Aswins, the twin gods, who in turn conferred it on Indra, the king of the gods. While all this happened in the heavens, humanity continued to be plagued by pains and illnesses. Great seers meditated upon remedies for the numerous human maladies but in vain. It was decided that the eminent sage Dhanwantari, reincarnated as Divodasa, and the sages Bharadwaja and Kashyapa be deputed to go to heaven to learn the divine science of healing directly from Indra. That, according to legend, was how Ayurveda descended from the skies to alleviate suffering on the mortal plane.
The schools of treatment
These three illustrious sages, the pioneer students of Ayurveda, in turn had eminent pupils. Divodasa Dhanwantari and his disciples specialized in Salyachikitsa (surgery) and formed the school of surgery. His important students included Sushruta, Aupadhenava, Vaitarana, Aurabhadra, Pushkalavata, Nimi, Kara, Karaveerya, Gopurarakshita, Bhoja, Kankayana, Galava and Gargava. Punarvasu Artreya, who was the disciple of Bharadwaja had seven pupils -Agnivesa, Charaka, Bhela, Jatukarna, Parasara, Hareeta and Ksharapaani. They were called the Artreya School of physicians and specialized in Kayachikitsa (general medicine). The Kashyapa School specialized in Kumarabhrutya (paediatrics). Foremost among Kashyapa's students was Vruddha (the elder) Jeevaka who wrote Kashyapa Samhita. His other disciples were Vasishta, Atri, Bhrigu, Jeevaka, Parvataka and Bandhaka.
|
|
The philosophy of Ayurveda
The emergence of different schools of Sanskrit philosophy like Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Sankhya, Yoga, Vedanta and Mimamsa was another landmark in the history of Indian medicine. The principles expounded in these philosophies facilitated the development within Ayurveda of its theory of humoral pathology which propounds that the human body is composed of Tridoshas, the three humors - Vata, Pitta and Kapha. When these are in equilibrium they are called the Tridhatus. The body in which these three humors are in a state of equilibrium enjoys perfect health; their disequilibrium causes ill health. Tridhatu sarma vahanam subhaspathi (equilibrium of Tridhatu or Tridhosha leads to well being).
The birth of a science
More than a thousand years after the advent of the Atharva Veda came the age of the Samhitas or compendiums. The term Ayurveda first appears in the Samhitas, the earliest recorded works on Indian medicine. In Sanskrit, Ayur means 'pertaining to life' and Veda, 'science' or 'wisdom'. It was during this age which marked the end of the oral tradition that medical treatment freed itself from the Mantras and spells of the Vedic age. An unprecedented factual and materialistic approach to human health began to be adopted. For the purpose of specialization, this science was divided into eight sections - the Ashtanga.
Ashtanga Hrudaya - the kernel of Ayurveda
One of the principal texts of Ayurveda is the Ashtanga Hrudaya (the essence of the eight sections). This contains the kernel of Ayurvedic medicine and philosophy and stands next only to the two other monumental works, the Charaka Samhita and the Sushruta Samhita. As such it is the third book in the Brihat Trayi (the great trilogy).
The Pancha Maha Bhutas
1. Akasha (Ether or space)
The first element to come into existence, Akasha is also the subtlest. It is the most expansive and least dense, and though it seems a vast expanse of nothingness and its existence is a paradox of sorts, it is the matrix for all the other elements. Having evolved from the Sabda Tanmatra (sound), it is capable of carrying sound energy. The entire spectrum of vibration travels in the form of waves through this medium.
2. Vayu (Air)
Vayu emerges from the Sparsa Tanmatra (touch). It is light, cold and transparent and more tangible than ether. Movement and sense of touch are the chief properties ascribed to Vayu.
3. Agni (Fire)
Evolved from the Rupa Tanmatra (form), Agni is hot, light, penetrative and luminous. Almost all the transformations that substances undergo are with the help of the Agni Bhuta. It plays a vital role in our body, as it is responsible for the breaking down of food to facilitate assimilation. Ayurveda calls this the Antaragni (digestive fire).
4. Jala (Water)
Jala evolves from the Rasa Tanmatra (taste). It is the principal component of all forms of life and necessary for sustaining life. Substances in which the water element predominates are viscous, cold, soft, moist and capable of permeating. It holds and binds things together.
5. Prithvi (Earth)
Anything that is solid, heavy, inert, dense and opaque is of the Prithvi Bhuta. This is the most concrete of all elements and stimulates the sense of smell as it is evolved from the Gandha Tanmatra (smell).
