Tulasi - The Wonder Herb

     Tulasi redeems us from all sins. Tulasi provides us with all the wealth. Tulasi and Indian families have symbiotic relationship. A house without Tulasi plant is like a temple without deity.

     Since ancient times in every Indian household, Tulasi occupies a prominent place. Every backyard of the Indian house is adorned with Tulasi Fort. (Structure that is built around tulasi). Indians believe Tulasi as an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi. Indians worship the holy Basil (Tulasi) every day at a prescribed time.


There are many varieties of Tulasi. The popularly adopted Tulasi plants are 1. Krishna Tulasi. 2. Rama Tulasi. 3. Lakshmi Tulasi.
• Krishna Tulasi is widely used in preparing medicines. Tulasi and pepper powder are used to cure malarial fever. Tulasi and Ginger are made into juice and are used to alleviate the knee joint pains.
• Vomiting can be avoided by consuming curd or honey mixed with Tulasi seeds.
• For curing Asthmatic problems, the essence of Krishna tulasi leaf and black pepper combination works wonders.
• For skin disorders, paste made of Tulasi and Lemon can be applied externally.
• For soar throat, water is boiled along with Tulasi leaves and is consumed. Tulasi rasa reduces Kapha dosha and re-energizes the body.


Modern research:
1. It reduces glucose levels and is being used to cure Diabetics
2. It reduces cholestral levels
3. As a Cox-2 Inhibitor, it is being used as a pain reliever in cancer treatment
4. To store food grains


     Certain Vishnu devotees do not use Tulasi as a medicinal herb and consider it as a sacred plant. They consume Tulasi water (Tirtha) for purification of sins.


     Tulasi needs are used in Japa and Meditation. Garlands of fresh Tulasi leaves are offered to deities in temples every day. In Hindu temples, holy Tulasi water is given to devotees as Tirtha.


Tulasi is worshipped as the incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi.


     During the month of Kartika, Tulasi Vivaha (Wedding of Tulasi) is grandly celebrated. Hindus consider that day as a very auspicious day.


     In Agastya Samhita it is said that, by planting Tulasi, watering Tulasi, worshipping Tulasi, rather touching Tulasi, one obtain moksha, the enlightenment.


     Hindus believe that Tulasi plant contain all the holy rivers, all the Vedas and all the deities. Persons on the deathbed are watered with "Tulasi Tirtha" by pouring a few drops into the mouth. It is believed that, Tulasi purifies them from sins and gives them better positions (circumstances) in the next life.


     Tulasi, the holy plant, the wonder herb, the sin redeemer is always with us from our birth to death, as an eternal companion.

Benefiting from the Cow

     On June 2003, American patent office had given patent to "Go - Muthram" (cow-urine) as an antibiotic in curing diseases like tuberculosis and cancer. This product had been patented by Nagpur NGO "Go-vignana Ansundhana kendram".


     This news had created sensation among medical community worldwide and debate, discussion and research got initiated in many medical universities throughout the world. Today a new science called "Cowpathy" is evolving.


     Ancient Indians had indepth knowledge of "Panchagavya chikitsa" including cow urine therapy. But, for centuries modern medicine had considered the cow urine therapy as a primitive practice of blind beliefs. Medical fraternity had woken up recently to the reality and started recognizing the potential therapeutic value of Cow products.

     Indians worship cow as holy mother. Indian Cow is respected as the embodiment of all divine forces. Gifting a cow is considered to be the greatest of all charities. During the performance of yagnas and yagas, Cow & Cow products are very essential. Indian culture has placed cow in the sacred position of "Kamadhenu" (the wish fulfilling holy Diety). Vedas, Puranas and Itihasas, all adore the sanctity and utility of cow in many ways. Holy cow and Indian life have a sacred bondage. Rigveda says that killing a cow is the greatest of all sins.


