Ayurveda, the science and art of wholesome living

by W.T.J.S.Kaviratne Ambalangoda Special Corr.

The Sanskrit word Ayurveda is comprised of two words of ‘Ayus’ and ‘Veda ’.

‘Ayur’ means longevity and ‘Veda’ means the knowledge or science of life. Ayurveda is not only an ancient curative medical system but an integrated concept of life dealing on how an individual should maintain day to day and seasonal routines of life, food, sleep, environment, therapeutics etc.

Ayurvedic physician Amurthaleka Rajeswari who hails from Batapola in the Ambalangoda electorate has inherited Ayurvedic systems of medicine from her father late Prof Harischandra Kaviratne. Prof Harischandra Kaviratne happened to be an erudite scholar well versed in Sanskrit, English and several European languages had written numerous books on Yoga, Indian Philosophy and the first to translate Greek philosophy into Sinhala.

He had also made several trips to Europe including Denmark and Holland accompanied by his daughter Rajeswari on the mission of propagating Ayurveda.

Referring to the origins of Ayurveda, Ayurvedic physician Rajeswari said almost all ancient treatises on Ayurveda compiled in Sanskrit such as Charaka Samhita, Susruta Samhaita, Astangra Hrdaya, Madahava Nidana, Sangadara Samhita and Bhavaparakasa stress on the harmony of body, mind and spirit. Ayurveda deals with physical health, mental health and spiritual health, she further said.

Ayurvedic physician Rajeswari happens to be a voracious reader of books written on Ayurveda in Sanskrit and English and possesses a good knowledge on the subject. She said that her personal belief is that Ayurveda is a philosophy, a kind of a Religion and a Way of Living.

Speaking on Ayurvedic Treatments practised in tourist hotels she said if it was done by genuine Ayurvedic physicians it was of no harm but so far no action was being taken by the relevant authorities on bogus institutions involved in nefarious activities on the guise of Ayurveda. A good knowledge of Sanskrit is indispensable to be an efficient Ayurvedic physician, she said.

Almost all the ancient treatises compiled in Sanskrit on Ayurveda such as Charaka Samhita, Susruta Samahita, Astanga Hrdaya, Madahava Nidana, Sangadara Samhita and Bhavaparakasa stress on the harmony of body, mind and spirit. It deals on physical health, mental health and spiritual health.

Ayurveda, unlike other systems of medicine, rather than providing treatments for symptoms, takes into account the whole patient holistically in the prevention and the treatment of the disease.

Some of the scholars who had done research on Ayurveda define it as the ‘Lore of Life’.

The era of the origins of this ancient Indian system of medicine is uncertain, some scholars claim it is about 3,000 to 5,000 years old and was in practice even before the origin of Buddhism and Christianity.

Ayurveda is one of the branches of Vedas. Most of the healing lore and Ayurvedic tenets are given in the sub branch of Atharva-veda.

But Ayurveda is considered as a stream of knowledge coming down from generation to generation since eternity parallel to the Vedic literature.

Divine response

According to both the ‘Susruta Samhita’ considered as the most ancient compendium ever compiled on Surgery and Charaka Samhita, describe the origin of Ayurveda as a divine response to the appeal made by the sages (rishis) on the sufferings of the humanity Charaka Samhita explains how Bhardwaja, a great ascetic representing other sages went to the God Indra.

According to Charaka Samhita, Prajapati received Ayurveda as explained by Brahma and from Brahma it was received by Aswins and from Aswins it came down to the Lord Indra.

In Susrutha Samhita a quite similar appeal was made to Divodsa Dhanvantari by a different group of sages on the same issues.

According to Charaka Samhita the living beings were gravely affected by diversity of diseases and the life span was very short, the diseases prevented in penance, abstinence, study, celibacy and religious observances.

To relieve the living out of suffering, the great sages assembled on one of the auspicious sides of the Himalayas.

Angira, Jamadagni, Vasistha, Kasyapa, Atreya, Sankhya, Vamadeva, Viswamithra Bharadwaja, and several other sages were among them. Aupadhenava, Vaitrarana, Susruta, Aurabhra were among the sages who approached Divodasa Dhanvantari to learn Ayurveda to relieve the suffering humanity from various afflictions.

Lord Brahma according to Susruta Samhita founded Ayurveda a branch of Atharva-veda even before creating living beings. Ayurveda was composed in hundred thousand verses and divided into thousand chapters.

But later he divided Ayurveda into eight branches such as Surgery(Salya tantra), Ophtholmology, Otorhino-laryngiology (Salakya tantra), Inner Medicine (Kaya Chikitsa), Demonology (Bhuta Vidya), Paediatrics (Kaumarabhrtya tantra), Toxicology (Agada tantra), Rejuvination (Rasayana tantra) and Virilification (Vajikarana tantra).

Narrative of Charaka Samhita reveals that Ayurvedic tradition up to the God Indra was divine in nature.

It was the great sage Bharadwaja or Atri who brought it to the terrestrial level. Punarvasu Atreya the great sage held numerous symposia throughout India and conducted discussions to formulate concepts of Ayurveda. Atreya’s disciples were comprised of six illustrious sages of great erudition such as Agnivesa, Bhela, Jatukarna, Pasrasara, Haritha and Ksarapani. Out of all of them most brilliant sage was Agnivesa who documented the precepts of Ayurveda discussed by Atreya and Agnivesa’s compendiumon Ayurveda was known as Agnivesa-tantra (Agnivesa treatise). Other disciples also compiled their own compendiums but Agnivesa - tantra became the most popular treatise on Atreya School of Ayurveda medicine.

