Ayurveda
About Ayurveda
AYURVEDA = AYUS+VEDA
The term Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit terms "Ayu" meaning "life" and "Veda" meaning "knowledge". The literal translation of "Ayurveda" is "knowledge of life" or "right living". This Ayurveda knowledge is grounded in the Vedic scriptures, which date back to 3000 B.C. It was also strongly influenced by the Tantric traditions.
The fundamentals of Ayurveda can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas — the ancient Indian books of wisdom. The Rigveda contains a series of prescriptions that can help humans overcome various ailments.
Ayurveda is based on the premise that the universe is made up of five elements: air, fire, water, earth, and ether. These elements are represented in humans by three "doshas", or energies: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. When any of the doshas accumulate in the body beyond the desirable limit, the body loses its balance.
Prayer to Dhanvantari (The Lord of Ayurveda):
"One who bears in his attractive four hands conch, circular weapon, a set of leeches and a pot with ambrosia, whose fine, shining and pure upper garment makes him appear especially wonderful, whose eyes are like lotus flower, whose bright bodily luster is of the colour of a fresh rain cloud, whose beautiful waist is adored by a magnificent yellow dress and who burns away all diseases just like a forest fire, to such Lord Dhanvantari, I bow respectfully."
Motto of Ayurveda Applications
"SARVE-JANA SUKHINOBHAVANTU"
Bringing about happiness in every living being.
The term Ayurveda comes from the Sanskrit terms "Ayu" meaning "life" and "Veda" meaning "knowledge". The literal translation of "Ayurveda" is "knowledge of life" or "right living". This Ayurveda knowledge is grounded in the Vedic scriptures, which date back to 3000 B.C. It was also strongly influenced by the Tantric traditions.
The fundamentals of Ayurveda can be found in Hindu scriptures called the Vedas — the ancient Indian books of wisdom. The Rigveda contains a series of prescriptions that can help humans overcome various ailments.
Ayurveda is based on the premise that the universe is made up of five elements: air, fire, water, earth, and ether. These elements are represented in humans by three "doshas", or energies: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. When any of the doshas accumulate in the body beyond the desirable limit, the body loses its balance.
Prayer to Dhanvantari (The Lord of Ayurveda):
"One who bears in his attractive four hands conch, circular weapon, a set of leeches and a pot with ambrosia, whose fine, shining and pure upper garment makes him appear especially wonderful, whose eyes are like lotus flower, whose bright bodily luster is of the colour of a fresh rain cloud, whose beautiful waist is adored by a magnificent yellow dress and who burns away all diseases just like a forest fire, to such Lord Dhanvantari, I bow respectfully."
Motto of Ayurveda Applications
"SARVE-JANA SUKHINOBHAVANTU"
Bringing about happiness in every living being.
General
Ayurveda Applications is the oldest and the most developed life-science of natural healing in the world. Life is the outcome of the union of physical body (sharir), sense organs (indriyas), psyche (manas), and soul (atman). Ayurveda Applications is not merely a system of healing, but an entire way of life that aims to bring about the perfect balance of the entire personality - body, mind, and spirit.
Ayurveda Applications is based on the theory of Tridosha or the three biological forces - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Diseases arise when there is an imbalance among the three doshas, and the aim of the therapy is to bring about the required equilibrium in the manner of living.
Life, as an integration of body, sense organs, mind, and soul, is in perpetual movement. Life is what goes on and on. On its stability depend our conscious efforts to protect and preserve it. We are concerned with the span and quality of life. The tie-up of this combination should remain strong, and all should work in perfect coordination. For this, one should study and know all subtle branches of knowledge concerning man and the universe. Whatever there is in the macrocosm, so is in the microcosm!
Essentially, all living beings are represented by macrocosms in the universe. The sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the seas, the rivers, the mountains, the rains, etc., are all represented in one form or the other in the bodies of all living beings. Ayurveda Applications is the eternal wisdom of the ancient sages who received this science as the divine blessing. This wisdom is based on the perfect wholeness of cosmic consciousness experienced through spiritual introspection and meditation.