     In the Mahabharata, Anushasanaparva, Bhishma reveals about the greatness of Gowmati yaga and holy cow's importance. He further says, if anyone studies (any kind of subject) by staying near a cow, one grasps the essence of that study in no time, as cow always emits positive vibrations which keep the mind in a composed state.


     In modern times, the first Indian war of Independence (Sepoy mutiny) in the year 1857 had it's roots in the sacrilege made to Cow.


     In India, Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaisyas and Sudras all worship and benefit from the cow in many ways. From giving milk, ploughing fields, performing yagnas and up to curing many diseases, Cow helps Indians; Cow protects them and nourishes them in every way. Lord Krishna being a cowherd is dear to millions and millions of devoted hearts.


Panchagavya Chikitsa:
In preparation of Ayurvedic medicines, the Pancha Gavyas (Five cow products) are used very extensively. The Panchagavyas are 1. Cow Milk 2. Curd. 3. Ghee. 4. Urine. 5. Cow Dung.


     In the famous Ayurvedic texts like Charaka, Sushruta and Vagbatta Samhitas, Pancha Gavyas are used to cure skin diseases, urinary problems, kneejoint pains and ulcers.


     In Indian agriculture, Cow's role can never be de-linked or belittled. Cow dung is natural manure, being used by Indians since ancient times. Cow urine and neem leaves are mixed together and used as a pesticide. Many NGOs are working in furtherance of research in this regard.


     Treatment with Pancha Gavyas had obtained prominence and importance after WHO started recognizing the traditional health remedies worldwide. In America and Africa, Pancha gavya is being used and tested for curing AIDS and clinical results seem to be encouraging.


Modern medicine is accepting these cow products as anti-biotics and bio-enhancers.


     Normally environmentalists raise their voice about adverse green effects and pollution of burning firewood. Interestingly, the fire obtained by burning cow-dung cakes had cleaned the atmosphere instead of polluting it. The holy process of Agnihotra is becoming popular throughout the world for it's miraculous cleaning effects.


     When Bhopal gas tragedy struck, a household, where there was regular practice of the ritual of Agnihotra, was not affected, where as the neighboring households had to run amuck in fear of poisonous hazards that the gas leak had created. The research findings point to the Agnihotra Fire, which was created by burning cow-dung cakes. That fire had protected that small family by cleaning the atmosphere that night.


     It is our duty to protect Cow. Today, many Go-rakshana samitis had been formed at many places to protect cows. In these cow - protection movements Gujaratis, Marwaris and some voluntary & spiritual organizations had taken a lead role and are doing their best to spread the awareness.


     Indian agriculture and Indian lifestyle are intimately linked to the cow. As we protect the cow, so does the cow protect us.

Test Tubes Babies

     In the year 1978-80, modern medical knowledge had claimed that it had achieved a miracle in the history of human race. Female ovum and male semen had been fertilized in a test tube and was transferred into uterus. Thus, the first test tube baby was born.

     Is this for the first time in the history of mankind such miracles have happened? No, ages ago, many such instances had occurred on Indian soil.

     Let us first refer to Rig Veda; Sage Agastaya's birth is not from the mother's womb. He had been fertilized in a pot. (Refer Rig Veda 7.33.13)

In Mahabharata, there are a few instances of childbirth similar to today's test tube babies,
• Let us look into the episode of Drona, the guru of Pandavas and kauravas. He was said to have been born only from the semen of male, without the female ovum in a vessel called "Droni" under the technical guidance and supervision of sage Bharadwaj. Hence he had become famous by the name Dronacharya.
• King Drupada had performed a yagna to bring forth Draupadi and her brother Drushtadyumna. The methodology referred therein, resembles the cloning concepts of today.
• Sage Gautama had created twins Kripa and Kripi by using certain vessels rather instruments. Hence they became famous  by those names resembling the shape of the vessels.
• We are all aware of the famous episode of the birth of Kauvara Queen Gandhari had undergone self-abortion, sage Vyasa collected the foetus and preserved it in one hundred pots and thus could produce 100 Kaurava Brothers and one sister Dussala.

