Ayurveda the “science of life” is a holistic alternative science which teaches us to adopt nature’s rhythm in our daily living. Ayus means span of life and “veda” means knowledge.
Ayurveda (pronounced Aa-yer-vay-da), said to be a world medicine, is the most holistic or comprehensive medical system available. Before the arrival of writing, the ancient wisdom of healing, prevention, and longevity was a part of spiritual tradition of a universal religion.[1]
Ayurveda or the Veda of life is the world’s oldest known medical science originating in
The knowledge of Áyurveda was handed down from Brahmá to Daksha Prajápati, onto the Ashwin twins (the divine doctors), then passed to Indra. Sage Bharadvája volunteered to go to heaven to receive this wisdom from Indra, and so became the first human to receive the knowledge of Áyurveda. He passed it to Átreya, then onto Punarnavasu and finally Agnivesha.[2]
This science acknowledges the truth of the cosmos, which is that human beings are the miniature or mirco/extension of the universe. Human being has consciousness and is connected to the cosmic soul. Also, every other living and non-living thing is connected directly or indirectly with each other in the universe through five basic elements through cosmic soul. Everything in this universe is acting and reacting with each other thing in it, in one way or another. The elements are therefore the building blocks of life.
The creation principle developed five essential elements—or building blocks that all life forms contain: ether, air, fire, water, and earth. We can easily see how life was created from the subtlest to the grossest matter. From eternity, the subtlest form of matter is ether. Ether mixing with eternity creates air, a more observable or experiential element. As air moves, it eventually creates friction, which creates heat or fire. Heat produces moisture, thus creating water, the densest element yet: if one tries to walk through water, one is slowed by its density. Finally, water produces the densest form of matter, earth. The Vedas say that all of the creation, including humans, is made up of combinations of all five essential elements. These elements are the subtlest aspects of human life, finer than the molecular, atomic, or subatomic levels.[3]
Ayurveda is the science which focuses on the “veda” or knowledge. The science focuses on discovery of truth and establishes that the body, mind and consciousness are in constant interaction and relationship with all living beings and nature. Ayurveda imparted this profound knowledge to the world without reservations or sanctions and also accepted new ideas from others with broad and open mind.
Ayurveda is a well balanced medical science. It teaches how to maintain a perfect healthy condition It also describes the ways and means to prevent various diseases. Then it turns to the diagnosis and treatment of various diseases with a holistic and personalized approach which are unique to Ayurveda. Holistic medicine is defined as:
Holistic medicine is a system of health care which fosters a cooperative relationship among all those involved, leading towards optimal attainment of the physical, mental emotional, social and spiritual aspects of health.
It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being.[4]
It emphasizes the need to look at the whole person, including analysis of physical, nutritional, environmental, emotional, social, spiritual and lifestyle values. It encompasses all stated modalities of diagnosis and treatment including drugs and surgery if no safe alternative exists. Holistic medicine focuses on education and responsibility for personal efforts to achieve balance and well being.[4]
While diagnosing the constitution (dosha) the mental make-up is also taken into consideration with the signs and symptoms of the disease. The disease may be the same but the diet style, life style, detox-therapy, rejuvenation, herbal therapy, aromatherapy and sound therapy vary according the constitution and mental characteristics of the patient. There are three constitutions or doshas and they are summarized as:
in creation are the three doshas, or constitutions,in the human body:
Váyu (or Váta), Pitta,and Kapha. Váyu may be understood as nerve force, electro-motor, physical activity or that, which is responsible for motion. It is commonly called air. The root, ‘va’ means to spread. In Western terms, it is the electricity setting the organism into motion, maintaining the equilibrium between Pitta and Kapha (inerts).
Pitta relates to internal fire, bile, body heat, digestive enzymes, physio-chemical, biological, metabolic and endocrine systems. It is responsible for digesting the chyle into a protoplasmic substance like sperm and ovum.
Kapha fills the intercellular spaces of the body as connective tissue. Examples of these tissues include mucus, synovial fluid, and tendons. Kapha is responsible for the gross structure of the body (solid and liquid/phlegm-plasma). Each person is made up of a combination of these elements.
Together, the doshas are responsible for catabolic and anabolic metabolism. Catabolism breaks down complex internal bodies, and Váyu (air energy) sets this energy free into simpler waste. Anabolism takes food and builds it into more complex bodies. The summit of the metabolic process is protoplasm or essential matter [proteins, carbohydrates, lipids, and inorganic salts]. Lifeless food becomes living protoplasm and is set free as useful energy or excess heat or motion that is emitted from the body. Thus, the purpose of the three doshas is to move the lymph chyle (the by-product of digested foods) throughout the body. This nourishes and builds the body tissues. When any or all of the doshas develop imbalance, the body ceases to be nourished, and disease develops. The three doshas (Váyu, Pitta, Kapha) exist throughout the entire body, in every cell, yet are predominant (their sites of origin) in the colon, small intestine, and stomach, respectively.[5]
Ayurveda is the first medical science in the world which knew the importance of mind in maintaining perfect health. Ayurveda also understood the vital role of mind as etiological factor in creation of a disease and at the same time it can be a useful means of curing a disease. Ayurveda determined the inseparable unity of mind and body. Ayurveda believes in the existence of spiritual dimension of human being. It states the principal of ‘Jivatma and Parmatma’ consciousness and cosmic soul and asserts further that the human soul, which is the center of vitality of human life, is a part of the cosmic soul. The human soul originates from the cosmic soul at the time of birth and ends in the cosmic soul in death. The soul is the fountain of tremendous energy which can be tapped and utilized by specific preventive and curative instrument in medical therapeutics.
Ayurveda holds that all non-living or inanimate objects in the universe are created by combining in various ways the minute indivisible particles of earth, water, energy, air and space. So also, all living creatures from microbes to men originate from the combinations in various ways, of the same indivisible particles of the five primordial with mind an unit souls.
[1] Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha, The Ayurveda Encyclopedia, p. 3[2] Swami Sada Shiva Tirtha, The Ayurveda Encyclopedia, p. XV