The epistemological background of Ayurveda Applications is mainly provided by the philosophies of the Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimansa, and Vedanta. This is concerned with 24 categories which are considered primarily responsible for the creation of the universe. They are Prakriti (Primordial nature), Mahat (Intellect), Ahankara (sense of individuality or ego-self identification), Manas (Mind), the five sense organs, the five motor organs, the five subtle Tanmatras {atomic forms of ether, air, fire, water, and earth - the shabda (sound), sparsha (touch), roopa (vision), rasa (taste), and gandha (smell) respectively} and the five Gross Elements (space, air, fire, water, and earth).
Ayurveda Applications is based on the theory of Tridosha or the three biological forces - Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Diseases arise when there is an imbalance among the three doshas, and the aim of the therapy is to bring about the required equilibrium in the manner of living.
Life, as an integration of body, sense organs, mind, and soul, is in perpetual movement. Life is what goes on and on. On its stability depend our conscious efforts to protect and preserve it. We are concerned with the span and quality of life. The tie-up of this combination should remain strong, and all should work in perfect coordination. For this, one should study and know all subtle branches of knowledge concerning man and the universe. Whatever there is in the macrocosm, so is in the microcosm!
Essentially, all living beings are represented by macrocosms in the universe. The sun, the moon, the stars, the planets, the seas, the rivers, the mountains, the rains, etc., are all represented in one form or the other in the bodies of all living beings. Ayurveda Applications is the eternal wisdom of the ancient sages who received this science as the divine blessing. This wisdom is based on the perfect wholeness of cosmic consciousness experienced through spiritual introspection and meditation.
The epistemological background of Ayurveda Applications is mainly provided by the philosophies of the Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Mimansa, and Vedanta. This is concerned with 24 categories which are considered primarily responsible for the creation of the universe. They are Prakriti (Primordial nature), Mahat (Intellect), Ahankara (sense of individuality or ego-self identification), Manas (Mind), the five sense organs, the five motor organs, the five subtle Tanmatras {atomic forms of ether, air, fire, water, and earth - the shabda (sound), sparsha (touch), roopa (vision), rasa (taste), and gandha (smell) respectively} and the five Gross Elements (space, air, fire, water, and earth).
Ayurveda in Vedic Era:
In Hindu mythology, many stories and incidents reveal that the sainya-chikitsa (treatment of the army in the battlefield) or chikitsa (treatment) was in a developed state in the Vedic era. As described in the Rigveda, many examples unveil that the medical attendants of gods, Aswini Kumars, performed many breathtaking surgeries, and they were considered experts in body (limb) implants.
The examples of implantation of steel legs in the place of broken legs of Visakha, the daughter of King Ravel, the implantation of a horse's mouth in place of Dadhichi's head, and again replacement with original ones, make it evident that sainya-chikitsa was very well developed.
Atharvaveda, Kaushik-sutras, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Harshabharit, etc., have descriptions about the well-equipped medical attendants in the army quarters.
In Arthashastra (treatise on economy) by Kautilya, there is a discussion about the medical attendants who possessed yantras (medical equipment), shastra (expertise), agada (poison), aushadha (medicines), sneha (love), vastra (clothes), and parichaarak/parichaarika (nursing orderlies) to cure and heal the sick and the wounded.
Sushrut Samhita:
Dhanvantari, the king of Kashi, taught the theory and practice of Ayurveda to several sages that approached him for the treatment of diseases they were afflicted with. The compilation of his teachings is the Sushrut Samhita.
According to him, Ayurveda is a part of Atharvaveda. It is divided into eight branches, namely, Shalya, Shalakya, Kaya-chikitsa, Bhoot-vidya, Kaumar-bhrutya, Agada-tantra, Rasayan-tantra, and Vasikaran-tantra.
Ayurveda is primarily meant to rescue from disease and to maintain good health. The purpose of Ayurveda, according to Dhanvantari, is to know by which life is present, by which one can get a long life (ayu), by which one can get knowledge of life, and to generate an attitude to think on ayu (life).
Charaka Samhita:
Of all the treatises available on Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita is the best even today. It encompasses the details of the precious principles (elements) about Ayurvedic therapeutics (Chikitsa-Vijnan) and is the only work that covers Ayurveda comprehensively. Charaka Samhita also has the aggregation of the contents of the Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Vedanta, and Mimansa, given in the form of verses, in relation to therapeutics. It is said that Charaka Samhita is the tree that contains branches of all sciences.