The Agnivesa Samhita which was considered as the most popular compendium of Ayurveda even praised by the divinity was proved to be insufficient in handling the ever increasing ailments of the humanity.

About 800 years later since the compilation of Agnivesa Samhita, to meet the day-to-day requirements of the suffering communities of the era, Agnivesa Samhita was reformed and enlarged reproduced with several additions as Charaka Samhita by a scholarly Ayurvedic physician known as Charaka. Some were of the opinion that Charaka was a sage.

Contributions of Charaka Samhita to Ayurveda. The main contributions of Charaka Samhita to Ayurveda:

(i) Advancement of Basic Concepts of Vedic period. Both physiological and pathological aspects had been interpreted scientifically and logically.

(ii) Rational attitude by getting rid of blind beliefs and superstitions prevailed in the era on cause and cure of diseases.

(iii) Organisation of Symposia which facilitated the advancement of knowledge.

(iv) Psychosomatic approach. According to Charaka Samhita man is considered as a whole known as Purusa. Both Tridosa and Psyche interact with each other and Psychosomatic approach plays a key role in Ayurveda.

(v) Individual Constitution: Emphasis is laid on individual differences on psychic and somatic constitution. Every therapy has to be applied taking into account the constitution of an individual. (vi) Expansion: Ayurvedic medicine is expanded in accordance with Etilogy (Hetu), Signs (Linga) and Therapeytics (Medicine).

(vii) Scientific Method of Diagnosis: According to Charaka Samhita, the facts about the patient should be gathered using scriptures, perception and inference. The disease has to be examined in respect of etilogy, prodormal symptoms, suitability and pathogenesis.

(viii) Importance of Nature: Charaka Samhita emphasised on the recession by nature (Swabhavoparama) and evacuative therapy (Samsodana).

(ix) Promotion and Prevention: Charaka Samhita deals on the promotion of life. Code of good conduct which helps to remain healthy and long-lived.

(x) Scientific study of drugs: It is evident from the Osadhi Sukta of Rig Veda and Atharva Veda Plants had been studied analytically during the Vedic period. Charka Samhita had documented the scientific study of morphology and pharmacological activity of the medicinal plants (Ayurvedic herbs) during the post-vedic period.

Whether Charaka was an individual or a traditional group and the era he lived were subjects of controversy and vary from scholars of Ayurvedic research. Some claim Charaka was a an Ayurvedic physician lived in the vedic era between 5th century B.C. and 6th century A.D.

Nearly 400 years after Charaka, another Ayurvedic physician called Dradhabala in the 4th century A.D. during the Gupta period reconstructed the Charaka Samhita adding another 17 chapters.

According to the Ayurveda the three humours or characteristics (Doshas) in a living body known as Vata, Pittta and Kapha influence the organism. Dosha means that which goes out of balance easily. These dhosas are condensed out of the Five Great Elements. Vata arises from Air and Ether, Pitta from Fire and Water, and Kapha from Water and Earth. Each Dosha is composed of two elements. One functions as its active component while the other acts as the passive component. Vata, Pitta and Kapha are representative of Air , Fire and Water respectively.

Pitta

Pitta governs all movements in the physical body of every living being. Pitta governs all transformations of every kind particularly digestion of food. Kapha governs stability including functions as lubrication of joints and organs. Bile, phlegm and other bodily secretions are vehicles for the three Doshas.

All five elements are essential for the survival of living beings. If the three Doshas are balanced the harmony of these five elements could maintain the health of an individual and if they are not balanced the health could be affected.

A healthy person produces just the sufficient amount of three dhosas to meet the physical needs.

Unhealthy body produces more or less than the amount of three dhosas. Over production or under production of three dhosas affect the vitality, adaptability and immunity.

The food comprised of Earth and Water increases the body’s proportion of Earth and Water resulting the increase of Kapha in the body. The three dhosas increase and decrease in the body according to the qualities in the body. The qualities absorb from the food, drink, environment, thoughts and even the emotions of a person possess the qualities affecting the doshas in the body.

Dosas

Vata is dry, cold, light, unstable, clear, rough and subtle. Pitta is slightly oily, hot, intense, light, fluid and mobile. Kapha is oily, cold, heavy, stable, viscid, smooth and soft.

Diseases due to excess Kapha: Congestion, bronchial nasal discharge, sluggish digestion, nausea, slow mental response, idleness, desire for sleep and excess weight.

Kapha body type: Well built and having problems with the weight, Kapha people are naturally athletic, they are sensitive and emotional and require understanding. The hair is thick and wavy, skin is smooth and eyes are large and attractive.

Susruta son of the sage Visvamitra is believed to be the author who compiled the treatise on ancient Ayurvedic surgery known as Susruta Samhita which describes the knowledge gathered on surgery from the teachings of Devodasa Dhanvantari who was the teacher of Susruta.

Quite similar to the narration given at the beginning of Charaka Samhita, even Susruta Samhita introduced how the ancient sages made an appeal to Divodasa Dhanvantari to come to rescue the sufferings of the humanity and to teach them Ayurveda with special emphasis on surgery. (Salyatantra) The period of Devodasa Dhanvantari and Susruta also vary from 1000 B.C. to 1500B.C.