     All these frequent references are not figs of imagination, but were the instances of the then prevailing knowledge about the birth of babies, that are not from the mother's womb.

Hridayam - for Healthy Heart Beats

     William Harvey, (1628AD) a British scientist, had found that heart is essential for blood circulation, but could not describe how blood reaches the heart and flows from it. In the year 1669 a scientist named Marcello Malphigi clearly described how blood flows into Heart and comes out of it.


     Now, let us hear the echos of ancient Indian heartbeats and it's hearty revelations.
Satapatha Brahmana of Yajur Veda, had defined Hridayam (the heart) as under,
"Hru" means "barinay" (that receives)
"Da" means "daanay" (that gives)
"Ya" means "enngathow" (that circulates)
That which receives (blood), gives and circulates is called Hridayam.
Niruktha sastra had defined Hridayam as follows

haraterdadāterayaterhrdayaśabdah (Niruktham)


Sushruta says,


kapha pittāvaruddhastu māruto rasa mūrcitahhrdisthah kurute śulam uccvāsārodhakam param


कफ पित्तावरुद्धस्तु मारुतो रस मूर्चितः
ह्रुदिस्थः कुरुते षुलम् उच्च्वासारोधकम् परम् |


"Heart diseases are caused because of "kapha" and "Pita" doshas (defects) and thus thickening and narrowing of coronary arteries resulting in acute pain in the Chest and difficulty in breathing."


Charaka says,


tanmahattā mahāmūlāh taccaujah pariraksatā
parihāryā viśesena manaso duhkhahetavah

(Charaka Samhita Sutrasthanam 30/13)

तन्महत्ता महामूलाः तच्चौजः परिरक्सता |
परिहार्या विषेसेन मनसो दुह्खहेतवः |||


hrdyam yat syādyadaujasyam srotasām yat prasādanam
tattat sevyam prayatnena praśamo jñānameva ca

(Charaka Samhita Sutrasthanam 30/14)

ह्रुद्यम् यत् स्याद्यौजस्यम् स्रोतसाम् यत् प्रसादनम् |

तत्तत् सेव्यम् प्रयत्नेन पषमो ञ्णानमेव च || 

     "Those who want to preserve "Ojas" and maintain heart in good condition should be away from mental worries and should exhibit self-restraint in diet and should consume the medicines that increase vital principle (ojas) and blood circulation." For healthy Heartbeats, meticulous efforts are to be made to obtain tranquility with awareness & wisdom.

     Indian traditional medical knowledge had rightly recognized the preventive measures for the Heart diseases ages ago and advised suitably to exercise self-restraint and adopt moderate food habits and a composed mindset. If these suggestions are followed today, one can avoid heart surgeries and expenditure.
     The Rasa is the energy produced from well-digested food. It is stored in the Heart. From the heart entering through the 24 arteries, 10 going upward 10 going downward and four horizontal, it satisfies, grows and maintains the entire body every day by an invisible force or cause. Blood is carried from heart to the entire body through them. (Ref: Sushruta Samhita, Sutrasthanam, adhyayah 14 para - 3).
     It has been mentioned in the book, "Nighantu Ratnakara, that "grind" medicinal plant Teeminalia Arjuna (Arjuna tree) is used to cure heart diseases".


Contributed by Prasanna.

Ayurveda - A Therapeutical Treasure

     Knowledge of Ayurveda had descended from Lord Brahma to Prajapati to Ashwini Kumars, from them to Indra to Bharadwaj, from him to Atreya, and to his disciples Agnivesha, Khela, Harita and others. Over a period of time it got divided into two schools of thought 1. Atreya Parampara 2. Dhanvantari Parampara.

      In Atreya parampara, kaya-chikitsa (medicine/bodily treatment) is given prime importance. The famous text of this  school of thought is Charaka Samhita, named after the famous physician, Charaka.
 