Ayurveda in India:
Ayurveda is, thus, an ancient Indian medical science, the origin of which can be traced to the Vedas. It is a holistic healing science, which comprises two words, Ayu and Veda, literally meaning the science of life. Ayurveda is, thus, a science dealing not only with the treatment of diseases but is also a complete way of life.
The examples of implantation of steel legs in the place of broken legs of Visakha, the daughter of King Ravel, the implantation of a horse's mouth in place of Dadhichi's head, and again replacement with original ones, make it evident that sainya-chikitsa was very well developed.
Atharvaveda, Kaushik-sutras, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Harshabharit, etc., have descriptions about the well-equipped medical attendants in the army quarters.
In Arthashastra (treatise on economy) by Kautilya, there is a discussion about the medical attendants who possessed yantras (medical equipment), shastra (expertise), agada (poison), aushadha (medicines), sneha (love), vastra (clothes), and parichaarak/parichaarika (nursing orderlies) to cure and heal the sick and the wounded.
Sushrut Samhita:
Dhanvantari, the king of Kashi, taught the theory and practice of Ayurveda to several sages that approached him for the treatment of diseases they were afflicted with. The compilation of his teachings is the Sushrut Samhita.
According to him, Ayurveda is a part of Atharvaveda. It is divided into eight branches, namely, Shalya, Shalakya, Kaya-chikitsa, Bhoot-vidya, Kaumar-bhrutya, Agada-tantra, Rasayan-tantra, and Vasikaran-tantra.
Ayurveda is primarily meant to rescue from disease and to maintain good health. The purpose of Ayurveda, according to Dhanvantari, is to know by which life is present, by which one can get a long life (ayu), by which one can get knowledge of life, and to generate an attitude to think on ayu (life).
Charaka Samhita:
Of all the treatises available on Ayurveda, Charaka Samhita is the best even today. It encompasses the details of the precious principles (elements) about Ayurvedic therapeutics (Chikitsa-Vijnan) and is the only work that covers Ayurveda comprehensively. Charaka Samhita also has the aggregation of the contents of the Sankhya, Yoga, Nyaya, Vaisheshika, Vedanta, and Mimansa, given in the form of verses, in relation to therapeutics. It is said that Charaka Samhita is the tree that contains branches of all sciences.
Ayurveda in India:
Ayurveda is, thus, an ancient Indian medical science, the origin of which can be traced to the Vedas. It is a holistic healing science, which comprises two words, Ayu and Veda, literally meaning the science of life. Ayurveda is, thus, a science dealing not only with the treatment of diseases but is also a complete way of life.
Ayurveda Therapy- General
Ayurveda is not only limited to a comprehensive understanding of bodily or physical symptoms, but also relates to a comprehensive knowledge about spiritual, mental, and social health. It practices the theory of balance. According to it, health is the state of balance, and disease is the state of imbalance. The aim of Ayurveda is to give complete health, and not just getting free from physical diseases. It aims at having a happy, healthy, and peaceful society. Two most important aims of Ayurveda are to maintain the health of healthy people, and to cure the diseases of sick people.
Ayurveda helps us in understanding each individual at a very subtle personal level and in giving him a detailed description of diet, daily routine, lifestyle, actions, and activities to be followed. Ayurveda is a science that teaches how to live life in a true and natural balance.
It describes how one can make one’s life advantageous or disadvantageous for oneself or for others, and what one can do to make one’s life happy or unhappy. It also describes what actions, activities, items of food, etc are good or bad. As long as one can maintain this balance, one remains healthy. When there is imbalance, there is disease, unhappiness, and misery.
Ayurvedic treatment does not suppress the main symptoms, and create new ones as side effects of the main treatment. It is to remove the root cause, and give permanent relief. The treatment mainly consists of the administration of powders, tablets, decoctions, medicated oils, etc prepared from natural herbs, plants, and minerals. As the medicines are evolved from natural sources, and are not synthetic, they are accepted and assimilated in the body, without creating any side effects. On the other hand, there may be some side benefits.
