Dr H N Patwari
The word ‘Ayurveda’ literally means “the knowledge of ayu”. The word ‘ayu’ here means the life. The ayu is composed of sharira (body), indriya (sense organs), satva (mind) and atma (soul). Ayurveda is not merely a medical science; rather it is the art and science of life. Ayurveda is eternal which means that its origin and end are unknown. If the history of ancient India is explored, we happen to find that Indians had developed a technique of leading a healthy physical, mental, social and spiritual life while other civilizations were not even in existence.
NATIONAL AYURVEDA DAY
Ayurveda is a rare and real conglomeration of sociology, ecology, psychology, botany, medical science, veterinary science and various other streams. It is paradoxical that in present era, the Ayurveda is recognised only as a part of medical science and this encyclopaedia is compared with the modern medical science whose basic principles are entirely different from it.
In the present era of science and technology, if someone talks about health, it means the doctor’s fee, costly hospital bills, high generation expensive antibiotics and investment of time. All these troubles are encountered by the actual sufferer i.e. the patient, but these all are the problems of the attendant or family members of him too. Therefore, it is vivid that in the present scenario, we are not thinking about health; rather we are worried about the diseases. The sole reason behind this mindset is that we fall short to lay down priorities in our life. Since childhood we are taught to conquer good rank in class, followed by aspiration for a good job to earn money and multiplication of that sum in rest of the life. This rat race creates a highly stressful phenomenon and leaves a big impact on our body and mind leading to dire consequences. Nature always gives us an alarm about the breakdown of our body and mind but we disregard it as we know that we are living in a well equipped world of medical science. In this way, during this voyage of life our mental and physical concerns are paid no attention until we fall prey to the predators of health.
Now the question arises if there is any role of Ayurveda in present scenario when we are surrounded by highly developed diagnostic and therapeutic measures or not. Most of the developed countries are spending a fair amount of their total budget on their National health services. The policy makers are laying emphasis on the prevention of diseases or complete health. And in this regard the concepts and principles of Ayurveda must be put forward and presented before the entire world. Ayurveda primarily aims at maintenance of health of healthy and secondly at the cure of diseases. It narrates the lifestyle in terms of healthy food, healthy surroundings, proper behavioural regimen, and code of conduct for an individual and a society.
Before discussing the importance of Ayurveda it is essential to know about healthy personal and social life for which one should know his priorities in life, his mental and physical limits and his concern with environment and society.
WHAT ACTUALLY IS HEALTH OR BEING HEALTHY?
From a layman’s view if someone is not suffering from a disease, he is called healthy. Health is not merely being free from diseases. Ayurveda describes health as a state of being physically, mentally, socially and spiritually fit or in a balanced state. A person is called swastha or healthy when his dossa, dhatu, agni and mala are in normalcy or in balanced state and he is in a state of mental, sensorial, spiritual calmness and happiness. This definition covers all the aspects of ayu discussed earlier. The dosha are the physiological entities responsible for carrying out bodily functions. These are named as vata, pitta and kapha. The dhatus are the physical or materialistic constituents of body. The mala are the waste products .The agni is the digestive capacity of the body. The atma and mana are the psyche factors. So both physical and mental factors have been considered important for being completely healthy.
THE BASIC CONCEPTS OF AYURVEDA
There are so many concepts described in Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita,Ashtanga Hridayam and Sangrah,Sharangdhar Samhita, Bhava Prakasha and Madhava Nidanam – which are widely applicable in various fields but viewing these from a single window of medical field makes the importance of those principles diffuse. These are basically the laws of nature. For example the principle of ‘vriddhi samaane sarveshaam’ says that addition always increases. This principle is true for nutritional science; mathematical science too. The karyakaranvada siddhanta (cause and effect theory) is applicable in every science. Likewise there are other similar fundamentals which are valid in various streams other than Ayurveda.
PERSONAL HEALTH
A comprehensive regimen of life has been advocated in Ayurveda in view of preserving health. This regimen has been described in terms of dinacharya, ratricharya and ritucharya.
DINCHARYA (DAY REGIMEN) – It includes getting up early in the morning, attending natural calls, cleaning and dressing up of the body properly ,an appropriate meal and doing occupational work. Physical exercise in accordance to respective physical stamina and seasonal conditions has been considered important in routine.
RATRICHARYA (NIGHT REGIMEN)- Light dinner, cleaning body before going to bed, proper place and position of bed and bedding, calm surroundings, rationalistic introspection is must for proper sleep which is essential for a healthy body and mind. Sleep has extreme importance like diet. It is equivalent to diet for keeping the body in a balanced state.
RITUCHARYA [SEASONAL REGIMEN] – The regime of life in different seasons has been detailed in Ayurveda. The person doesn’t suffer from diseases caused by seasonal variations if he/she follows prescribed regime of diet and conduct. It is well established fact that the climate brings about corresponding biological changes in the body of an individual. Accordingly the whole year has been classified in detail for dietary and other discretions.
Otherwise also, a major portion of Ayurveda is related with various diets and rules of dietetics. Different diets have been suggested for healthy individuals according to their age, sex, mental and physical temperament. Different diets are recommended as primary medicines in diseased conditions. The concept of wholesome and unwholesome food is unique in Ayurveda.
Ayurveda is 5000 year old philosophy based on deep understanding about the human body as a whole, encompassing the mind spirit and emotions. It embraces medical science, philosophy, psychology, as well as environmental factors. Personally speaking, in order to enhance wider social acceptance of Ayurveda irrespective of religious tags, it is imperative that one particular religion oriented mythological aspects of Ayurveda need not to be largely emphasized. Otherwise also, there is no place for religious bigotry in any scientific philosophy.
In today’s fast paced high pressure modern world, stress and burnout are becoming an epidemic in alarming proportions. Ayurveda is logical answer for such social catastrophe as three main goals of the Ayurveda are to preserve the health of a healthy person, to prevent disease and to promote longevity through improvised quality of life in mind body and spirit. In Ayurveda, health is defined much more than just the absence of disease.
Ayurveda has received big boost in the west due to its holistic approach and good success rate in handling psychosomatic disorders and for the promotion of positive health. It has gained popularity through out world in the form of Panchakarma therapy as best detoxification curative therapy. It is sustainable system of healing that is available to all and works in harmony with the natural world. Ayurvedic healing tools are easily available and the central message of Ayurveda is “let food be your medicine and kitchen be your first pharmacy”.
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