      In Dhanavantari parampara salya-chikitsa (Surgery) also had been dealt with. In the line of surgery Sushruta is considered to be an authority and the famous treatise is Sushruta Samhita, written by him.

      Apart from the above two schools of thought, Siddha medicine founded by sage Agastya is famous, even today in South India. In the yogic text Yoga Vashishta, it has been said that diseases first orginate in mental plane, slowly descend to pranic plane and then affect various nerves, arteries and veins, which in turn result in the bodily aliments etc.

     Indian medical science had linked human thoughts to human health and evolved the therapeutical knowledge ages ago; the Purer and positive the thoughts, the better the health.

     Today, modern medicine is slowly accepting the psychosomatic reasons for the advent of diseases. For this reason Yoga, Ayurveda and Naturopathy are becoming popular as alternative medicine to Allopathy. Our seers who had bequeathed us this knowledge had to be thanked, adored and worshipped.

Charaka Samhita, talks about a healthy person in the following lines
 

samadosah samāgniśca samadhātu malakriyah
Prasannātmendriya manāh svastha ityabhidhīyate |

सम्दोसः समाग्निश्चा समाधातु मलाक्रियाह

प्रसंनात्मेंद्रिता मनः स्वस्थ इत्यभिधीयते  |
 

     In whom there is a balance of three doshas like vata, pita, kapha seven dhathus like lymph, blood, flesh, fatty tissue, bone, bonemarrow and semen and malakriya (proper balance excretion of fasces, urine and sweat) and who has self control of sense organs and mind, such a person has been defined as healthy person.
 

Even from Vedic times the knowledge of Ayurveda had been divided into eight parts.
1. Kaya chikitsa - General medicine & therapeutics
2. Kaumara-bhritya - Paediatrics & obsterics
3. Shaky tantra - Surgery
4. Shalakyatantra - ENT, ophthalmology
5. Bhutavidya - Psychiatary & Para psychic studies
6. Vishatantra - Toxicology
7. Rasayana - Rejuvenation therapy
8. Vajikarana - Virilification therapy 

Medicinal plants:
 

     "Nature is bestowed with suitable and necessary medicines for all kind of diseases" says Charaka. In his Charaka Samhita around 582 kinds of medicinal plants have been mentioned. Similarly in Sushruta Samhita around 496 medicinal plants have been described. From them many meedicinal preparations like powders, tonics and distillations are prepared.

Alchemy & Medicine:

      Acharya Nagarjuna and Vagbatta had used many chemical preparations including metals and alloys as medicines. Many of the Alchemy's methods were adopted by Arabs and from the Europeans.

Panchakarma treatment (Methods of Internal Cleaning):

      Charaka Samhita - sutrasthana (chapter 16- verses 17-21) describes about Pancha karma treatment. The concept of Pancha karma is to keep the stomach clean from toxicities and impurities (Tridoshas). If the stomach (the internal furnace within the body for all metabolic reactions) is clean, the person would be free from many kinds of diseases.
1. Vaman - Emesis (through vomiting doshas are cured)
2. Viraychanam - Purgation
3. Basti - enema
4. Nasya - administrating medicines through nose
5. Raktamoksham - Bloodletting

      After Panchakarma treatment, the sense organs work efficiently. Colour of the skin becomes bright. Person obtains enough strength and would not appear aged. In Raktamoksha therapy usage of leeches is popular. Today it is being called as Leech therapy. Sushruta Samhita "Sutrasthana" (13 & 19 paras) clearly describes the usage of leeches in the therapy. Kudos! To knowledge that has used mother's milk for therapeutical usage in 70 diseases. For example it is said, that milk of women of black colour can cure many eye diseases.