Along with medicine, proper diet, exercise, and living style are also important. If we are taking medicine to remove the root cause and, at the same time, we are taking some food, or following a lifestyle which increases the cause of disease, then we may not get well, or will be getting less relief.
Ayurveda is based on three types of constitution of individuals, called Tri-dosha, three doshas. They are in the nature of the increased manifestation of a particular type of constitution of the body system. The three doshas are known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Vata corresponds to air, Pitta to fire, and Kapha to earth and water, the basic gross elements that are supposed to constitute every living being in the universe. Each individual human being is supposed to have all three constituents, doshas. The predominance of one or a mix of two doshas in an individual gives him the characteristic of being of that particular dosha or the mix of the said doshas.
Ayurveda suggests several methods to help indicate the constitution of a person such as pulse diagnosis, a test of the urine, face reading, general impression the person makes, etc.
A person of Vata type is generally slim, has a difficulty in concentration, feels cold, has a great urge to be quickly satisfied with his needs, etc. He eats quickly, chews food badly, and eats at irregular intervals. He is good in physical activity that requires quick bursts of speed and agility.
A person of Kapha type is often corpulent, slow and has a calm and thoughtful character. He eats considerably and enjoys his food. He is good at the skills of his mind and body. He exhibits endurance and does well under pressure. He is quite stable and of easygoing nature.
A person of Pitta type has a good and balanced physique, likes action, and can be haughty and ill-tempered. His life is busy, and he feels that food is not that important for him. He likes competition in life and exhibits strength, stamina, and speed at work.
Ayurveda considers that every person has a unique dosha (constitutional) harmony. Generally, the dominant dosha in a person, on aggravation, disturbs the harmony leading to ailment or illness.
Based on the determination of the type of dosha a person is, a practitioner of Ayurveda advises a way of life such as diet and physical exercise by way of preventive therapy. When a person actually is afflicted by a specific ailment or illness, he attempts to treat him through curative therapy.
Ayurveda helps us in understanding each individual at a very subtle personal level and in giving him a detailed description of diet, daily routine, lifestyle, actions, and activities to be followed. Ayurveda is a science that teaches how to live life in a true and natural balance.
It describes how one can make one’s life advantageous or disadvantageous for oneself or for others, and what one can do to make one’s life happy or unhappy. It also describes what actions, activities, items of food, etc are good or bad. As long as one can maintain this balance, one remains healthy. When there is imbalance, there is disease, unhappiness, and misery.
Ayurvedic treatment does not suppress the main symptoms, and create new ones as side effects of the main treatment. It is to remove the root cause, and give permanent relief. The treatment mainly consists of the administration of powders, tablets, decoctions, medicated oils, etc prepared from natural herbs, plants, and minerals. As the medicines are evolved from natural sources, and are not synthetic, they are accepted and assimilated in the body, without creating any side effects. On the other hand, there may be some side benefits.
Along with medicine, proper diet, exercise, and living style are also important. If we are taking medicine to remove the root cause and, at the same time, we are taking some food, or following a lifestyle which increases the cause of disease, then we may not get well, or will be getting less relief.
Ayurveda is based on three types of constitution of individuals, called Tri-dosha, three doshas. They are in the nature of the increased manifestation of a particular type of constitution of the body system. The three doshas are known as Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. Vata corresponds to air, Pitta to fire, and Kapha to earth and water, the basic gross elements that are supposed to constitute every living being in the universe. Each individual human being is supposed to have all three constituents, doshas. The predominance of one or a mix of two doshas in an individual gives him the characteristic of being of that particular dosha or the mix of the said doshas.
Ayurveda suggests several methods to help indicate the constitution of a person such as pulse diagnosis, a test of the urine, face reading, general impression the person makes, etc.
A person of Vata type is generally slim, has a difficulty in concentration, feels cold, has a great urge to be quickly satisfied with his needs, etc. He eats quickly, chews food badly, and eats at irregular intervals. He is good in physical activity that requires quick bursts of speed and agility.
A person of Kapha type is often corpulent, slow and has a calm and thoughtful character. He eats considerably and enjoys his food. He is good at the skills of his mind and body. He exhibits endurance and does well under pressure. He is quite stable and of easygoing nature.
