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.