Famous  Ayurvedic Texts Available today:
1. Rig Veda & Atharva Veda
2. Charaka Samhita (600BC)
3. Sushruta Samhita (500BC)
4. Ashtanga Hridaya (vagbhatta - 600AD)
5. Sarangadhara Samhita (1200AD)
6. Bhava Prakashaka (1600AD)
7. Madhava's Nidana sastra (700AD)

 Contributed By Prasanna.

Pioneering the Surgery - World's First Surgeons

     Ayurveda is the treasure house of Indian medical knowledge & Surgery. It is worshiped as Upaveda to Rigveda and in Atharvaveda many verses deal with the Ayurvedic knowledge.
     This "knowledge-chest" is a gift to world from the great seers of yore like Bharadwaj, Atreya, Agnikaya, Charaka, Dhanvantari, Sushruta and many others. In fact, it is an eternal gift of India to the world.
     In Rigveda the verses (1.116.14&15), mention that, a woman warrior called "Vischala" the queen of king Khela, had been fitted with an artificial Iron leg by the Ashwini physicians, when she lost her leg in the war. These physicians were adored for eye transplantation in the next verse.
Indians pioneered surgery ages ago, Sushruta (500B.C) was the World's earliest Surgeon. He learned the skills of surgery from Dhanvantari (considered to be God Vishnu) and wrote a treatise on surgery and Ayurveda called "Sushruta Samhita" which had stood the test of time and is even now being followed.
In his text he had divided the methods of surgery into eight parts
1. Chedya - cutting
2. Lekhya - separating
3. Vedhya - removing the toxic objects from the body
4. Ishya - probing the blood capillaries for finding the cause of disease.
5. Aharya kriya - eliminating the production of harmful elements in the body.
6. Visradavya - removing water from the body
7. Civya - suturing
8. Bedhya kriya - making holes and performing surgery

     We find the mention of advanced level of surgery, the plastic surgery mostly Rhenoplastary in Sushruta Samhita. These surgeries were performed to reconstruct the noses and ears. He performed many eye surgeries. There are many referances about Caesarean operation. Indians not only performed surgeries, but also studied the human Anatomy by dissecting dead bodies. In Sushruta Samhita, we find many methods of preserving dead bodies for dissection. Sushruta had mentioned about 125 surgical instruments in his treatise.

      In Bhoja Prabandha (927AD), it had been mentioned that king Bhoja had undergone a surgical treatment, for getting a tumor removed from the brain. King had been administered Anesthesia called "Sammohini" while the surgery was being performed.
      Gautham Buddha's physician called Devaka had performed many surgeries. Buddhistic texts mention about them. "Vinaya Pitika" a buddhistic text reveals that germs in the brain were removed by perfoming a surgery.
      Ayurvedic knowledge adopts surgery as a last measure in treatment, but it focuses mostly on prevention than cure. It laid stress on bio-medical remedies though aware of chemical pharmacology and surgical interventions. All the books like "Charaka Samhita", "AstangaHridaya", and "Bhavaprakasa" including "Sushruta Samhita" mention about medicinal plants. Today, Western world had understood it's potentiality and has become crazy after medicinal plants. Madhava's "Nidana Sastra" contains diagnosis of various diseases by observing human gestures and smells that emit from the body.

-Contributed by Prasanna.

Comets

A train of light rarely appears in the sky. It is called "Dhuma-ketu" by ancient Indians. Today we call it, Comet. The word "Comet" in Latin means the one that has long hairs. The Western world never had knowledge about these comets till Edmond Halley in the year 1759 pioneered the study about the comets. He propounded that once in 95 years, these comets visit us, One of the comets had been named after Halley.


The ancient Indian Astronomical texts dealt with the knowledge of comets very extensively. They are
1) Bṛihat Vimana śăstra written by Bharadwaja
2) Agastya's śakti tantra
3) Jaimini's Keta sarvasva


In "Vimana Sastra" in the chapter "Kriya Sara Tantra" we find mention of Dhuma-ketus. It had been mentioned in that text, that there are 3,07,30,221 Comets in space. Among them around eight thousand of them are powered with electrical currents. Twelve of them are very fierce, powerful and dangerous.

