Ayurveda

"Ayu" refers to life, encompassing the physical body, senses, mind, and soul. The word "veda" means knowledge. Therefore, Ayurveda can be understood as the knowledge of life. This ancient practice, which is more than 5,000 years old, emerged to address obstacles that hinder happiness and fulfilment in life. It offers a holistic approach to healing the body, mind, and soul.

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Ancient Vedas

There are four Vedas (Scriptures that form the basis of Human living): Rigveda, Samaveda, Yajurveda, and Atharvaveda. These texts serve as major sources of rituals, chants, and wisdom, all aimed at benefiting mankind and the world. Ayurveda is an upaveda of the Atharvaveda. This comprehensive Ayurvedic science was initially transmitted orally by many individuals before being documented.

However, as people’s understanding of memory, life, and knowledge has diminished over the ages, the rishis, through deep meditative states, gained insights and wrote the Samhitas. These texts are more easily accessible and understandable to others.

Ancient Samhitas

Several Achaaryas (Teachers) have authored samhitas (textbooks), but among them, the Charak Samhita, Sushruta Samhita, Ashtanga Hrudaya, Madhava Nidana, and Kaumarbhrutya are particularly well-known around the world in discussions about Ayurveda.

The four objectives of life

People recognise four objectives of life: dharma (righteousness), artha (wealth), kama (desires), and moksha (renunciation). However, diseases can become significant obstacles in achieving these goals. Ayurveda offers insights into the causes of diseases (hetu), the symptoms associated with their occurrence (linga) and ultimately provides treatments (aushadha) that help mitigate these diseases.

Three pillars in Ayurveda

The Ayurvedic concept of the three pillars, known as tridanda, includes satva (mind), atma (soul), and shareera (body), all of which are interconnected.

Panchabhoota theory

Ayurvedic concept of panchabhoutika (Five great elements) theory gives us an understanding that all substances, matter, living or non-living, are made up of akasha (ether), vayu (wind), tejas (fire), aap (water) and prithvi (earth). These five fundamental elements play a crucial role in shaping both the internal state of the body and the external environment we inhabit. This interconnectedness highlights the principles of balance and harmony in Ayurveda, suggesting that the constitution of all things influences one another profoundly.

Branches of Ayurveda

The branches of Ayurveda are 8 in number. These can be said as the main topics written in the Samhitas or subjects of the Samhita. The eight branches consist of,

1. Kaya: General medicine

2. Bala: Paediatrics

3. Graha: Psychology

4. Urdhwanga or Shalakya: Related to ear, nose, and throat (ENT)

5. Shalya: Surgery

6. Damstra or Agada Tantra: Toxicology

7. Jara or Rasayana: Rejuvenation

8. Vajikarana: Aphrodisiology

These branches are the main topics covered in the Samhitas or the subjects of the Samhita texts.

Concept of Guna and Karma

The concept of 'guna' refers to quality, while 'karma' signifies function. Both are inseparable in dravya (matter), meaning one cannot exist without the other—some dravya exhibit prabhava (special qualities), indicating unique actions regardless of their guna and karma.

Causes of disease

There are three main causes of diseases: kala (time), buddhi (intellect), and indriya (sense organs and perception). When these elements are used excessively, not used at all, or used inappropriately, they can lead to illnesses that affect both the body and the mind.

What does health mean in Ayurveda?

Health, in Ayurvedic terms, is defined as "prakruta awastha," which means a balanced state of the three doshas: Vata, Pitta, and Kapha. These doshas can affect each other when they are not in a healthy state. Additionally, health involves a proper balance of dhatus (body tissues), agni (digestive fire or ability), and mala kriya (the process of excreting waste).

The Doshas that rule

There are three main Doshas, namely Vata (Air), Pitta (Heat), and Kapha (Mucus), which govern the state of the body. Each of these Doshas is unique and has a guna (characteristic) and karma (function) when in a balanced state and during disease.

Vata dosha

Vata dosha is the dominant of all the three and is made up of akaash (ether) and vayu (air) mahabhoota.

Ruksha (dry), sheetha (cold), laghu (light in weight), khara (coarse), sukshama (minute), chala (moving), vishada (clear), are gunas of this vata dosha.

Pitta dosha

Pitta dosha is predominantly made up of agni (fire), mahabhoota.

Sasneha (unctuous), teekshana (sharp and piercing), ushna (heat), drava (liquidity), sara (fluidity) are gunas of this pitta dosha.

Kapha dosha

Kapha dosha is made up of jala (water) and Prithvi (earth) mahabhoota.

Guru (heavy), sheetha (cold), mrudu (soft), snigdha (unctuous), sthira (stable), pichila (sticky), are gunas of this kapha dosha.

The gunas, as mentioned before, may increase or decrease due to various nidanas (causes). When this occurs, there can be either an aggravation or depletion of doshas, which ultimately leads to disease. Therefore, the goal of treatment is to maintain a balance among these doshas for healthy living.

The Dhatus

Once food is properly digested with the action of jatara agni (digestive fire), it leads to the formation of saara bhaga (the nutrient part). This nutrient part nourishes the dhatus, which are the body's tissues, namely rasa (plasma), rakta (blood), mamsa (muscle), meda (fat tissue), asthi (bone), majja (bone marrow), and shukra (beeja – sperm and ovum). Each of these dhatus has its important function in the body.

