Veda and Health Science

Ayur Veda : - The Knowledge of Life . Ayurveda is the oldest traditional healing system practiced in India and the most comprehensive holistic healing system in the world. This ancient knowledge was given to mankind, more than 5000 years ago by sages and seers for the well being of humans. It is also known as the

mother of all healing system:

It is original source of many modern natural healing therapies. The aim of Ayurveda is not only healing the sick, but also the prevention of illness and the preservation of life, and in that way it comprises a noble system of living that makes Ayurveda the most complete system of medicine and healthcare we know today.


There are several aspects to Ayurveda that are quite unique:

i) Its recommendations will often be different for each person regarding which foods and which lifestyle they should follow in order to be completely healthy. This is due to its use of a constitutional model.
ii) Everything in Ayurveda is validated by observation, inquiry, direct examination and knowledge derived from the ancient texts.
iii) It understands that there are energetic forces that influence nature and human beings. These forces are called the Tridoshas.
iv) Because Ayurveda sees a strong connection between the mind and the body, a huge amount of information is available regarding this relationship.

Origin of Ayurveda:

Ayurveda is an intricate system of healing that originated in India thousands of years ago. We can find historical evidence of Ayurveda in the ancient books of wisdom known as the Vedas. In the Rig Veda, over 60 preparations were mentioned that could be used to assist an individual in overcoming various ailments. The Rig Veda was written over 6,000 years ago, but really Ayurveda has been around even longer than that. What we see is that Ayurveda is more than just a medical system. It is a Science of Life. We are all part and parcel of nature. Just as the animals and plants live in harmony with nature and utilize the Laws of Nature to create health and balance within their beings, we, too, adhere to these very same principles. Therefore, it is fair to say that Ayurveda is a system that helps maintain health in a person by using the inherent principles of nature to bring the individual back into equilibrium with their true self. In essence Ayurveda has been in existence since the beginning of time because we have always been governed by nature's laws.


Meanings of Ayurveda:

Ayurveda is made up of two Sanskrit words: “Ayu” which means life and “Veda” which means the knowledge of. To know about life is Ayurveda. However, to fully comprehend the vast s cope of Ayurveda let us first define "Ayu" or life. According to the ancient Ayurvedic scholar Charaka, "ayu" is comprised of four essential parts. The combination of mind, body, senses and the soul.


Mind, Body, and Senses :

We tend to identify most with our physical bodies; yet, in actuality, there is more to us then what meets the eye. We can see that underlying our physical structure is the mind, which not only controls our thought processes but also helps assist us in carrying out day-to-day activities such as respiration, circulation, digestion and elimination. The mind and the body work in conjunction with one another to regulate our physiology. In order for the mind to act appropriately to assist the physical body, we must use our senses as information gatherers.

We can think of the mind as a computer and the senses as the data, which gets entered into the computer. Smell and taste are two important senses that aid in the digestive process. When the mind registers that a particular food is entering the gastrointestinal tract, it directs the body to act accordingly by releasing various digestive enzymes. However, if we overindulge the taste buds with too much of a certain taste, such as sweet, we may find that the ability of the mind to perceive the sweet taste is impaired; and thereby the body becomes challenged in its ability to process sweet foods. Maintaining the clarity of our senses is an essential part in allowing the mind and body to integrate their functions and help in keeping us healthy and happy individuals.

Tridosha: Ayurveda's concept of the Tridoshas is unique to medical science. Ayurveda says the body is made up of tissues (dhatus), waste products (malas), and doshas (loosely translated to Energetic Forces). It is the Tridoshas' job to assist with the creation of all of the various tissues of the body and to remove any unnecessary waste products from the body. It is also the Tridoshas that influence all movements, all transformations, all sensory functions, and many of the other activities in the human body and mind.


i) Vata Dosha: The Vata dosha is the most important of the three doshas. This is for two reasons. First, if Vata becomes imbalanced for long enough and sufficiently enough, it can also cause the other two doshas (Pitta or Kapha) to become imbalanced. It can even cause both Pitta and Kapha to become imbalanced; this is called a Tridoshic imbalance and is the most difficult to overcome. Secondly, Vata is the main driver or mover of the body, Including the other two doshas, all the tissues (dhatus) and all of the waste products (malas).

Vata provides the following functions:

1. All eliminations: fetus, semen, feces, urine, sweat, and a few others
2. Assists with all the various metabolisms in the body (called Agni in Ayurveda)
3. Controls all of the various movement of body (both physical & mental), including such things as respiration, heart beat, motivation and contraction of muscles.
4. Relays all sensory input from the various sense organs to the brain
ii) Pitta Dosha: The Pitta dosha is associated with fire or heat. Wherever there is transformation, there is Pitta (doing its job). Whether it is in the GI tract, liver, skin, eyes or brain doesn't matter, for these are all locations where Pitta works.