In Agastya's śakti tantra, the names of the Twelve Comets are given. It had been mentioned that during rainy season the potency of comets would be very high.


Vimana Sastra says that the Comets are formed because of Sun burning certain objects in it's vicinity; please do not forget the word "Dhuma" in Sanskrit means smoke and gases. The modern knowledge about the comets also concurs with that. Modern science explains that because of the proximity of certain celestial objects to the sun, the gases in them get combusted and become a stream, which appears as a tail or train of light.

Jantar Mantar, a place for monitoring Heavens

At least in the field of ancient Indian Astronomy, we are left with certain classical Astronomical texts. Thanks, to the efforts of ancient Indian Astronomers.

Aryabhattiyam, śiddhanta-śiromaṇi,Bṛihat-samhitā, Surya-siddhantā, Brahmaspuṭa-siddhantā, śiśyādhivridhida, etc are the texts that stand today as credentials of advanced Astronomical findings and at many instances they excel the present day knowledge.

To perceive astronomical facts, one requires certain special instruments. What were the instruments that were used by ancient Indian Astronomers? If they had used instruments, what happened to them today? Do they exist today? If they had disappeared with elapse of time, do we, at least have suitable references about their usage?

Most of the Indian Astronomical Instruments might have been destroyed during various foreign invasions on India. Today, we get the glimpses of their usage from the ancient astronomical texts. For example, Aryabhatta, the renowned Astronomer lived near Kusumpura during Fifth centaury AD. He was monitoring heavens from an observatory called "khagola" kha means space, gola means spherical instrument. Some believe that Indian astronomy hot it's name khagola-sastra from the observatory of Aryabhatta.

Lalla, a famous Astronomer wrote a text "śiśyādhivridhida". In that text he explains twelve kinda of astronomical instruments called yantras. They are 1) Gola yantra, 2) Bhagan yantra, 3) Chakra yantra 4) Dhanus yantra 5) Gati yantra 6) Sankhu yantra 7) Shataka yantra 8) Khathari yantra 9) Pita yantra 10) Kapala yantra 11) Shalaka yantra 12) Yasthi yantra.

Bhaskaracharya's text çiddhanta-çiromaëi describes about Nadivalaya yantra and other yantras, which were used to calculate planetary motions and determine time.

In recent times, the person who had revived the lost knowledge about our Indian Astronomy and reconstructed the Astronomical yantras or instruments was none other than Raja of Jaipur, Sawai Jaising-II.

Raja Jaisingh was a vassal king of Moghul Empire. During 1724-1727. he established Astronomical observatories called "Jantar-Mantar" and hoisted the Flag of Indian talent. He founded them in five cities namely Delhi, Jaipur,Mathura, Ujjain and Varanasi. Among them except Mathura all the remaining four observatories exist today.

Jantar-Mantar, Delhi.

These Observatories exhibit not only astronomical excellence but also architectural splendor and Engineering Ingenuity. The Sundial of Jaipur is the biggest existing Sundial of the world today. It observes various movements of Sun and the angles of other celestial objects.

"Sasthamsa yantra" can easily calculate the diameter of sun ."Jayaprakash yantra" can study the night-sky and stars. "Kapala yantra" a bowl shaped instrument had been used to determine the latitude and longitude and thus enabled astronomers to depict the picture of celestial space. "Ramayantra" had been constructed in cylindrical shape to record the movements of Astronomical Objects.

A few modern historians are of the view, that Jaisingh was influenced by Arabic and Persian Astronomy. But the instruments that were built by Jaisingh in his observatories had been mentioned in ancient Indian astronomical texts. Alburni, the Arab historian says, Indian Astronomy, Chemistry, Mathematics and Medicine influenced Arabia and Persia in many ways.