The body mystique
|
The mystique of human body has intrigued both epicureans and philosophers for ages. In Ayurveda the body is considered to be a blend of the five basic elements: sky, water, earth, air and fire. When these are in perfect equilibrium, the body houses the universal consciousness and echoes the harmony of nature. It is regulated by the three bio-regulating principles - the Tridoshas
Vata
The Vata is responsible for the motor and sensory functions. As it is composed predominantly of Akasa (space) and Vayu (air) elements, it has the power of mobility and also keeps the other two humors in motion. Though it pervades the whole body, its chief seats, according to Charaka, are the intestines, especially the colon, the urinary bladder, the pelvis, the legs and the bones.
Pitta
The Pitta is responsible for the generation of heat and the digestion of food. According to Charaka, it is a hot, slightly unctuous, mobile fluid with an acidic taste and the smell of raw meat. According to Dalhana, the Pitta is blue when in an immature condition and yellow when mature. The seat of the Pitta, according to Sushruta, is the Pakvasay Madhyam i.e., the middle portion of the Pakvasaya which extends from the stomach to the small intestine. The Naabhi or the umbilical region is considered to be the special seat of the Pitta.
Kapha
The Kapha or Sleshma is that which binds together. The root Sanskrit word for Sleshma is Slish which means 'to embrace'. It provides the body with stability,strength and resistance to disease. Its predominant components being the elements of water and earth, the physical properties of these two elements predominate in Kapha. As such, it is white, transparent, sweet-saline, dense, slimy, heavy and slow in movement. Snigdhata or unctuousness being its chief property, it preserves the body by lubricating it.
Classification of Ayurvedic drugs
Ayurvedic pharmacology is termed Dravyavignan. Since Dravya means 'substance' and Vignan, 'wisdom', Dravyavignan could be translated as 'the science of drugs'. The Dravya or drug is Panchabhautik (composed of the five great elements). Ayurvedic pharmacology is based on the concept of these five great elements:
Sarvam dravyam pancha bhautika masminnarthe - Charaka
Varieties of medicinal preparations
Swarasa (extract)
The Dravya from which an extract is to be taken should be fresh and juicy. It is cut into small pieces and sometimes crushed lightly. Then with the help of a press, the Swarasa or extract is obtained. Dravyas, like those of a semi-woody nature, from which the extract cannot be squeezed out, should be cut into small pieces, crushed, and then ground into a paste. This paste is then squeezed for the extract.
Kashaya
Kashaya means 'decoction' or 'extract'. There are more than 1000 kinds of Kashayas.
Kwatha Kashaya
The Dravya is cut into small pieces, crushed, and then boiled in water in an earthen vessel till the liquid is reduced to a quarter of its original volume. In some cases, the volume is further reduced to an eighth. The decoction thusobtained is strained through fine cloth or muslin.
Sheeta Kashaya (cold infusion)
Crushed Dravyas are steeped in water in a closed vessel for 12 hours. Water that has been boiled and cooled, or clean rainwater can be used for this. After the stipulated time, the contents are passed through a strainer. The liquid thus obtained is the Sheeta Kashaya. The solid residue left in the strainer can be pressed to obtain what remains of the extract.Phanta Kashaya Here, a Dravya is crashed and mixed with water before being strained to obtain a Phanta Kashaya.
Kalka (paste)
The Dravyas are cut into pieces and crushed. It is then ground on a stone with a muller, while adding water gradually to get a paste of thick consistency. Sometimes, other liquids are used. In the case of fresh, juicy Dravyas, not much water or any other liquid is used.
Churna (powder)
The first step is to cut the Dravyas into small pieces and crush them with the help of a pestle and mortar. To obtain a fine powder, it is further ground on a stone with a mallet. The powder is then sifted using a piece of fine cloth or a new sieve with a fine mesh. The grains left on the sieve can be crushed further and sifted to obtain more of the therapeutic powder.
Asava
Adding powdered medicine, raisins, jaggery and Thathirippoo (Woodfordia Foribunda), a flower that acts as a fermenting agent, to water that has been boiled and cooled, makes Asavas. The mixture is stored in earthen pots for around 30 days for fermentation and sedimentation. The fluid obtained after removing the sediment is used for treatment.
Arishta
Adding a Churna and a sweetening agent like sugar, jiggery or honey, to a Kashaya, makes an Arishta.
The mixture is kept sealed in earthen pots for 30 days. The porosity of the earthen pots helps maintain a temperature of around 27 degrees inside and this facilitates fermentation. After 30 days, the mixture is strained. It is then kept for ten to fifteen days for sedimentation during which contact with air is maintained. The solution obtained after removing the sediment is the Arishta. |
|
|
|