Pitta provides the following functions:

1. Metabolism - at all the various levels
2. from digestion of food to transformation of all other material
3. Thermo-genesis - maintains the proper body temperature
4. Vision - converts external images into optic nerve impulses
5. Appetite - the feeling of hunger and thirst
6. Comprehension - of information into knowledge, also reasoning and judgment
7. Courage & Braveness - to face the situation
8. Complexion - gives color and softness to skin

ii) Kapha Dosha: Kapha is the heaviest of the three doshas. It provides the structures and the lubrication that the body needs. These qualities help to counterbalance Vata's movement and Pitta's metabolism. A big, heavyset football play or wrestler is a person with a predominance of Kapha.


Kapha provides the following functions:

1. Strength - to perform physical tasks
2. Moistness & Lubrication - to prevent excessive friction from occurring between the various parts of the body
3. Stability - to add the necessary grounding aspect to both mind and body
4. Mass & Structure - to provide fullness to bodily tissues
5. Fertility & Virility - to produce healthy offspring


Principles of Ayurveda :

Now that we have a better understanding of what comprises life, let's look at some of the principles of Ayurveda and how they might affect us. In Ayurveda we view a person as a unique individual made up of five primary elements. The elements are ether (space), air, fire, water, and earth. Just as in nature, we too have these five elements in us. When any of these elements are present in the environment, they will in turn have an influence on us. The foods we eat and the weather are just two examples of the presence of these elements. While we are a composite of these five primary y elements, certain elements are seen to have an ability to combine to create various physiological functions. Ether and air combine to form what is known in Ayurveda as the Vata dosha. Vata governs the principle of movement and therefore can be seen as the force, which directs nerve impulses, circulation, respiration, and elimination. Fire and water are the elements that combine to form the Pitta dosha. The Pitta dosha is the process of transformation or metabolism.

The transformation of foods into nutrients that our bodies can assimilate is an example of a Pitta function.

Pitta is also responsible for metabolism in the organ and tissue systems as well as cellular metabolism. Finally, it is predominantly the water and earth elements, which combine to form the Kapha dosha. Kapha is what is responsible for growth, adding structure unit by unit. Another function of the Kapha dosha is to offer protection. Cerebral-spinal fluid protects the brain and spinal column and is a type of Kapha found in the body. Also, the mucousal lining of the stomach is another example of the Kapha dosha protecting the tissues. We are all made up of unique proportions of Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These ratios of the doshas vary in each individual; and because of this, Ayurveda sees each person as a special mixture that accounts for our diversity. Ayurveda gives us a model to look at each individual as a unique makeup of the three doshas and to thereby design treatment protocols that specifically address a person’s health challenges. When any of the doshas (Vata, Pitta or Kapha) become accumulated, Ayurveda will suggest specific lifestyle and nutritional guidelines to assist the individual in reducing the dosha that has become excessive. We may also suggest certain herbal supplements to hasten the healing process. If toxins in the body are abundant, then a cleansing process known as Pancha Karma is recommended to eliminate these unwanted toxins.

Tulsi – the time tested remedy for several ailments.
Many families in India maintain a tulsi planted in a specially built structure, which has images of deities installed on all four sides, and an alcove for earthen oil lamp. Some of the larger households even have up to a dozen tulsi plants on the verandah or in the garden. Tulsi is of great medicinal significance, and is a prime herb in ayurvedic treatment. Marked by its strong aroma and a stringent taste, tulsi promotes longevity. The plant’s extracts can be used to prevent and cure many illnesses and common ailments like common cold, headaches. Heart disease various forms of poisoning and malaria. Essential oil extracted from Karpoora tulsi is mostly used for medicinal purposes through of late it is used in the manufacture of herbal toiletries.


The tulsi plant is even known to purify or de-pollute the atmosphere and also works as a repellent to mosquitoes, flies and other harmful insects. Tulsi used to be a universal remedy in cased of malarial fever.

Scholars of Ancient Indian Health Science

Sushruta – 4th century B.C.: He was the first surgeon of the world. Sushruta was the father of plastics surgery and an expert in anesthesia. An expert in removing cataract, urinary stones and treating fractures. He was the first to perform a caesarean. He was authored ‘Sushruta Samhita – a medical treatise where he lists 101 types of surgical instruments. He named surgical tools after animals or birds they resemble. Even today, the medical community uses the name – Crocodile forceps and Hawk-bill forceps


Sushruta has described surgery under the following:

Chedya (excision), Lekhya (sacrification), Vedhya (puncturing), Esya (exploration), Ahrya (extraction), Vsraya (evaculation) and Sivya (suturing)
Charaka - Charaka was the 1st physician to present the concept of digestion, metabolism and immunity. He authored ‘Charaka Samhita’, which was a revised treatise of the original by agnivesha.He was the court physician of Kushana King of kanishka. He is regarded as the principal exponent of the medical system known as ‘Kaya Chikitsa’


Patanjali – 147B.C.- Patanjali was the founder of Yoga system and the author of Yoga sutras, which is the first document of its kind to expound techniques of control over body and mind by practice of Yoga