Another component is kitta bhaga (waste), which is eliminated by the body. This includes sweda (sweat), mala (faeces), and mutra (urine).

Rasa and Doshas

Rasa refers to the tastes that are perceived by the tongue. In Ayurveda, six primary tastes influence the selection of medicine based on doshas and their effects when consumed in excess. These tastes are, Madhura (Sweet), Amla (Sour),3. Lavana (Salty), Tiktha (Bitter), Katu (Pungent), Kashaya (Astringent)

Each taste is associated with a combination of the five great elements (mahabhoota):

Madhura rasa is a combination of Prithvi (Earth) and Jala (Water).
Amla rasa is a combination of Prithvi (Earth) and Agni (Fire).
Lavana rasa is a combination of Jala (Water) and Agni (Fire).
Katu rasa is a combination of Vayu (Air) and Agni (Fire).
Tiktha rasa is a combination of Vayu (Air) and Akasha (Ether).
Kashaya rasa is made from a combination of Vayu (Air) and Prithvi (Earth).

Madhura, amla, and lavana rasas increase kapha dosha, while katu, tiktha, and kashaya rasas decrease kapha dosha.

Katu, thiktha, and kashaya rasas increase vata dosha, while madhura, amla, and lavana rasas decrease vata dosha.

Amla, lavana, and katu rasas increase pitta dosha, while madhura,thiktha and kashaya rasas will decrease pitta dosha.

Understanding these tastes and their elemental compositions is essential for determining their therapeutic properties in Ayurveda.

The six Ritu (seasons) and their influence on Dosha

Adhana Kala

It refers to the period when the sun is moving northward. During this time, a person may experience a decrease in strength. The seasons that fall under Adhana Kala are Shishira (late winter), Vasanta (spring), and Greeshma (summer).

Visarga Kala

It is the period when the sun moves southward, and during this time, a person may experience an increase in strength. The seasons that fall under Visarga Kala are Varsha (rainy), Sharad (autumn), and Hemanta (early winter).

In terms of dosha aggravation, Vata dosha is aggravated during Varsha (rainy) season, Pitta dosha is aggravated in Sharad (autumn) season, and Kapha dosha is aggravated during Vasanta (spring) season.

Punarva’s Ayurvedic Approach

Healing at Punarva is aimed at increasing the Sattva guna (quality of goodness, purity, and balance) in the mind while reducing the influence of Rajas (passion, activity, and restlessness) and Tamas (inertia, ignorance, and dullness), which are considered to be the mental factors contributing to illness.

Treatment of Diseases is done based on Yuktivyapashraya chikitsa, a concept that focuses on treatment strategies based on logical reasoning and evidence. It emphasises the use of appropriate therapies and medical interventions tailored to the individual's specific health conditions.
Sattvavajaya chikitsa - is the Ayurvedic approach to psychotherapy. It's a non-pharmacological method focused on managing mental health by training the mind.

The Dasha vida pareeksha
The Dasha Vida (ten types) pareeksha is a Traditional clinical protocol in Ayurveda adopted at Punarva for a thorough examination of a patient. The ten methods comprise Prakriti (Dosha type), Vikruti ( Anamoly). Sara ( Dhatu body), Samhanana (Compactness), Pramana( Measurements), Satmya( Habits of patient), Satva ( Tolerance toward treatments adopted), Ahara Shakti (Digestion capacity), Vyayama Shakti (Exercise capacity), Vaya (Age of patient). The knowledge of Dasha vida pareeksha enables the physician for right diagnosis and plan of appropriate treatment protocol

Panchakarma chikitsa
The Panchakarma chikitsa is a vital aspect of Ayurvedic medicine, which works on detoxification and rejuvenation for overall well-being. This approach consists of five key therapeutic procedures aimed at cleansing the body of accumulated toxins and restoring balance.
Vamana (Therapeutic Emesis): This procedure involves inducing controlled vomiting to eliminate excess mucus and toxins, particularly from the respiratory and digestive systems.
Virechana (Purgation): Using laxatives, this process facilitates the cleansing of the bowels, effectively removing accumulated toxins from the gastrointestinal tract.
Basti (Enema Therapy): This involves administering herbal-infused enemas, which help balance the doshas (energetic principles) and promote colon health.
Nasya (Nasal Administration): In this method, herbal oils or powders are introduced through the nasal passages, contributing to clear sinuses and enhancing mental clarity.
Raktamokshana (Bloodletting): This procedure is utilised to eliminate impure blood, treating various blood disorders and reducing excess heat in the body.

Our Ayurvedic Physician ensures tailor-made panchakarma treatments to meet individual needs that serve to restore harmony across physical, mental, and emotional dimensions. It is often advised as a preliminary step before undertaking other therapeutic interventions, thereby enhancing their overall effectiveness. It's considered one of the main treatments to attain balance in dosha and for disease-free living.

The medicines and treatments thus used with knowledge and by understanding the patient’s body type, season, and time, act as nectar by helping in the mitigation of disease.