A person of Pitta type has a good and balanced physique, likes action, and can be haughty and ill-tempered. His life is busy, and he feels that food is not that important for him. He likes competition in life and exhibits strength, stamina, and speed at work.
Ayurveda considers that every person has a unique dosha (constitutional) harmony. Generally, the dominant dosha in a person, on aggravation, disturbs the harmony leading to ailment or illness.
Based on the determination of the type of dosha a person is, a practitioner of Ayurveda advises a way of life such as diet and physical exercise by way of preventive therapy. When a person actually is afflicted by a specific ailment or illness, he attempts to treat him through curative therapy.
Preventive Therapy
The preventive therapy is mainly two-fold. It is by regulation of diet and physical exercise including yoga.
Ayurvedic Diet:
We all know that, for healthy living, we require a balanced diet constituted of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, etc. Ayurveda has considered the diet in detail. The Ayurvedic diet is one that not only nourishes the body, but also restores the balance of Tridoshas which is very much essential for maintaining good health. Depending on the dosha, or constitutional type, some items of food can be beneficial, and others are not. The same items of food may have the opposite effect on another dosha. The science of Ayurveda teaches that the right diet for a particular constitution is the foundation of healing. For maximum health and vitality, the ideal diet is one that balances the doshas.
The intake of different items of food has relevance to ‘taste’. Ayurveda considers taste to be of six kinds. They are sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter, and acid. Every item of food has one taste or other or a mix of two or more tastes.
Ayurveda suggests that each taste has a stimulating or weakening effect on each of the three doshas. Here under is a statement of the effect of taste on the three doshas.
Ayurvedic Diet:
We all know that, for healthy living, we require a balanced diet constituted of protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals, vitamins, etc. Ayurveda has considered the diet in detail. The Ayurvedic diet is one that not only nourishes the body, but also restores the balance of Tridoshas which is very much essential for maintaining good health. Depending on the dosha, or constitutional type, some items of food can be beneficial, and others are not. The same items of food may have the opposite effect on another dosha. The science of Ayurveda teaches that the right diet for a particular constitution is the foundation of healing. For maximum health and vitality, the ideal diet is one that balances the doshas.
The intake of different items of food has relevance to ‘taste’. Ayurveda considers taste to be of six kinds. They are sweet, sour, salt, pungent, bitter, and acid. Every item of food has one taste or other or a mix of two or more tastes.
Ayurveda suggests that each taste has a stimulating or weakening effect on each of the three doshas. Here under is a statement of the effect of taste on the three doshas.
| TASTE | STIMULATES | WEAKENS |
|---|---|---|
| Sweet | Kapha | Vata and Pitta |
| Sour | Kapha and Pitta | Vata |
| Salt | Kapha and Pitta | Vata |
| Pungent | Vata and Pitta | Kapha |
| Bitter | Vata | Kapha and Pitta |
| Acid | Vata | Kapha and Pitta |
Here are recommended items of food, to balance each of the three doshas,
keeping in view the effect of taste, too of the items.
Vata-Dosha:
The qualities of Vata are being cold, dry, light, hard and rough.
Vata-pacifying items of food:
General: Excess of Vata can be counterbalanced with nutritive and tissue-building
items of food that are warm, moist, heavy, soft and oily as well as items with sweet,
sour or salty taste. For example, Vata-pacifying items include ghee, soft dairy
products, wheat, rice, corn and bananas. A person with a Vata constitution should
favour items like hot cereal with ghee, hot soups and vegetables, and wholly cooked
grains and chapatis. Spicy items of food are generally okay for Vata.
keeping in view the effect of taste, too of the items.
Vata-Dosha:
The qualities of Vata are being cold, dry, light, hard and rough.
Vata-pacifying items of food:
General: Excess of Vata can be counterbalanced with nutritive and tissue-building
items of food that are warm, moist, heavy, soft and oily as well as items with sweet,
sour or salty taste. For example, Vata-pacifying items include ghee, soft dairy
products, wheat, rice, corn and bananas. A person with a Vata constitution should
favour items like hot cereal with ghee, hot soups and vegetables, and wholly cooked
grains and chapatis. Spicy items of food are generally okay for Vata.