Tattva

AyurVeda is the medical/therapeutic or natural healing system of the Vedic Sciences which originated in India approximately 5000 years ago. AyurVeda comes from the root word “Ayu” which means life and “Veda” which means knowledge of. Hence AyurVeda means “science of life” in Sanskrit. Life here does not refer to life of an individual but to the life of the entire universe which the individual is part of. In Vedic science everything in nature is made of five elements of air, ether, fire, water and earth and the individual (microcosm) is a replica of the universe (macrocosm). The conscious that is present in an individual is the same conscious that is present in the entire universe. AyurVeda allows the individual to know their body, mind and soul at its deepest level and experience the wisdom of this consciousness to appreciate the conscious that is present in the entire universe.

Oldest References:

AyurVeda is referenced in the literature from the Vedic period between 4000-2000 B.C.E. The four Vedas; Brahmanas, Upanishads, Mahabharata and the Puranas refer to concepts of AyurVeda . Rig Veda contains Indira, Agni and Soma relating to Vata, Pita and Kapha, the three doshas (biological humors) of AyurVeda. Yajur Veda introduces the AyurVedic ideas of the organs and dhatus (tissues). Sama Veda contains chants related to health of the body, mind and spirit while Atharva Veda contains reference to herbs, disease treatments and systematic knowledge of Ayurveda. Since Atharva Veda contains a lot of references to AyurVeda, sometimes AyurVeda is considered to be an Upaveda or branch of AyurVeda. The Brahmanas mention the five pranas (life-force) and the seven dhatus in detail. The Upanishads teach the mental and spiritual aspect of AyurVeda. The Mahabharata discusses doshas and their effects on health and diseases. The Puranas describe the patron deity of AyurVeda, Lord Dhanvantari, as ‘King of Kashi.’

At the end of the Vedic Period, between 2000-300 B.C.E., AyurVedic knowledge was preserved, reformulated and systemically arranged and compiled into Samhitas . The three authentic Samhitas that we have today are Charaka Samhita, Sushruta Samhita and Ashtanga Hridaya. These three Samhitas are collectively called Brihattrayi. Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita were written during this period while Ashtanga Hridaya was written around 600 AD.

Spread of AyurVedic Knowledge:

AyurVeda continued to flourish in India between 300 B.C.E. and 800 C.E. During this period, the knowledge of AyurVeda was shared with interested people from other parts of the world. Students from Rome, Greece, Persia and China came to India to learn Vedic culture. The medical systems of Greece and Rome had influence of AyurVeda and Unani. In the eighth century AyurVedic physicians were invited to Baghdad in the Middle East to take charge of hospitals there. The monks and yogis also shared Ayurvedic knowledge with people who were open to it in Tibet, China, Indonesia, Afghanistan and Persia. During 200CE - 800CE Siddha medicine (regular scientific AyurVedic pharmaceutical chemistry) was developed and incorporated into AyurVeda. This form of AyurVedic medicine is more popular in South India. Also during this period, the main AyurVedic texts were translated into Arabic. While AyurVeda did flourish during this period, it also became unpopular due to historical reasons.

Decline of AyurVeda:

AyurVeda first started declining with the Muslim invasion of India in the eighth century. After the conquest of India, the Muslims destroyed the universities, monastries and temples, which were the main repositories of AyurVeda. Since AyurVedic medicine is part of Vedic/Hindu culture, with the Muslims anti-Hindu and anti-Budhist crusades, practices of AyurVedic medicine withdrew into villages and into family centers. The colonization of India by the British in the mid-nineteenth century further contributed to the decline of AyurVeda. The British denied it’s state patronage and regarded it, just like every other aspect of Vedic/ Hindu culture that a western trained mind can not fully understand, as backward and superstitious. It was during the British rule that Western medicine (including allopathy and homeopathy) was introduced in India.

Revival of Ayurveda:

After Indian independence many national school and universities were established to revive AyurVeda. Modern AyurVeda at present is taught together with allopathic medicine where traditional AyurVeda is sought to be explained in terms of modern science. If modern science has to date failed to explain the root cause of any disease defined in the allopathic medicine system then how can it even begin to explain AyurVeda? There are some AyurVedic medical doctors in India who understand the limitations of modern science and the dangers of trying to explain Vedic science in terms of modern science. These doctors understand that the elements which cannot be explained in terms of modern science is actually the strength of AyurVeda and the very reason why AyurVeda is able to understand the root of the diseases.

Current status of AyurVeda:

AyurVeda, together with allopathy, homeopathy, siddha, unani, Yoga and naturoapthy are the State recognized medical systems of India. Sixty-five percent of the Indians in rural areas use AyurVeda and Ayurvedic plants for their primary care needs in India. The lack of availability of allopathic medicine to these population actually not only saves them from the side effects of allopathic pharmaceuticals but also allows them to live a more holistic Hindu way of life.

AyurVeda outside India:

AyurVedic doctors who have migrated to the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and United kingdom from India have made this medical system available to the locals in these countries. Some of them who had gone through the AyurVedic universities or colleges which had non-modern scientific elements removed from the curriculum, re-incorporated them into their practice after realizing that the healing ability of AyurVedic medicine actually lies in those elements.

Benefits of AyurVeda:

Although globally most Hindus now use allopathic medicine for their primary care needs, Hindus all over the world are still benefiting from AyurVedic lifestyle often without being aware of it. Their use of various combination of spices, fats/oil in their cooking, having rice or wheat as the main course of their meal, eating desert before and drinking tea if desired after the main course of the meal, application of body and hair oils such as bhringaraj taila, brahmi taila and mahanarayan taila, regular supplementation of AyurVedic preparations such as chyavanprash, trikatu powder, triphala churna is keeping their body healthy; their use of bells, chanting of mantras, burning of camphor, offering to the five elements with diya (Fire), flower (Ether), sweet milk (Water), sandalwood paste (Earth), incense (Air) during puja ceremonies is keeping their mind healthy, acknowledging the divinity that exists within all objects and beings and worshiping the divine as the deity of choice is keeping their spirit healthy.

Reference: AyurVeda Nature’s Medicine by Dr. David Frawley and Dr. Subhash Ranade

Manjuma Raman is a naturopathic medical student at Bastyr University. You can reach her at manjuma.raman@gmail.com

 Email This Post

 

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 1st, 2007 at 5:29 am and is filed under Yoga/Ayurveda. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.