Ayurvedic Medicine
Ayurveda is an ancient Indian medical system, one of the world’s oldest medical systems and remains one among the traditional health care system around the world.
Ayurveda is based on natural and holistic approach to physical and mental health. Ayurveda literally means ‘the science of life’.
It dates back to at least 5000 years and was documented in various historical text known as Vedas many centuries ago. Ayurveda has evolved over the years and spread to various parts of the world. We can find similarities among the tradition medical practices around the world though known by different names.
Ayurveda is widely practice on the Indian subcontinent in a great a percentage.
History of Ayurveda
Ayurveda begins as a part of the fourth Veda- the Atharva Veda. Ayurveda has an age old history since the second century BC. Ayurveda has its foundation laid by the ancient schools of Hindu philosophical teachings named vaisheshika and the school of logical named as nyaya. It is also related to the manifestation framework, well-known as samkhya, and it was established in the same period when schools of nyaya and vaisheshika flourished.
The vaisheshika school preached about inferences and perceptions that should be obtained about a patient’s pathological
condition for treatment. Whereas, nyaya school propagated its teachings on the basis that one should have an extensive knowledge of the patient’s condition, and the disease condition before proceeding for treatment. The school of vaisheshika, classifies the attributes of any object into six types; substance, particularity, activity, generality, inherence and equality called as dravya, vishesha. Karma, samanya, samavaya and guna respectively, in Sanskrit language. Later vaisheshika and nyaya schools worked together and jointly founded the nyaya-vaisesika school, the nyaya-vaisesika school, in the later years brought glory to the ancient knowledge and helped in disseminating the knowledge about Ayurveda. Even before these
schools were established and also today, the origin of Ayurveda is considered to be divine, from the Hindu god, brahma who is called as the creator of the universe. It is believed that the creator of the universe passed on this holistic knowledge of healing into the sages for the well-being of mankind. From the sages the knowledge of traditional medicines was passed on to the disciples and then to the common man by various writings and oral narrations. The information about the healing properties of the herbs was composed in the form of poems, called “shlokas”.
These were used by sages to describe the use of medicinal plants. The Hindu system of healing is believed to be based on four eminent compilations of knowledge (Vedas) called as Yajur Veda, Rig Veda, Sam Veda, and Atharva Veda. The Rig Veda is the most well- known of all the four Vedas and describes 67 plants and 1028 shlokas. The Atharva Veda and Yajur Veda describes 293 and 81 medicinally useful plants. The practice of Ayurveda is based upon the knowledge gained from these Vedas. The writing in Rig Veda and Atharva Veda are attributed to “Atreya” who is believed to have been conferred with
this knowledge from lord Indra, who initially received it from lord Brahma. Agnivesha compiled the knowledge from the Vedas, and it was edited by charaka and some other scholars and is presently called as “charaka samhita”. Charaka samhita describes all asspects of ayurvedic medicine and sushruta samhita describes the science of surgery. Both these legendary compilation are still used by practitioners of traditional medicine. These ancient texts are available in various translations and language like Tibetan, Greek, Arabic and Persian. There are several other allied minor compilations like Nighantu Granthas, Madhava Nidana and Bhava Prakasha from the contributions of various scholars, however charaka samhita is the most
respected of all the records.
Principles of Ayurveda
Ayurveda believes that the entire universe is composed of five elements; vayu(air), jala(water), aakash(space or ether), prithvi(earth) and teja(fire). These five elements (referred to as pancha mahabhoota in ayurveda) are believed to form the three basic humours of human body in varying combinations. The three humours; vata dosha, pitta dosha and kapha dosha are collectively called as “Tridoshas” and they control the basic physiological functions of the body along with five sub-doshas for each of the principal doshas. Ayurveda believes that the human body consists of saptadhatus (seven tissues) rasa (tissue fluids), Meda (fat and connective tissue), Rakta (blood), Asthi (bones), Majja (marrow), Mamsa (muscle), and shukra (semen) and three malas (waste products) of the body, viz. purisha (faeces), mutra (urine), and sweda (sweat). The
catabolism of the body is believed to be gorned by vata, metabolism by pitta and anabolism by kapha. For a healthy state of
health, a balance between the three doshas and other factors should be maintained.
Any imbalance between the three causes a state of illness or diseases. In Ayurveda it is believed, that a perfect balance between the nature elements and the Tridoshas of the human body should be maintained for a healthy state of living by following the principles of divine wisdom. The body is believed to be composed of seven types of tissues called as “sapta
dhatus”. These seven tissues work in coordination with each for proper physiological functioning of the human body.